Quick Meal Tips for College Students

Are you a busy college student without much time to cook or prepare meals at home? Do you feel tired of eating fast food and high fat vending machine snacks? Your days of quick takeout meals are numbered because I am going to teach you how to prepare quick, nutritious meals in less than an hour with 10 simple tips.
Tip1- Choose healthy packaged meals. There are lots of options. You want to look for meals with less than 500 calories and 10 grams of fat. Don’t forget to read labels carefully and look for words like whole grain.
Tip 2- Add onto simple packaged meals. The best example is Zatarians red beans and rice mix. My husband turns this package into a great dinner by just adding chili beans and lean ground turkey meat. The whole meal is ready in less than an hour
Tip 3- Pack a protein punch. Great meals don’t need to be complicated. Pop open a can of chicken breast or tuna. Mix with fat free mayo and you have a nice healthy lunch. You can also purchase a bag of spinach or romaine lettuce and add the protein for a nice healthy salad.
Tip 4- Don’t be afraid of produce. Fruits and vegetables make excellent additions to your meals. You can make a boring salad colorful by adding some orange slices or a crunchy apple. This will also give some extra vitamins and nutrients. Vegetables make great side dishes and are popular with our red beans and rice dish.
Tip 5- Go nuts- Nuts are another good source of vitamins. Not only do they make a good snack but you can add them to salads as well. Almonds are an excellent source of vitamin E but don’t forget to experiment. Walnuts, tree nuts and pine nuts are other great choices.
Tip 6- Think frozen- It might seem too time consuming to prepare fresh beets and carrots. That’s why they invented frozen vegetables. Just heat up some water and boil them. 10 minutes later you have a healthy addition to any meal without even using a knife or peeler!
Tip 7- Have Breakfast for Dinner- Who said breakfast only has to be eaten in the am. There are many options that make great dinners as well. My favorite example is eggs. One night a week, we have an omelet night. If you are watching your weight, egg whites make a great substitution.
Tip 8- Add cheese- Low fat sliced or shredded cheese makes a great addition to any meal. Sliced cheese is good on a sandwich and you can sprinkle shredded cheese on any salad. Parmasean cheese is perfect for spaghetti with tomato sauce so go wild with cheese!
Tip 9- Try dairy- The dairy department is another great source of meal ideas. You add yogurt to just about anything. Add some fruit, nuts and cereal and it makes a great meal. Try a yogurt smoothie with fruit and even some protein powder. Smoothies are not only for breakfast.
Tip 10- Cook a feast for your friends and family- Now that you have learned some new unconventional meal ideas, you can have an untraditional dinner for friends and family. Buy some cool new plates and cook away. You will not only have fun but this will encourage others to think outside the box as well! Happy eating!