Breakfast is often an afterthought for college students. Late nights, early classes and busy schedules make skipping this important meal or grabbing sugary or fatty fast-food choices all too tempting. For foods that will satisfy until lunchtime, choose a combination of the following foods: fruits like apples or bananas that do not require refrigeration, low-fat dairy items like yogurt or string cheese, cereal, English muffins or frozen waffles that contain whole grains, and high-protein eggs, peanut butter or lean deli meat. From there, it is a game of mix and match: Stir bananas and cereal into yogurt, make a ham and egg breakfast sandwich, or spread peanut butter on an apple.
Salads are a quintessential lunchtime food, but college kids may avoid eating vegetables because they perceive them to be expensive. Greens can be incorporated into a college diet for well less than two dollars a day when used creatively, and they do not necessarily have to be eaten as a salad. Wilt spinach into ramen noodles, a collegiate staple, to add vitamins and fiber. Heat frozen broccoli in the microwave and top with lowfat shredded cheese. Canned tomatoes make a robust base for chili, spaghetti sauce or ratatouille.
Chicken and salmon are dinner menu fixtures, but the fresh versions can be too expensive and too easily perishable for the college lifestyle. Instead, use these proteins' canned counterparts as a solution for easy yet satisfying dinners. Warm canned salmon in Alfredo sauce with frozen peas and broccoli for a decadent pasta primavera, or make a warm chicken casserole with rice, cream of mushroom soup and cheese if feeding a crowd or enjoy as leftovers.
College cupboards should have a stockpile of easy, non-perishable foods that are easily eaten on the go. Snacks like granola bars, miso soup packets, trail mix, popcorn and fruit leather fit in a college student's hectic lifestyle and budget. When snacking at the dorm, canned fruit, cured meats like pepperoni or salami, or bean burritos can help tide a college student over until the next meal.