Cheap Eats and Tips for the Struggling College Student

It's approaching that time of the year again when teens and young adults will be heading off to college. Surely what's on every young adults mind may be -- Who will my roommate be this year? Where's the closest coffee shop? Who will I be taking to the next college party? But least, don't forget about those important three square meals a day. With all the partying, expensive lattes and not to mention, tuition dues -- the next meal can be a scary thought when your pockets are close to being empty. It's all about finding something quick, easy and cheap, and of course something that tastes good.

With the rules being strict and straightforward in some student dorms as to what electrical cooking devices are allowed, I've pulled together a few ideas and options you may find tasty and easy to make.

Ramen Noodles- No other cheap food staple gets googled more than Ramen noodles, so I won't elaborate much. But just in case you have only been eating out at Applebee's every night or your last name is Hilton, here's a cheap tip: Ramen noodles are very inexpensive, all you need is hot tap water, a microwave, bowl and spoon. Place the noodles in a bowl with water into the microwave and wa-la, you have lunch, dinner or even breakfast if you please.

Here are a couple of tasty and quick recipes used with Ramen noodles:

(Note: most of these recipes are single servings)

1 packet of Ramen noodles

¼ cup of shredded cheese of your choice or three large tablespoons of processed cheese dip

Heat noodles in microwave with water until cooked, then add the beef or chicken flavoring packet. Drain excess water and stir in ¼ cup of shredded cheese, or cheez whiz -- mix well and eat!

A tasty favorite among teens:

2 packs of beef flavor Ramen noodles

1 can Hormel chili

4 slices of American cheese

2 heaping tablespoons of Cheez Whiz

(optional- Pepper, garlic powder and salt)

Crush up and cook Ramen noodles according to instructions. Drain. Add just one of the ramen flavor packets and mix in 4 slices of cheese. (Cheese should melt rather quickly and mix evenly throughout the noodles.) Stir in Cheez Whiz. Combine remaining ingredients, stir and enjoy with crackers or tortilla chips.

Good Ol Mac and Cheese- You can buy these dinner-in-a-box staples almost anywhere. Check your local grocery store for specials when they can be as low as .25 cents a box. Keep in mind that for the cheap mac and cheese you will probably need milk and butter--which dairy products aren't always a good food to have in the dorm room, where they tend to spoil fast. Although, for a little more you can buy Easy Mac packets where you just add hot tap water. There are also canned brands where you just heat up the mac and cheese.

Here are some cheap variations for mac and cheese:

Add little smokie sausages or canned hot dogs to the mix!

Go Mexicali and add bean-less canned chili and Fritos corn chips-these are great on top of hot mac and cheese!

Its always healthy adding some canned veggies to your mac and cheese--mom would be so proud of you!

Sandwiches- Here are a just a few scrumptious recipes and ideas:

Paninis- Paninis are basically a grilled sandwich, and the George Forman grill is the perfect tool. If allowed, the George Foreman grill is a great, staple to the dorm room diet and is a must have for all!

There are so many things you can do with this machine. From grilling your food to making pizza and paninis, there is a ton of different variations to choose from.

Take two slices of wheat bread or pita bread and fill. Some variations include; a southwest-style chicken panini with canned chicken breast, salsa, and cheese. A creamy mushroom panini that uses ready-to-serve cream of mushroom soup. Add cheese and canned mushrooms if you like (careful, this one could get messy) You can put a twist on that with a creamy chicken panini by using chicken, cheese and cream of chicken soup.

The Elvis panini is easy to make with two slices of bread, peanut butter and banana slices. Drizzle some honey in between and you have a sandwich fit for a king!

If peanut butter and jelly is more your type, a cold sandwich always works good when you don't have time to heat up the kitchen.

Pizzas- Use a pita or Italian bread as your crust. Spread some pizza sauce on top. Next, add toppings such as pepperoni, deli ham, or a meat of your choice. Top with your favorite cheese and add another slice of bread to form a top crust and then grill. Variations include, an Hawaiian pizza--with pineapple and banana peppers, a barbecue chicken pizza, with canned chicken, barbeque sauce and onion, or a tasty white cheese pizza with feta and mozzarella cheeses, banana peppers, fresh tomatoes, bacon and black olives.

Last but not least, stock up on bulk items, like nuts, noodles, crackers and granola bars. There are some really good "rice or noodles in 90 seconds", products, where you just microwave the bag and eat. Simple, quick and affordable.

I've only touched on a small portion of eating frugally, yet tastily in the dorm room. With a little imagination and a few staple foods, college students can tackle their hunger and their homework!

So eat, drink and study hard!