Being a student can be a stressful time in your life. Chasing grades and work experiences while taking care of yourself so you can stay healthy can sometimes seem overwhelming, and that is a fair state of mind to be in. As a student myself, one of the few things that always seems to stress me out, regardless of what time of day it is, is the thought of feeding myself all three meals a day. While buying some shawarma from the restaurant at the end of the street is always a lucrative idea, it may not always be the best decision for my gut or my student wallet. So, I picked up some habits over the summer that helped me meal prep for a few days a week. This way, feeding myself is not as daunting a task as it was before. Here are a few tried and tested tips that have worked for me:
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Try picking up recipes that involve loads of veggies and/or protein that you can cook in batches and without constant supervision near the stove. My go to for such recipes would be chilli, black bean soup, beef and veggie stews – because these can be eaten alone or paired with easy to make carbs such as rice, instant noodles, or pasta. And recipes like such store quite well, so you would be good for a week if you cook one day of the weekend!
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Frozen vegetables are your best friends! Throwing in a few vegetables together in a pot with some protein like sausages, or tofu, or shrimp, and some instant noodle leads to either a great quick loaded soup, or an impromptu noodle stir fry!
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This tip may seem a little daunting and may not be for everyone but personally, I appreciated my summer culinary chef era that led me to learn how to ferment/pickle vegetables. Doing so allowed me to store vegetables more efficiently, as well as include probiotics in my diet that keep my gut healthy. Plus, I can now make really good kimchi that goes along with literally any dish!
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Meal prepping does NOT have to be boring plain rice and chicken at all! Take some time on your meal prep days to really think about what foods you enjoy eating and would not mind eating for that week, and then research about meal prepping for those recipes. Customization is key to enjoying your own cooking! It also allows you to be more aware of what grocery you need to focus on for that week.
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Invest in good tupperware/storage BPA-free containers because you will be freezing your food and then reheating it, and you will thank yourself for having sturdy, heat/freeze resistant containers.
If you are just starting to tackle the aspects that accompany the life of being a student, I hope these tips will help you. Welcome (back) to school!
