Simple Cooking in College

Stressed junior here. I'm a pretty good cook, but I'm not sure how much time I'll have to whip up meals in college. Can anyone share some of the easiest (and maybe quickest) things to cook when living on a college campus?

Absolutely, there are plenty of quick, easy, and delicious meals you can whip up without much fuss in college. Your cooking options might vary slightly depending on your living situation - whether you have access to a fully-equipped kitchen or limited to a microwave and mini fridge in a dorm room.

1. Breakfast: Overnight oats or chia seed pudding are excellent choices. Simply mix oats or chia seeds with milk and sweetener of choice the night before, and let it chill in your fridge overnight. In the morning, you can toss in seeds, nuts, fruits, or granola for added texture and flavor.

2. Lunch: Sandwiches are simple and versatile for lunch. They can range from a classic PB&J to a more sophisticated turkey, cheese, and avocado sandwich. If you have a microwave, you can also try mug recipes. For instance, an egg mug muffin takes just a few minutes in the microwave and is also packed with proteins.

3. Dinner: If you've got a bit more time, pastas are quite easy to prepare. You can also prepare stir-fried veggies with some pre-cooked grains like quinoa or rice. Another idea would be to batch cook on weekends – think chili, soups, or casseroles, enough to last for several weekday meals.

4. Snacks: Fruit, vegetable sticks, hummus, yogurt, and granola bars can be stored and do not require any cooking!

Remember, the key to managing cooking with a busy college schedule is planning. Consider meal prepping or planning your menus ahead of time so that shopping and cooking tasks become more streamlined. It's all about maximizing convenience while not sacrificing on nutrition and taste!