Nutritious Meals for College Students

RE: Nutritious Meals for College Students Post By (Guest Post) (03/08/2007) If you have a kitchen already, I have a good idea. I am a Nutrition minor here at Arizona State University and my roommate and I are pretty awesome, and cheap, cooks. My personal favorite is my Tomato Basil Chicken Pasta, and it is as amazing as it sounds. It's easy too! All you'll need is a chicken breast, Penne noodles, basil seasoning, and your favorite spaghetti sauce (try the Newman's Own, you won't regret it). First, defrost and cook the chicken breast (usually about 20 minutes at 375 in an oven when thaw). While the chicken is cooking, boil some water and make a good portion of penne noodles in a medium pot. Try to time it so that the noodles and chicken get done at the same time. When cooked, drain the noodles in a strainer and heat up some spaghetti sauce in the microwave/stove. You'll need a pretty large plate for the entire meal. Pour the noodles onto the plate, cut up the chicken breast into strips and place them on top of the noodles. Sprinkle the basil on top of the noodles/chicken, and finally top the whole thing off with the spaghetti sauce. If you'd like, sprinkle some shredded cheese on top too! The whole meal is fantastic and a great energy booster! RE: Nutritious Meals for College Students Post By Samantha (Guest Post) (01/15/2007) Check out your school's library for cook books. You might never expect to find them at a university or college library, but they just might be there. I found a great one at my university last year about cooking for post-secondary students. It had lots of recipes for low-budget, quick and easy preparation using minimal appliances (if you're living in a dorm room) and healthy too! RE: Nutritious Meals for College Students Post By angel (Guest Post) (06/02/2006) Most college campuses do not allow anything BUT a microwave and hot pot in the dorm rooms. Foreman grills, sandwich makers, crockpots, electric skillets, toasters and hot plates ARE NOT allowed except for in the floor kitchens. Be sure to check with your college before purchasing such items for your students. ... View related article. (1x1 graphic ) RE: Nutritious Meals for College Students Post By Autumn (Guest Post) (05/31/2006) There's a book called something like, Where's Mom now that I need her? that is full of good yummy recipes. There's also a Dad one for handyman type things. RE: Nutritious Meals for College Students Post By Mysti (Guest Post) (05/29/2006) Something I've started doing is buying a large veggie tray from Sam's Club every couple of weeks. It has cut up broccoli, celery, cauliflower, carrots and grape tomatoes with the best dip I've ever tasted. It's $10.00 but will last a week. All my kids eat from it each day. RE: Nutritious Meals for College Students Post By (Guest Post) (05/29/2006) The book "Help! My Apartment Has a Kitchen!" is a great resource for first time cooks. The recipes are easy, the directions are helpful, the writing is funny and you feel quite accomplished at the end of the meal. And I agree with the crockpot thing! When I was in college, I ate things like top ramen with frozen veggies and chicken added (precooked chicken, which I often poached in the broth before adding the noodles), Stove Top with chicken, spaghetti, cereal, scrambled eggs, soups and grilled sandwiches (cheese usually, but sometimes with luncheon meat added for variety). I never did particularly like to cook, so I did whatever I could to survive! RE: Nutritious Meals for College Students Post by camo_angels (680) | (05/29/2006) Profile | Contact A crock pot is great! You can get little ones farely inexpensive, and besides cheap cuts of meat and any kind of veggies, there is also a lot of recipes and some of those ready made kits. The only problem with cooking the meat too long is that it will fall apart, so watch your liquids, unless you love soup! You can make so many different things, and great for when you have classes ALL DAY! Check your grocery store deli, too. They have alot of take and bake, or heat and serve, that are just like homemade. My fave grocery store, Winco has take & bake pizzas for $3, and they are the 16" real pizzas! Every wednesday, a take & bake store has lasagnas for 2/$10, so we grab a couple pairs and store in the freezer. These are for super quick meals, and they have higher fat, but still like healthier than other restaurants! RE: Nutritious Meals for College Students Post By laurieb (Guest Post) (05/29/2006) One great item is the george forman grill for cooking any kind of meat. If they want to prepare food from scratch, this takes just minutes to cook a burger, chop, chicken breast, or fish filet. You can't go wrong once you learn how quickly the food gets done. Add a baked potato (10 minutes in the microwave) or minute rice, or pasta; and a box of frozen veggies with easy-to-read instructions (boil in small amount of water). Vary the starch, veggie, and meat every day and you have a variety of healthy, well-balanced meals for the whole week that makes the cook feel like an accomplished chef (just have to work out the timing so everything is done at once) :) For special occasions (ie company or a date) add a salad for a starter and fruit cup (or fruited jello) for dessert. Laurieb, RD