Published on June 8th, 2018 | by Júlio Ventura

5 Tips for College Freshmen to Eat Well and Cheap

So the time has come. You are about to embark in a lifetime journey for knowledge, empowerment and independence. As a college freshman you will have to learn how to manage your budget and make sure you have enough to eat healthy. That’s why today we bring you 5 tips for every freshman to eat well and cheap.

1. Go Grocery Shopping 1 Time every Week/Month

Don’t go grocery shopping every day or two days, unless for food with a very short shelf life, such as vegetables and bread. This is the most common mistake, one that completely messes with our budget and puts us in a position to over-spend. It does require some discipline at first, but soon will become just part of the routine. Every time you run out of an item just note it down on a piece of paper and put it on fridge. If you want to go techie on it, download a grocery shopping app and keep a list on your phone.

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2. Cook Homemade Meals

Eating out or ordering online is easy and less troublesome, but it is also expensive and a bad habit. Cooking is a productive habit that also complements your day and makes you feel good about yourself. Not only that but it is also the best way to eat well and cheap. A good way to get you started into this daily routine is to prepare your “menu” ahead. Every Sunday (or other day at your choice) see what ingredients you have and plan the meals for the all week. This is also a great way to save time. If you have your homemade meals pre-planned and you are on the go, you don’t have to waste time thinking about what you are cooking that day. No need to say it is also much healthier than eating junk food.

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3. 2 Meal Serving

Ideally you will also shorten the time you spend cooking, so you can focus on school work or a part-time job. That’s why a good tip is to not cook one meal servings. Optimize your time by cooking dinner and having enough left for lunch next day. By doing this, instead of cooking 10 times for the whole work week, you just cook 5 times and still have 10 meals.

If you live an active and healthy lifestyle and on top of pre-prepared meals, you always take a smoothie with you; don’t buy a new one every day. Instead, prepare your own home smoothies and just take them with you every day. It’s healthier and cheaper. Besides, some of the best food processors under $100 in the market are fully capable of preparing healthy smoothies in a matter of minutes, without any hassle. Save time and money.

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4. Buy Ingredients that Fit a Wide Variety of Recipes

When you are working on your grocery list take special attention to ingredients that are used in a wide variety of recipes, such as rice, pasta, and potatoes. You will have a wider range of meals to cook, and you will also be ready for any emergency. Here are some examples:

Rice
Pasta
Potatoes
Cheese
Lettuce
Meat
Salt, Spices, etc

There are many others, feel free to let your creativity flow. Think about your favorite dishes and see what ingredients they have in common; stock up on those. Frozen meat and potatoes are always must-have ingredients to have. Also, they often are in promotion or discount.

5. Equip your Kitchen with Compact and Multi-Tasking Appliances

We have been talking about cooking at home and the importance of homemade meals to your health and budget. However, some people hate cooking or just are not good at it. Fortunately, this is the 21^st century and there are many kitchen multi-tasking appliances in the market. One of the most useful is the multi-cooker, designed specifically to optimize your time and enabling you a wide range of meals to choose from. Some of the best multi cookers under $100 are able to grill meat, prepare soup, cook rice, steam vegetables, etc.

Work a Lot, Eat Healthy, and Save Money

If you have any more tips on how to prepare for college life, if you have any electric cooker recipe to share, let a comment bellow! Also, if any of your friends or family is starting college (or moving out of their parents’ house) why not share this article with them? Let’s be smart about our diet and wallet.

Tags: college, eat, food, freshmen, health, tips

About the Author

Júlio Ventura Digital Marketer, Webmaster, Writer, and Tech Enthusiast. Undergraduate in Translation from Faculty of Letters in Lisbon, Portugal. Postgraduate in Digital Marketing from Lusofona University in Lisbon. On a quest for further knowledge.