6 Delicious and Healthy Recipes for (Broke) College Students

By Amanda Brown

In college it’s all about healthy meals that are quick and simple to prepare.

I’m talking salads in a bag, poached eggs, avocados, and basically anything you can fit into a mason jar. With everything you juggle each day, you have enough on your plate, the last thing you want to do is spend hours preparing a meal. Here are a few of my go-to meals and snacks for those of you who are looking for simple recipes that are healthy, taste good, and save time.

1. Poached egg on avocado toast

Poaching an egg is one of those things that can be a tad intimidating at first, but once you learn how to do it, it’s a worthy skill to have.

To poach an egg:

• Add sea salt and a small dash of vinegar to a pot of boiling water
• Create a whirlpool by stirring water quickly in one direction
• Crack an egg into a small dish and slowly tip the egg into boiling water
• Cover the pan with a lid, turn the stove off and cook for 4-6 minutes, depending on how done you like your eggs

For this recipe:

• Place the egg on a paper towel to dry, while you pop the bread into the toaster
• Spread ¼ an avocado on toast, then place the egg on top

Shazam. A hearty, healthy meal in 10 minutes or less.

2. Overnight oats

Class at 8 AM? Not a problem. You can make these overnight oats in 5 minutes the night before, stick them in the fridge and they are ready to go by morning.

In a mason jar, mix together:

• ¼ cup quick oats with ½ cup milk (or almond milk)
• ½ tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tsp vanilla
• A dash of cinnamon

Then, sprinkle on toppings of choice. Feel free to get creative with it! Berries, bananas, nuts, shredded coconut, or cacao nibs all compliment this dish nicely.

Place oats in the fridge to chill overnight and voila, breakfast is ready just in time to grab as you rush out the door.

3. Salad in a bag

The title says it all. Premade salads are the answer for those of us who love salads but don’t love all of the chopping and preparation that goes into a making a salad at home. This is the next best thing to ordering a salad to go. Everything you need is ready to pop onto a plate. The next time you’re at your grocery store, check out the produce aisle for premade salads.

My favorite premade salad is Taylor Farms’ Asian Chopped Salad!

4. Avocado pasta

Here’s one for all of you pasta lovers out there. This dish can be made in as little as 15 minutes. The avocado sauce makes it creamy, savory and packs in healthy monounsaturated fats.

To make the sauce, blend together

• 2 ripe avocados
• ½ cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cook noodles according to package instructions. You can use whatever noodles you prefer.

For an extra dose of veggies, I made this with zucchini-spinach noodles I found at a local Safeway. After the noodles are done cooking, drain water and stir the avocado sauce in with the noodles. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and enjoy!

5. Protein powder ice cream

If you’re an ice cream-aholic, this recipe will rock your world.

Mix 2 scoops of protein powder with ½ cup milk (or almond milk) and 1 tbsp peanut butter in a small freezer safe dish, then place in the freezer for a few hours and the result tastes a lot like ice cream.

This dish tastes sweet and creamy without all of the sugar and fat in regular ice cream.

6. Roasted chickpeas

Roasted chickpeas are easy to make and a great sub for chips when you’re craving something crunchy to snack on.

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
• Place 2-3 cans of chickpeas on a baking sheet
• Dust with:
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Lemon juice squeezed from 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • Dash of red pepper flakes
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste
• Bake the chickpeas for about 45 minutes or until they are browned and crunchy
• Let cool off for 5 minutes and dig in!

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