Meal prepping is a college student’s secret weapon to maintaining a balanced diet while juggling a busy schedule. Classes, extracurriculars and having a social life can make it difficult to find time to cook and plan a meal. If you’re like me, whatever is in the pantry is what goes on your plate, no matter if it suffices as a full meal.
My solution? Meal prepping! Here’s how to start:
The preparation:
Pick one or two meals to prepare for the week, especially if you’re just starting and find it daunting to prepare an entire week’s worth of breakfast, lunch and dinner. Set aside a block of time — I prefer Sunday as part of my weekly reset — just to prepare your food. Wash, chop and roast veggies of your choice. Cook a protein: chicken, beans, tofu, whatever you prefer. Prepare some sort of grain or carb, like rice, quinoa or pasta. Then portion them into containers to essentially give yourself grab-and-go re-heatable meals for the week.
More tips:
Invest in containers that are reusable, microwave and dishwasher-safe and leak-proof. If you don’t like your foods touching, look for containers with compartments. If you have room in your budget, glass containers keep food fresher without persistent stains or smells you might find with plastic. Plus, some studies show that plastic containers can leach chemicals into your food, especially when heated, so glass may be a better alternative with primarily microwavable meals.
Try to use recipes with overlapping ingredients — it’s less wasteful and saves money. For example, your favorite veggies go well in salads, wraps, or roasted as a side with dinner. If you’re a lazy cook like me but still want flavorful food, you can use spice blends, ready-made sauces or pre-marinated proteins to cut down on effort.
Finally, use your freezer! Some meals freeze well — stews, chilies, casseroles, soups. Freeze portions in individual containers and thaw in the fridge overnight or use the microwave when it’s time to eat. That way, even if you don’t have time to meal prep an entire week, you have a backup and don’t need to lean toward unhealthy options.
Meal prepping doesn’t have to be about repetition and boring food — you can easily mix and match flavor profiles just by switching up your protein, veggie and grain bases. The point of meal prepping is to take one daily task off your plate (pun intended) so you can spend less time stressing over what to eat and more time focusing on everything else college throws at you.
This article was originally published in the Housing & Living Guide, an IDS special publication.
