College Food

The other day, I had this young college student come up to me in the grocery store. He said that he had just finished his first year of college and would be spending the summer renting an apartment with a few buddies. (A common college experience for most people.) Well anyway, he said that the situation was a bit... concerning. Though he was quite excited to be living with his buddies, he was a bit intimidated by the food situation. Let's be honest here, we all rather enjoy the luxury of having a parent or college cafeteria lady prepare all our meals day after day. But when striking out on our own for the first time, the thought of cooking every meal can be a bit intimidating. So today, I'll share with you the same advice I gave him. It's really pretty basic stuff, but I think it should help.

First, stay away from the junk food. Sure that bag of cheese puffs and those tubs of chocolate pudding might look appetizing, but let's be honest here – they're unhealthy, they're expensive, and they're really not much of a time saver. So steer clear of the junk food aisles at the grocery store. Instead, spend more time in the freezer section. Frozen fruits and vegetables are a quick, healthy, and affordable start to any meal. Plus, most frozen vegetables are already sliced and diced for you - so you don't have to work. And they are frozen at the peak of freshness - so you don't need to learn what characteristics separate a the eggplants from the bad...

Second, when you cook, cook BIG. One giant lasagna can easily feed four hungry college men for a couple of days. So ask your parents for recipes that feed a crowd. Or stop by the bookstore and invest in a cheap entertaining cookbook that teaches you delicious recipes that feed a crowd. That way you can enjoy a hot meal every night of the week, and yet only spend one evening in the kitchen.

And third, buy in bulk. Not only is it cheaper, but hey – you're a college kid! That 5-gallon pail of mayonnaise will not only dress your sandwiches for the next few months, but it can also be repurposed to serve as a hair conditioner, a sunburn treatment, and an adhesive remover that can then be used to peel off those stuck-on bumper stickers. It's win, win!

I hope these tips help. And good luck to all the college students out there who are heading into their first summer on their own.