Okay, so let’s all just face it now: summer is over. Fall semester is about to slap us in the face with a pumpkin-spiced everything. Now that college is back in session, most of us are going to struggle settling back into a routine of balancing the workload for the first week or so. Between the groggy summertime sadness brains and packed schedule, what we eat and when is not given much thought. An easy snack between classes is all we want to fill an always-starving stomach, processed or organic.
Maybe this article can help. I created little lists of tips and tricks for meal planning and healthy habits to keep a student on his/her feet during the week—giving time for the weekend to eat out with friends. Because come on, who can resist a burger on a Friday night?
Two words: meal planning. This can sound a little unappealing, depending on the love for planning a person has. But it is a vital step to ensuring a week’s worth of good, reliable meals. By predetermining the foods needed for five days, there won’t be moments where your stomach is louder than the professor.
1. Quick tips.
- Every weekend, plan and shop for the week ahead.
- Prep the food for the week (saves time on the day of meal).
- Like the recipe? SAVE IT.
- Leftovers are a thing; embrace it and save them for later.
- Freeze it and say you’re welcome to future you.
2. Busy College Girl.
This is an amazing list! For every meal of the day, including two snacks, your week is set with healthy foods. The site includes the downloadable meal plan for the weekend grocery run, providing every measured ingredient needed… It can’t get easier than that!
Remember: By thoroughly inspecting the ingredients of each meal plan, you can decide if you’d actually enjoy the meal or not. For me, a veggie egg muffin sounded strange until I read the recipe, and now it’s the first thing I want to try.
3. Cheap and delicious.
Need a heartier meal plan, and also not too interested in planning anything else but dinners? Then this list is for you. It gives 27 different ideas—and yes, believe it, BuzzFeed has your back. From drooling over a crispy cheddar chicken to impressing yourself with a baked tilapia, these dinners are for the bigger (but still a little healthier) stomachs.
4. Cheaper, yet still delicious.
Here is a conveniently giant list of cheap recipes tossed together in an article. Most, if not all of the ingredients can be found in your kitchen. It also has helpful links to other articles and ideas throughout the page, so good luck finding nothing you’d want to try.
Perhaps planning a full week of meals seems overwhelming, or simply browsing through endless recipes and articles is too tedious. Regardless, the idea of meal planning itself can be a helpful tool in eating right and well during the school year. From just thinking ahead for snacks or dinner, your body and brain will thank you for the effort. Keep eating and keep studying!
