Balanced meals for those on a budget?

Question

As an eternally broke college student who is constantly finding herself hungry but unwilling to spend money on anything that isn't rent or travel, I have to ask about balanced meals on a budget. I am constantly losing weight and am always physically exhausted because our two meals a day in the dining hall don't provide us with any sort of nutrition at all. I am also mostly vegetarian; I eat fish, but little else. I want to buy some food that is going to provide me with SOME nutritional value, but I really can't spend a lot of money. Any suggestions for good healthy balanced meals on a budget? ((Easy to cook things are an added bonus - I can't cook ANYTHING right... I even mess up cereal on occasion. Not to mention the fact that I am far too lazy to cook, and would rather go hungry than spend any time making food.))

Answer 1

Stock up on fruit and veggies at the dining hall (I would smuggle out a banana/apple/etc all of the time). Also, think about what you are missing in your diet and think of how to plan your meals in the dining hall (we always had veggie options, side dishes, rice, veggie sandwiches, fruit salad, etc at ours and the others I have been to are similar). I think you just aren't using your dining hall effectively. Think outside of the box and go to several different stations to make a meal if necessary.

As for outside of the dining hall, look at what you are eating and what you need. Here are some suggestions:

Need more protein? Peanut butter is cheap. So are beans. Three different kinds of canned beans and an italian dressing makes a good three bean salad that should last a week or so. Also, you can buy tortillas, beans and salsa and make your own Amy's style veggie burritos. Tuna is also cheap! If you make up some tuna salad with some bread or tortillas -- that's a main dish that can last a week.

Need more grains? Pasta, bread, etc. I would buy ramen and instead of dumping the crap it comes with on it, I would top with some salsa and cheese or tomato sauce.

Also, if you buy nutrition bars in a pack, they are usually less than a $1 a piece, and I used them as a whole meal. Great source of protein, some good carbs and a bit of the fat we need. If you have a Trader Joe's or Wal-Mart near you, they are usually the cheapest places to get bars.

Don't be super picky, be creative and you will be fine. You can also go to your school's health/welness center. They usually have someone who specializes in nutrition that can help you (and usually the services are already included in your tuition). You need to eat about 1600-2000 calories to maintain weight. More tha 2000 to gain.

Answer 2

It sounds like you're not eating enough protein and fat. Fat fills you up for very little, so if you're hungry, you may want to add about two teaspoons of fat. You can do this by adding salad dressing on salads, or by getting food cooked in a little oil, like sauteed spinach. Also, two meals a day isn't enough. You can buy a bag of apples and eat some snacks, but you definitely need at least three meals a day.

For protein as a vegetarian, you need to learn about protein complementary foods, where you combine two foods to get the protein you need. For example, whole wheat bread with peanut butter is a good balance, or try rice and beans, perhaps in a burrito. They're all cheap and filling, too, and easy to prepare. Try eating a handful of nuts when you're hungry: they're a little more expensive but very filling and you don't have to prepare them.

Answer 3

Your closing sentence, says more about your situation than you may realize. Anyone who would rather go hungry than cook, doesn't want advice about food. What you seem to be looking for is someone to take care of your needs. Have you thought about sharing food money with another person who does cook and may be willing to cooperate with you for an exchange of services? You must have some skills to trade. If you can operate a can opener, beans and corn combine for a complete protein, and be sure to have cheese, yogurt and milk, otherwise a lack of calcium will case severe bone loss and loosening teeth.
As you have passed college entrance exams, obviously you are intelligent enough to know that being lazy won't get you very far in life. get moving and take better care of yourself. best wishes

Answer 4

make quesadillas for lunch i always make them and they're really easy and healthy and cheap. just go buy some tortillas, some grated cheese, and some fresh salsa, and if you want, those bags of grilled chicken. you fold a tortilla in half then you sprinkle cheese all over it then you put the chicken if you want and then some salsa then put it in the toaster oven until the cheese melts then take it out and fold it over and i usually cut it into 3rds and eat it its kind of messy though. for dinner you can have pasta theres lots of different kinds and they're not that hard basically boil the pasta and put some sort of sauce on it

Answer 5

you could buy veggies and fruit at the supermarket, they are realitively easy.

Also, you could work at your school...
I work at our school cafe/pub area and I get any pizza thats left over at the end of the day for free.