As a college student, I'm not afraid to admit that I would much rather do as little as possible when it comes to preparing meals. With a busy schedule, I still find time to prepare healthy, homemade food that still tastes good. The key to avoid breaking the bank and keeping your body nourished is as simple as a little extra planning.

 

 

1. Prepare in Advance: Cooking certain things in advance that you know you eat with a lot of your meals, like brown rice, quinoa, or pasta, can save you a lot of time in the longrun. Cook these in bulk on the weekends so you have enough for the upcoming week. You can save it in your fridge, or even freeze it. This method will save you from cooking the same thing multiple nights a week.

 

2. Stock Your Pantry: When you're first starting out, this is where you might want to invest the most. Having a basic set of good spices, vinegars, oils condiments and grains around makes cooking on the spot a lot easier. I recommend finding some cheap jars, and picking up spices, grains and legumes from your local market, Costco or Whole Foods. Bulk will always be cheaper, and then you can choose how much you want to buy.

 

3. Keep It Simple: Healthy, nutritious food doesn't require a complex recipe; it's true what they say, less is more! Try making roasted vegetables and seasoning them a different way each night of the week; one night use curry powder, another night rosemary and garlic. Spices and seasoning can make all the difference! You can build a well-balanced meal from just a grain, vegetable, protein, sauce or seasoning. And if your grain is prepared in advance and pantry is stocked, you only need to think about buying and preparing your veggies and protein.

 

4. Know If Organic Matters: If organic produce is something that is imporant to you, make sure you spend your money wisely. Some produce have thick skins, so buying them organic isn't really necessary.

 

5. Invest In a High-Speed Blender or Food Processor: My food processor is easily the most used appliance in my kitchen. You can make creamy soups, smoothies, hummus, nut butters, dairy-free ice cream/sorbet, oat/nut flour, avocado pudding, veggie burgers..the list goes on. I recommend the Cuisinart DLC-2009 9-Cup Food Processor. You can get it at Bed, Bath & Beyond, or at Amazon.com.

 

6. Always Make a Grocery Shopping List: Making a grocery list can help you stay on track at the store and avoid impulse buys. It will always remind you of what you already have at home so you don't overbuy.