How to Eat Healthy and Inexpensive Meals in College

As a college student, money is not exactly the easiest thing to come by, but you can still be healthy without spending a fortune on pre-proportioned diet foods. The key is to cook your own meals. Now before you learn how to make healthy food, we need to define the word "cook". In this context, "cook" does not mean opening up a package and micro waving it, it means putting some effort into the process of creating a good meal. With that said, where you shop is just as important as what you buy when it comes to saving money.

Don't limit yourself to large grocery stores, try Asian food markets also. A combination of many different grocery stores can help diversify the meals you make while shrinking the impact on your bank account. Asian supermarkets often have foods that are difficult to buy at normal grocery stores, and I've found many items at lower prices. I found some incredibly nutritious Adzuki beans at an Asian market. Adzuki beans have 112% of your daily value of fiber in just half a cup! I know it sounds weird, but dollar stores also have some good buys. There are many organic foods you can find in dollar stores nowadays. I've even seen chocolate soymilk before. If you're afraid that the food you buy at the dollar store will somehow be contaminated or out of date- check the label. The foods you buy at the dollar store are usually just fine. However, don't buy everything from the dollar store, there are many things that are actually cheaper at a normal grocery store.

When you buy food is another important component to saving money. Personally, I've found that it's less expensive to take many small trips to the grocery store instead of one large one. I write out a list of foods that I like and decide what meals I'll eat for the next two days including breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. I like to buy fresh vegetables and fruit, so it helps to buy them regularly instead of all at once so they don't spoil. To maximize the amount of meals you make, while planning what you will be eating for the next few days, take into consideration any leftovers or foods that can be incorporated into new meals. If you had fajitas, perhaps you can use some leftover meat to make some yummy pitas.

Once you've diversified your grocery stores and begun to buy smaller amounts of food, what to buy is next. Beans are a great source of fiber and protein, plus, they are very inexpensive. If you like sushi, try making your own. An inexpensive option is to make it with vegetables instead of fish. Manicotti is also a great meal; all you need is ricotta cheese, manicotti shells, and marinara sauce! One of my personal favorite dishes is Ramen Noodle Salad, I first had it at a picnic, but it is so delicious and easy to make. Thee aren't many ingredients, all you need is oil, sugar, vinegar, coleslaw mix (you can make your own or buy a package), green onions, peanuts, and, uncooked ramen noodles. Its pretty healthy since you don't use the ramen noodle seasoning and I don't think the noodles are that detrimental. I could eat Ramen Noodle Salad for weeks!

Eating healthy, inexpensive meals is easy to do. You just have to know where to shop, how to buy, and what to get!