Every college spanning the nation has dorms filled with young adults sticking Pop Tarts into their toasters, Ramen into their pots, hotdogs into their microwaves and all-of-the-above into their stomachs. However, it doesn't take a rocket scientist, or even a nutritionist, to realize that this is probably not the best thing you could be doing for your body. After all, our bodies are supposed to be our temples. We lavish the gods with wine and cheese and fruits, yet we force ourselves to eat things that not only make us fatter, but clog our arteries. Why?
Well, we do it because we think that it's cheaper (admittedly, it usually is) and easier than other options. But there are plenty of other things you can eat that are just as easy to make, and sometimes just as cheap. And, most importantly, they won't kill you or cause permanent bad breath (for all you chronic hotdog and Ramen eaters out there, beware!)
My favorite dinner dish may not necessarily be the most lean of choices, but it definitely is not what I would call "unhealthy." Pasta is a miracle food. Just a small amount can make someone full, and even more than a small amount can make someone more satisfied than they've ever felt. Pasta itself is incredibly cheap and easy to make. Many supermarkets even sell three whole boxes of pasta for five dollars. That's five dollars for days and days of food! The sauce does tend to be a little more expensive, but if you stay away from all those nit-picky organic and gourmet brands, you can find tasty and cheaper options. Prego is better than Ragu, if you ask me (and I am an expert). And, of course, normal red sauce is cheaper than vodka cream sauce and alfredo, but it is not as tasty. As for the ease of cooking pasta, the skinnier the pasta, the faster it cooks. Angel hair pasta (if not including the time to boil water) takes under five minutes to cook. And the sauce only takes three to heat up in the microwave. Meaning, you can have delicious angel hair and cream sauce in the time it takes for your friend to even order a pizza, and in about one sixth of the time it takes for said pizza to arrive. I like to add random cheese and veggies from my fridge to the sauce before heating for added flavor. If you want to add a little extra (and spend a little extra), cooking up and throwing in some ground beef makes your sauce into a delicious meat sauce!
Speaking of meat, chicken is fairly inexpensive and can be frozen for a long time. Just thaw it when you want it, and grill it up! Throw some garlic or wine or pretty much anything on earth you can think of on top of it for added flavor.
On that note, a great invention is a household indoor grill, such as a George Foreman grill. These cut fat (it rolls off the grill and the meat doesn't sit in it) and grill meat in much less time. You can find models for only $20, and they're well worth that money. Using the grill, you can make quick and butter-free (read: less likely to give you a heart attack) grilled cheese sandwiches, hamburgers, turkeyburgers, paninis, chicken breasts and anything else you can think of that can fit on it!
The healthiest option of all, obviously, would be a salad. Salads are fairly easy to throw together, and, if done properly, don't have to taste like you're eating rabbit food. The only downside to making a good salad in your dorm or apartment is that fresh vegetables can become expensive when added up. If you can enjoy a salad of only leaves and tomatoes, then you're in luck, but the more veggies the better! In addition, fresh food goes bad pretty quickly, so you have to use your ingredients up within the week (as opposed to the meat, which can be frozen for months if packaged correctly). Throwing a few (just a few) croutons on top of a salad can make it taste better, and adding sweeter ingredients, such as tomatoes or strawberries, can lighten up your bowl.
On that note, fruit in general is an amazing thing to keep on hand. Whether throwing it in other recipes or eating a banana on the way to class, fruit is delicious and nutritious. And, if you buy it in season, it's not too expensive. An apple is usually under a dollar if bought alone and becomes much cheaper if bought in a bunch. Not a bad price for breakfast.
So far, all you've spent money on is pasta, sauce, meat, fruit, veggies and a grill to throw them all on. Add some cheese and bread onto that list, and you'll be amazed at how many easy, yummy and cheap things you can throw together. You will no longer smell like unidentified meat. Of course, if you could care less about how you smell, or your health, there are many other things you could eat as well.
As stated earlier, Pop Tarts are extremely easy to make. People claim they taste good (although I personally only like the cinnamon brown sugar flavor), and they probably won't kill you if you only eat one a day. In addition, buying them in bulk is cheaper than buying them individually.
When people think of college food, they think of Ramen noodles. Some people may indulge in Cup of Noodle soup, but these come individual packaged, and therefore cost more, whereas Ramen noodles come in a plastic wrap, rather than a styrofoam cup, and can be bought in absurd bulk.
Another item often seen in the hands of college students is a water bottle. Many students spend money on water bottles, buying in bulk and storing them or buying them individually on campus at vending machines and cafes. I highly advocate buying a water filter for your dorm/apartment.
I am in no way an environmentalist. In fact, I will argue the opposite until the end of time. However, it is simply a money saver to not buy bottled water. I suggest the jug kind of water filter rather than the ones that go over your faucet simply because the jugs then go in the fridge where they get nice and cold. You buy the jug once, a water bottle and some cups once, and after that you have free, clean, cold and tasty water until the end of time. It's win-win, really!
There are many options available to you. By all means, continue to eat your Ramen if it makes you happy, and you don't mind taking risks with your health. But next time you're stocking up your fridge, think about what you really want to eat: sodium-filled noodles or homemade meat sauce? Because you can have the latter!
