A Guide to Healthy Grocery Shopping for Students
One of the most overwhelming chores a college student has to face is grocery shopping. Because most college students move right out after they graduate high school and look for an apartment or dormitory near their college, there is a real need to be self-sufficient. Grocery shopping might sound simple, but it is actually a very tiring thing to do. One needs to plan what they will have for meals the whole week, make a list of what to buy and try to stick within the budget. There are even other things to consider such as what food to keep around during emergencies, snacks and late night cravings, times to prepare a meal cooked from scratch, shelf life of groceries and so much more.
Instead of buying processed and canned food which do not have the sufficient amount of nutritional value, college students should consider a few healthier and better tasting grocery choices. These meals are not only economical, it also fits their busy lives as students. Below are a few grocery items for meals that college students should think about buying the next time they stock up on food. Considering that basic cooking ingredients, such as butter, spices, oil, etc. are already available, students can create these quick meals to keep them well feed throughout their busy day.
Breakfast
A usual college student is more worried about getting to class than eating breakfast first thing in the morning. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It keeps us from feeling tired during the mornings and gives us a lot of energy to start out day. Bacon or sausages and eggs do not take a lot of time to cook. Students can also grab a few pieces of bread, bagels or English muffins for carbohydrates. Fruits like pears, apples, bananas and grapefruits are packed with vitamins and minerals. Yogurt is also great for in-a-hurry meals. For a whole week’s breakfast made of bread, yogurt, fruit, bacon and sausage and eggs, it should not cost more than $15.
Lunch
Making sandwiches are the best and fastest way to have something to eat for lunch. Students can take a few pieces of bread that they have for breakfast and add some cheese, deli meat and condiments to it. Get pieces of meat, such as chicken breast and pork, which are easy to cook and goes well with anything. Salad mixes also make it easier to make a fresh salad from scratch. Just add a few chopped up carrots, cherry tomato and cucumber and you’re good to go. This will also not cost more than $15 to $20 for a week’s worth.
Dinner
Many college students would go out for dinner with their friends to have fun after a long day’s work. But if they do ever stay in, dinner is just another thing on their to-do list next to homework and cleaning their room. One-pot dinners are the best thing to make. Soups and pasta are the fastest meals to prepare. College students need to have pasta around all the time since meals like spaghetti using canned tuna flakes and tomato sauce take more or less 15 minutes to make. Quiches with eggs, ham, and mushrooms inside a pre-prepared pastry crust might take longer to make, but they’re great to reheat for breakfast. Fish can be steamed using a makeshift steamer made from a strainer placed over a pot of boiling water. Like lunch, $15 to $20 is enough for a week.
Snacks
Forget junk food. Go for healthier options like peanut butter, strawberries, apples, nuts and granola bars. Chocolate is also a good option, just make sure you get the dark kinds. For salty snacks, wheat crackers, pita or tortilla chips with hummus spread, salsa and guacamole is a nice treat. These should cost $5 to $7.
More or less, weekly budget for meals is around $60. This might sound a lot, but it is just a small amount compared to how much going out to eat all the time would cost. Save money and be healthier buy purchasing your own groceries.
By: Nancy Claire - Degree Jungle writer, teacher, and researcher.
