How to meal prep for success in college

Hello everyone! This is something that I had written for a different website I use so I figured I'd put it here for reference in case it helps anyone. I'm a chef so feel free to ask me questions if you're unsure about anything. <br><br>- Meal prep can help you save money, time, eat healthier, and reduce stress. <br><br>- First of all you should weigh your options. If you live near campus you may not need to meal prep as much as you would if you lived far away. If you have to drive for 30 minutes or something just in order to go home then you’ll likely find yourself ordering food or dining on campus more than you’d like to. <br><br>- Ideally you can meal prep at least all your breakfasts and lunches and sometimes you can prep dinners too. But you can still save money if you only prep your lunches and dinners. <br><br>- First you need to figure out how much you should be spending. Every meal should have calories, fats, carbs, and proteins. For example, if you wanted to prep a week’s worth of breakfasts you could figure out your calories/fats/proteins/carbs for one day and then multiply that by seven. <br><br>- There are many chambers that can help you get a better understanding of what you should be spending if you live in the US. You can get 3 meals a day for around 4$ a meal. However, this may not include snacks and may not be the healthiest. <br><br>- If you want to save as much money as possible I would seriously recommend a rice and bean diet. This is one of the cheapest ways to live and is very good for you. If you want to add some variety you could add some frozen chicken wing drumsticks or thighs and veggies and you’re looking at a pretty healthy diet for cheap. <br><br>- Next you need to make a list of what you need to buy. If you’re just moving into your first apartment you’ll need a lot more kitchen essentials than if you were just starting to prep. Some good things to have especially if you’re in a dorm are a rice cooker or instant pot. You can make a lot of different foods in these. However, you could probably get away with just a microwave and fridge. <br><br>- You’ll also need two containers per meal, one for the food and one for the milk or juice if you’re going to be bringing them along. You may also need a lunch box with an ice pack if you’re going to be gone for 5 hours or more. <br><br>- An icepack will not keep your food cold for 8 hours or more so if you’re going to be gone that long you need to figure out how you’re going to have access to a fridge/freezer. <br><br>- I personally use glass containers because they are very easy to clean and can be put in the dishwasher, fridge, freezer, oven, and microwave. You could also use plastic, but I recommend glass. <br><br>- Next you need to shop for groceries. You will need to go grocery shopping everywhere 1-2 times per week but if you’re prepping you only need to go once. This is because you can only keep food fresh for so long. If you want a piece of fruit in the morning you’re probably going to eat it the same day. If you buy a whole chicken breast you can eat it for a whole week. <br><br>- I recommend buying frozen chicken, rice, beans, oats, and veggies. You can use frozen veggies to make a wide variety of dishes. <br><br>- I also recommend buying things that can be easily shared. If you live with a roommate it will be easier for you to split a chicken breast if you’re both putting in 5$ each. <br><br>- Next it’s time to cook. If you’re in a dorm I recommend batch cooking. This is where you cook a bunch of one food and then add that to every meals. For example, if you make a ton of rice you can put it into every meal. If you make a bunch of beans you can just add it to every meal etc. <br><br>- I would recommend cooking all the food and then splitting it into each meal container or something along those lines. <br><br>- If you live in an apartment you’ll have more space and can make a lot more food in one sitting. I think I made almost 30 meals one time when I was in the dorms and only had access to a microwave. <br><br>- The next step is to put it all away. If you live in a dorm too then you can just fit the containers in the fridge and freezer. <br><br>- Finally, it’s time to eat. This is another reason I recommend buying a lunchbox. If you’re getting fast food you can just eat in the car. But if you have prepped your food you’ll need a place to eat. <br><br>- If you live close enough to home there’s nothing wrong with driving home to eat all your meals. However, this will take gas and likely clothes that may need to be washed. <br><br>- If your school is big enough they may have a fridge you can use that you can eat next to. Many of the classes at my school have fridges and ovens in them. <br><br>- If you live close enough to campus that you don’t have to move into the dorms then you can also eat at home. You may not be able to prep if you get hungry between classes as you won’t have access to a fridge, but if you really want to save money something is better than nothing. <br><br>- You could also prep snacks as well and then just eat in the library or somewhere else on campus. <br><br>- There are a few good websites to check out if you’re unsure about anything. <br><br> - R/collegemeals <br> - R/mealprep <br> - R/college<br> - R/campusdining<br> - R/frugalfood <br><br>- In summary, if you can meal prep you should. It’s healthier for you and will save you money. <br><br>Let me know if you have any questions.