Since I'm starting college soon, I need to know all the tips from the experienced ones. I know there may of been a thread here, however, I want to know about more recent advice. I'd also love to meet the members here by directly speaking to them. If you have any advice on what I can do to stay healthy while eating enjoyable food, please enlighten me.
When I was in college, healthy food was unheard of and our main concern was the cost. We would dine in cheap eatery to save on our school allowance and have snack in the street cart that sold the so called street food. There was nary an incident of food poisoning because it seems that there was no pollution yet at the time.
If you happen to be on the college's cafeteria food plan (which I believe most colleges require you to be, particularly if you're living in the dorms) be extra careful when scheduling your classes so that you don't accidentally overlap the times the cafeteria is open. I made this mistake when I was at Ohio University and basically couldn't eat lunch on certain days because one of my classes ran right over it, and I could barely make breakfast in the morning because I had to get up extra early and get there right when it opened, because I had a morning class immediately afterwards. Check in advance for what appliances you're allowed, if any. The dorm I was in only allowed hot pots and a mini fridge, no microwaves. And there wasn't even any place (other than the bathroom) to clean out your plates, silverware and other stuff even if you did sneak some appliances in. I did eat out rather often, but when you're living on campus, there are often many restaurants that specifically cater to college students and offer good deals on cheap food. One local pizza joint called Late Night Pizza, for example, offered their regular pizza and also a "discount" pizza which I'm assuming was day old dough and lighter on the toppings, for a lower price. Me and some of the other guys in my dorm room would often get together and split a pizza. Fast food doesn't necessarily have to be junk food either. Many Chinese takeout places also offer a "healthy" menu as well - stuff like steamed shrimp or chicken and veggies with rice, with no added MSG or oil. One dinner from those places is usually under $7 and enough for several meals.
When I was in college it was all parties and junk food, not a great way to stay healthy but it was a good time! I think if i was to do it again i would eat better, as it makes you feel better eating nicer food!
How did I manage? Very. Carefully. I had to make my own money & feed myself with it as well as pay for everything under the sun. Working & going to school made eating more of a necessity & less of a fun thing to do. I would eat a lot of interesting things like chia (before it was cool) & dandelion leaves (before they were cool). Throw some cheap protein & carbs in there & that was a lot of my meals.
Ooooh thinking back to college is scary and I am not quite sure how I did it because I could not cook back in those days. The best thing you can do is learn how to cook because you can make things like casseroles and spaghetti that will last you for a few days. Look the grocery circulars and find all the deals you can on everything. Good luck to you.
Amazing question! The fact that you are asking this means you are thinking ahead, which will serve you very well in life. Learn to cook BEFORE you head off, try to limit eating out to special occasion. Once a month is probably enough. Cooking at home will save you big, as well a preparing meals ahead of time. Try to limit partying, I know everyone wants to party in college. BUT it's really important to remember you are in college to be someone not to just party. If partying is your main priority, get a job and party don't waste your college years in a bar you will regret it. NETWORK. That's so important too, get out and meet people. Join clubs and group, talk to your professors. 50% of college is learning and 50% is networking. Expanding your professional network is just as important as what you learn. Be a superstar. Work really hard, put yourself out there. You don't have to be a genius to be a superstar, just try really hard, your professors will notice. They have industry contact so if you impress them you will increase your chances of a good job out of college. Do the readings, be on time for every class. Do the work, even if you think it's dumb. Join the good groups, and put your heart and soul into it. Run for whatever student administrative body your college has. Take care of your health, not only eat healthy but get moving too. Start looking at potential employers from day one. Know your industry. I work in PSE, in administrative and residence life capacities. I have worked with at least a thousand college kids, I know exactly what separates the winners from the losers. Feel free to message me anytime with questions or more advice.
As a student, I ate mainly jacket potatoes and baked beans on toast. These are both cheap meals and can be as healthy as you want them to be. Pasta with tomato sauce was also a staple. It is possible to eat well for very little as long as you are prepared to spend a little time planning your meals.
While I was living on campus I tried to eat salads and stuff. I mean you will get sick of the food pretty fast, so it's easy to just get the crap food. I also would get veggie wraps because those were good. I don't know what your dining hall will be like, but mine always had the pizza burgers and all that unhealthy stuff. So jsut stay away from that. Even make your own food if you are able to. Mkaing your own is always the best.
A toaster oven, microwave and a kettle are essentials. I lived off pasta, noodles and wraps. Luckily having a student card means you get discounts everywhere, but as for eating at home as you are always out, it's better to have light snacks that you can take with you. I always had toasted sandwiches which were great late at night and some soup, which were quick and easy to make and for lunch I would take a bowl of pasta salad or a tortilla wrap with hummus and veggies.
I cooked a lot of hot dogs when I was in college, because you can get a pack of decent beef hot dogs cheaply. When I was down to leftover odds and ends, I would make hot dog fried rice.
I must say, thank you all very much for this great amount of responses. Really great advice which proves to be helpful. Many of the stories were even interesting to read. Thanks everyone.
