5 Easy Meals Every Student Can Do In A Few Minutes

Students are busy people with limited time for cooking balanced meals. Fortunately, there are simple options that can be ready in a matter of minutes. Stocking up on a slimmed-down grocery list of basic, affordable ingredients can reduce cooking time while providing healthy and delicious meals.

Breakfast Smoothies

With a kitchen blender and a few assorted seasonal fruits with plain yogurt, you can whip up a healthy smoothie for breakfast that can be enjoyed in minutes before rushing off to class. Add berries, peaches, bananas, or other fresh fruit of your choice to the blender with your preferred amount of regular milk. You can also use almond milk or coconut milk. Include a half-cut of yogurt and a half-spoonful of cinnamon along with a few ice cubes. Blend everything together until you get the preferred consistency.

Brunch Combos

For a more substantial breakfast or lunch, make baked egg cups and freeze them for a quick heat-up meal. Beat several eggs and add a sprinkling of your favorite cheese. Add a half-cup of spinach and mix well. Pour into muffin tins with liners and bake until done. The liners pop right out, and you can eat them warm or freeze until needed. You can make a casserole version by baking everything in a butter-greased 8×8 cake pan and adding diced onions and green peppers as well as chopped sausage, bacon, or ham. Bake about 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until done. You can refrigerate the casserole or freeze slices to heat in the microwave when you’re hungry.

Lunch Light

To a bowl of mixed salad greens, add chopped chicken, using either leftover chicken from a previous meal or packaged cooked chicken from the supermarket. You might prefer to add sliced pepperoni, salami, or leftover roast beef. Include fresh veggies like cherry tomatoes and store-bought mushrooms along with other produce favorites. Pop in some diced cheese and a handful of whole-wheat croutons to make a colorful, nutritious salad. Drizzle low-fat salad dressing and add a lightly-buttered wheat roll.

No-Guilt Snacks

Sliced apples with peanut butter, celery with cream cheese, and sliced melon with sherbet are tasty snacking options between meals. Green tea with honey or a cup of coffee with flavored creamer also provide a flavorful respite during your study break. Popcorn, chopped or sliced veggies with cheese or salad dressing, and a small dish of walnuts or other nut varieties can fill that gnawing hunger until the next meal.

Dinner Delights

Use a crockpot to simmer frozen vegetables with organic chicken in a sauce of low-sodium bouillon and other flavors or a can of creamed soup. Bake cod fish fillets in the oven with seasoned potato wedges and lightly-buttered green beans from the microwave. If you have access to an outdoor grill, skewer chunks of chicken, beef, or pork with fresh vegetables like mushrooms, peppers, and onions. Make a pita sandwich with your favorite meat or meat option along with crunchy veggies, canned fried onions, and a delicious sandwich dressing. A baked white potato or sweet potato with all your favorite toppings is both filling and nutritious.

In these and other favorite recipes, choose your preferred ingredients from the five basic food groups: fruits and vegetables, carbohydrates like bread and cereal, proteins and meats, dairy products, and healthy fats like olive oil or small amounts of butter. Stock up on the ingredients you use most often, and then combine them in creative ways for tasty and healthy meals.