I am a student living alone, has anyone got any healthy cooking ideas?

Question

I consider myself to have quite a healthy diet already, eating alot of fruit and cereals. However, I find myself cooking alot of omelettes and baked potatoes for dinner because they are cheap and easy to cook. Does anyone know any recipies with similar characteristics that have more variety and are healthier?

Answer 1

Vegetable rice
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Marinade Time: 45 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

1/2 bags porcini mushrooms, or 4 oz fresh mushrooms, chopped
2 Tbsps. lite soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable stock
2 Tbsps. fresh ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. carrots\cooked, sliced
1 lb. tofu, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. snow peas, thawed if frozen
1 bunch scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces



Instructions

Cover dried mushrooms with hot water. Let soak 15 minutes. Drain mushrooms through a sieve, reserving liquid. Rinse mushrooms and chop. Combine next 6 ingredients in a bowl and marinate 30 minutes. Heat oil in a heavy skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add tofu mixture and stir-fry 3-4 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and reserved mushroom soaking liquid. Stir-fry 3-4 minutes or until carrots are tender.




Potato

Pre-heat oven to about 375 - 400ºF

Scrub any dirt off skin of potato under the hot tap, dab dry with paper kitchen towel.

Stick the potato onto a "Potato Spike", trying not to impale your hand in the process.

Stick potato in the oven for about 45minutes - 1hour

Remove potato from oven, slice down the middle, stick a nob of salted butter between the 2 halves.


BEEF STEW

stewing meat or chuck roast, cut into chunks
2 onions, chopped
carrots, medium diced
celery, medium diced
string beans, medium diced
potatoes, peeled, cut into cubes and covered with water (Drain water off before adding to stew.)
2 cans of beef gravy
1 can of peas, drained
salt
pepper

Brown meat in hot oil. As meat is browning add onions. After meat is browned add gravy and 1/2 to 1 can of water to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Add carrots, celery, string beans and potatoes. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Just before stew is done add the peas. Adjust salt and pepper. Stew can be served over egg drop noodles.

Answer 2

Ratatouille - get loads of veg, especially tomatoes, garlic and onions. Go down to the market, and ask if they've got anything on the turn, as you'll be able to get it desperately cheap, and it makes the meal even nicer.

Chop it all up, stick it in a saucepan, with some thyme, parsley, and a bay leaf. Beans of any sort (kidney, haricot, butter) are good to put in there too. You can pick up massive bags of dried beans from Asian stores for very little money.

Leave it for simmering for about an hour, and you've got a great meal. Keeps for a couple of days, and you can then serve it with potatoes, omelette, rice - even eat it cold in a sandwich using pitta bread.

Answer 3

Use fat free Italian dressing on your potato's instead of sour cream.

Here's a quick recipe. It may sound odd, but taste great and will fill you up.

1 baked potato cubed into bite size pieces
1apple cubed into bite size pieces
1 can tuna drained
fat free Italian Dressing (I use Wishbone brand)

Combine in a bowl and eat

Jarred pasta sauce and spaghetti noodles are a cheap meal

Tuna and Chicken Salad sandwiches, wraps or over a bed of lettuce is a cheap meal.

Cook some chicken breast at the beginning of the week. Slice it up and freeze it or put in the fridge. Use during the week in wraps, over salad or mixed with noodles.

Keep Italian and ranch dressing on hand. You can use them as marinade or on sandwiches, potato's, or on a salad.

Tuna or chicken pasta

Answer 4

Since people are also giving strategies for helathy grocery shopping here goes: if you have friends, which should be the case, try sharing a CostCo card with them and go shopping in a pack (4-5 of you). Buy bulk meat, frozen veggies, fruits, etc. and separate your spoils in ziplocks and recycled containers. You'll find you'll be able to make healthy great meals for much less money. Freeze prok chops, chicken thighs and drumsticks, fish fillets and them small portions and serve with your veggies (fressh or frozen) with a side of whatever.
Group groceries saved my diet and saved me alot of money, think about it.

Answer 5

sounds to me like you are on a good start............. try grocery shopping in the aisles that are on the outside (perimiter) of the store. That's where you'l find fresh veg's and meat etc.
All the packaged goods will be in the aisles in the middle of the store. Also never plan your meals around a meat, instead think: what will I have with my "rice" or my "pasta" tonight. Eat as many fruits and veg's as you can. Add beans to your salads, and save $$$ by having olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and herbs on hand to make your own dressings up. (Shake in a jar)
You'll find your room mates will stay out of your stuff by doing these things because they're too lazy to make up things for themselves and they'll rip off anything you have that's already prepared!

Answer 6

When my husband is working or I find I am eating alone I stick to soups and salads. Tomato soup with whole grain cheese crackers is good. I usually make my own soups and freeze them - usually make them from leftover veggies meats, rice, noodles etc..But for a quick meal when I dont have homemade I make a fresh salad, and open a can of progresso soup which seems to have the best homemade taste of any canned soups.
Tomato soup and a grilled cheese is one of my favorites too.

My husband never liked tomato soup until i started making grilled cheese sandwiches form a variety of cheeses mixed on different breads (artisan, rye, wheat, oatmeal, etc.) you can put cheddar, goat, colby, or any other kind of cheese on the sandwich. They are much tastier than just plain american cheese.

Answer 7

hope this suits you: cook veggie soups like lentil soup, creamy carrot with chunky corn and freez so u can heat and eat.
always have a salad dish beside ur baked potatoes or grill chicken breasts, or beef stake.Use lettuce (clip with ur hand) onion cucumbers and tomatoe, prepare the dressing and keep in fridge (use a locked glass bottle) lemon juice mustard (1 spoon) olive oil and dried mint or oregano) the salad dressing will help u prepare delicious salad at no time,
I also make tomatoe sauce by peeling and grinding tomatoes, then cook on for a long time using low fire to drain excess water, add some olive oil and dry herbs for flavoring after u turn fire off. place in a glass jar and keep in fridge, this sauce is useful for pastas. turkish and arab cuisine uses vegetables extensively check their recepies. always avoid using fats by grilling your meet, make fruit salads for snacks, and avoid processed food. need anything else let me know. cheerz

Answer 8

GRILLED SALMON WITH GINGER ORANGE GLAZE


1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cream sherry
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. grated, peeled fresh ginger
2 Tbsp. honey
4 (6-oz.) salmon fillets

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add fish to bag; marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes. Remove fish from bag; reserve marinade. Grill or broil fish. Place remaining marinade in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Serve with fish.

Answer 9

I f you have the time there are lots of meals u can make. I've just graduated after four years and can now cook about anything, if you go to websites such as tescos etc they have great recipes. my tip for you is to avoid going to the supermarket for meat- if you have a local butchers they will have lots of different produce such as stirfrys which can be cooked in minutes and they are a lot cheaper and healthier. i love mexican food and its really good to cook if you are having mates over, its so eay as well- u just need some wraps or tortia shells etc and you can put just about anything in them- hot or cold, just add salsa, guacamole etc.

Answer 10

Do simple things like Grilled Chicken. You didn't mention meat. Brine the chicken breasts. Place them in a bag with kosher salt and pepper and let sit for a couple hours. Season with your favorite seasonings and place on the indoor grill. Serve with broccoli or asparagus.

How about taking salmon and wrapping it in aluminum foil with butter and old bay seasoning. Place in the oven or on the grill and let it cook for about 20 minutes. Have a salad with this and fresh fruit.