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How do I eat smart on a budget? I'm wasting money here.. and starving (pg. 7)
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| AndreaCKY772 |
| get things in bulk too! |
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| dallastar |
| quote: | Healthy College Food
From Special Student Correspondent Christopher Roddy
Health and college students: can they get along?
1 bowl mac 'n' cheese + 2 slices pizza + 1 vanilla milkshake = College student health nightmare
The excuses are expounded faster than the microwave can "DING" signaling the delectable delight of Easy Mac and Cheese is ready. These excuses stem from the age-old philosophical clash of being a college student and eating healthy. Students and health are about as compatible as spicy chili and your digestive system the next day. While many students are simply "too busy" to prepare a home cooked meal, this doesn't mean that fast food "grab-n-go" is the only choice.
Students like to think that they are the busiest people on earth. And perhaps they very well might be. From classes to student government meetings to basketball practice, college kids often have a jam-packed schedule. So, what to do?
Eating Out
More than likely the school's cafeteria offers healthy alternatives to fried chicken and stuffed calzones. Most universities have a vegetarian menu and salad bar. Try ordering a grilled chicken sandwich or eggplant sub instead of foods submerged in oil. Want a cookie or piece of cake? Take a banana or apple instead. Eying the soft serve ice cream machine? Opt instead for yogurt or tapioca pudding. If you are not one to be caught dead in the school café but still maintain a healthy diet, you should consider avoiding the drive-through of local fast-food restaurants. A good deli sandwich is a satisfying alternative to abate your hunger. Whole wheat or rye bread with your choice of meat, cheese, lettuce, onions, and tomatoes offer a healthy and tummy-pleasing alternative to grease-ridden fried burgers and fries.
If you decide to visit a restaurant for some "classy" food, be aware of what you are ordering. Red meats are good in moderation (as is everything), but chicken and fish are often times wonderful and zesty substitutes, as long as they are not deep-fried or smothered in sauce. A good salad will often fill you up, but avoid heavy dressings such as: Caesar, cream- and cheese-based. Red vinaigrette is a better choice to liven up your leafy meal. Deep-fried foods such as shrimp, scallops, chicken wings, etc. and fat-saturated foods such as burgers and pizza should be avoided if possible.
Dining In
Want to play chef? Put these food items on your shopping list in place of instant microwaveable dinners: broccoli, corn, spinach, carrots, chicken, pasta, vegetable sauce, apples, oranges, fruit juice, 1% or skim milk, bottled water (or a filter for home use), corn bread, oatmeal, yogurt, eggs, and so forth. Try to be balanced, such as eating a meal that has rice, spinach, and chicken. Starches are important even though people will tell you that fewer carbohydrates is better. If you are exercising regularly, you will need some carbs to burn while working out. Just avoid eating pasta and canned sauce every night of the week.
Try getting a bit inventive in the kitchen, even though you might think that it's only for the truly experienced of heart. A recipe is made so that anyone can follow it, as long as you have a few measuring cups and spoons readily available. There are cookbooks specifically designed to help cook a healthy and hearty meal quickly.
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here's a list of healthy food choices
click here
recipes here too |
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| Ozoned12 |
| 2 large pizzas and lots of water... |
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| Caela |
- put your bread in the fridge, or even freeze it, it'll last a lot longer.
- lots and lots of pasta...when in doubt, cook it up...and it never goes bad.
- eggs are always good...they keep a while, and they're pretty bomb in the morning.
- if you don't mind soy milk that much (not to drink, but to mix into things that require milk), it lasts significantly longer than keeping an entire gallon of reg milk.
- crackers/pretzels/snacks...so you can put them away when you're done snacking, you don't have to physically make something.
hope this helps! there's no surefire way on how to shop smart...but experience is the best, and you'll figure out what's smarter to buy and what not. |
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| Ozoned12 |
| I just ate moldy bagels :( |
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| Xenocreator_PG_ |
| go into the wilderness & hunt down a goat. Be sure to wear gloves. Pants are optional! |
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| Akridrot |
| quote: | Originally posted by AndreaCKY772
get things in bulk too! |
I am NOT a card carrying member of BJs! (yet)
This thread was more than I could ever ask for, it's really great. Geasy junk food will no longer be part of my diet. OK, it won't be a big part. ;)
@pvdAngel:
Tommorrow I'll PM you, I am too tired to be coherent.
@ozoned:
That reminds me of those crispy bagel chips! You know the ones, where they slice the bagels into thin, thin pieces then put them in the zipped up bag! Delicioso (sp). |
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| Psiweaver |
| anyone got a good lasagna recipe? |
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| kr00t0n |
Stir fry is the best in terms of cheapness to healthiness ratio.
I made a large sweet & sour chicken stir fry (chicken, veggies, sauce, rice) for myself and stace last night with a total cost of £4.
Same money will get you a single medium meal at BK. |
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| kr00t0n |
| quote: | Originally posted by Psiweaver
anyone got a good lasagna recipe? |
kr00t0n's uber veggie lasagne:
2 peppers
1 large courgette/zucchini
1 packet of spinach
1 punnet of mushrooms
1 packet verdi lasagne
1 round of mozzarella
1 jar lasagne red sauce of choice
1 jar lasagne white sauce of choice
Parmesan cheese
Slice peppers, courgette/zucchini and mushrooms into <0.5cm pieces.
Fry these in a little oil for 3 minutes, then add some cracked black pepper and the red sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.
Blanche (quickly boil) enough sheets of lasagne to cover the bottom of the dish you are using. Layer these half cooked sheets into a lightly greased dish.
Spoon over a layer of the vegetable mixture. Add a layer of spinach to that. Add a layer of pasta. Add a layer of white sauce and throw in the odd dollop of mozzarella onto this layer. Repeat until ingredients are gone, then use last of mozzarella and some parmesan to do the final cheesy top layer.
Place in oven at 350ºF/180ºC or Gas mark 4 for 40-55 mins until cheese on top is golden. |
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| kid nyce |
i think every college student suffers with this, even me at 25 living alone sometimes find myself having to deal with cooking for one. It's not easy and it always ends up towards spending money and eating out. I find the best way to go about this is to cook on a sunday for meals through out the week.
Not sure what facilities you have resources to, but if you have a kitchen, then i suggest making yourself something that will keep and last you the week. A good start would be sandwiches, that should suffice for lunch for atleast 5 days, and not only just meat sandwiches, you can switch it up with tuna, chicken salad, egg salad, BLT, etc. I agree though sandwiches do get tiring and we often want something a bit more fulfilling.
You can try making pasta, that's another staple that would keep. Me personally, I started to change my eating habits just because I was spending tons of money eating out so I took up snacking. I'd pack maybe 5 snacks per day which I'd munch on through out the day and save my real meal for dinner. Snacking can go far, easy to carry, and does the job.
Hope you eat well =) |
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