Cheap & Healthy: The College Way

I recently moved out of my parents house, out of state, and near my new campus. I have some savings, but of course I want to SAVE them, hence the name savings. I'm used to eating healthy whole foods all the time because that is all my mother would allow in the house. I've been trying to eat Top Ramen and other cheap unhealthy foods, but it just isn't doing it for me.

Can anyone suggest some foods that are cheap, healthy... and please, not too difficult to prepare. So far I've bought some plain almonds, and I found some local apple farm that makes apple juice that seems to check out... but that's seriously it. Suggestions please!

P.S. I shop at Costco mostly.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Divest

Costco probably isn't the first place on my list as far as healthy food goes.

Nor the first choice on mine either, but that's where the cheap part comes in. I'm sure there are hundreds of healthy meals you could make from costco products... I just don't know what yet.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by horseman85

You could check to see if there's a farmer's market nearby. Buying from there is usually much cheaper than the supermarket.

The problem with that is that I don't really know what to buy because I don't know what recipes I should cook. I really just need someone with experience in this type of situation (poor, in college, wanting to live healthily) that can give me a recipe or something along those lines. I'll look into the farmers market since you can eat most of that stuff plain without cooking it anyway... which I'm sure is healthier.

How ya doing, buddy?

Definitely good advice guys... I can't image what that cafeteria food does to my body. It's disgusting.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Soluzar

I couldn't agree more. You can also use a slightly different cooking method with this to go with either pasta or curry. Instead of stir-frying, just put things in a saucepan with a tiny bit of oil and the turn the heat to low and let them simmer until they look edible. You can get pasta/curry sauces in pretty much any store, although you can also make your own.

I do suggest that the first thing you put in should be your onions and spices. There should always be lots of chopped onion. If you're cooking stir-fry, the essential spice is ginger, for curry it's chili and for pasta, garlic. You can add others to your taste, of couse. After that, it's root vegetables next, and then others in the order according to how soft they are. Soft things take less time to cook. Mushrooms and salad peppers barely need cooking at all.

That's all there is to the cheap (and tasty) eating for students. If you're not getting any/enough meat, please be sure to include veggies that contain iron and some cheap form of protein in your diet. I'd suggest tofu but that's pointless because for one thing it's not cheap and for another, only vegetarians really enjoy it.

This post was extremely helpful, since I've never really made a stir-fry before. It makes sense that you put the softer things in last, but I had just never thought about it. What kind of vegetables contain iron? My grandma sends me homemade beef jerky... but I certainly don't get enough of it to fulfill my iron needs.

Originally Posted by horseman85

There's an apple farm near you . . . You could make applesauce.

Core and peel the apples. Slice them into quarters. Put the apples into a pot of water and boil. Once at boiling, bring it down to medium. Keep it that way untilt the apples are very soft. Drain the water off. Mash apples. Put some sugar in for taste if you want.

I love apple sauce... I bought some made by a local apple orchard. I'm definitely going to give that a try... but with cinnamon, not sugar

Most amazing jew boots

Originally Posted by Zephyrin

Dude, your problem is you don't like to cook, or think you don't have the time.

I'm not criticizing. A lot of guys are like this. What you need to do if find 5-7 meals that you like, are healthy enough for you, and you don't mind eating consistently.

Cook these meals and these meals only. Rotate them. What makes a meal easy to prepare is how familiar you are with them. If you cook something all the time, it'll take you no time flat to fix it.

Don't buy a bunch of lunch items, cuz you'll be eating your leftovers for lunch. You can get a really good Rubbermaid tupperware set at Target for really cheap, last I checked.

Buy deli bagels or whatever for breakfast. Buy a toaster (pretty cheap), and get cream cheese, butter, jelly, or whatever the fuck you like to top them with. Takes 3 minutes to prepare breakfast and you're out the door. Make 2 bagels if you're really hungry.

I think you're right, except that I don't MIND cooking, I just don't really know how. I think having those meals to rotate that I am proficient in cooking is exactly what I need, and thanks to the pasta/stir-fry/curry post I think I have 2-3 there. I'm on my way! Thanks guys.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Shorty - Thank you so much for the recipes, I've already tried one of them, semi successfully.

As for the hamburger helper... I'm not sure that that is the dish for me, but I'll give it a try. Thank you so much for all replying. Does anyone else have any easy/healthy recipes to contribute? Thanks again guys!

FELIPE NO