Healthy & Easy Meal Ideas for College Students

By: Lanie Brice ‘24

Between classes, homework, clubs, internships, and jobs, it can be hard to find the time and energy to actually make a nutritious meal at the end of the day. I’ve definitely struggled with this myself. Over the last month and a half though, I’ve gotten more into cooking and discovered some quick, healthy meals that I genuinely enjoy making. While many of these are geared towards those of us with kitchens, I’ve done my best to note ways you can make these meals in your dorm as well. Hopefully, some of my favorites will inspire a lunch, snack, or dinner this week!

Baked Potatoes

Baked potatoes are a mainstay in my college meals rotation. If you have an oven, they’re one of the easiest meals that you can make. Despite what you might have heard, potatoes are surprisingly healthy and packed full of vitamins including Vitamin C, B6, and Potassium, especially if you actually eat the potato skins. Simply wrap them up in foil and pop them in the oven. While they can take a while to cook, you don’t have to watch them closely. If you put them in the oven when you get home, dinner will be ready by the time your homework is done. When you can stick a fork through them easily, they’re finished cooking!

I like adding a bit of vegan butter and salt to mine. You can also go all out with traditional toppings like sour cream, cheese, or even chives. There are so many different ways to make baked potatoes to your own taste, and you can even experiment with using different types of potatoes. While Russets are the classic choice, I also love Yukon Gold potatoes for their thinner skin and naturally buttery quality. If you don’t have an oven, these can even make these in the microwave with a slightly different method.

Simple Salads

It’s super easy to make a tasty salad with only a handful of ingredients! I personally love fruit in my salads so I tend to throw together spinach with strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries and some feta cheese crumbled on top. I love the contrast of the sweet fruit with the saltier cheese, and it’s one of my favorite ways to have a super nutritious meal or snack that takes less than five minutes to prepare. Keep them interesting by mixing and matching different kinds of greens with traditional toppings or adding your own favorite flavors. To make it more substantial, add in crispy tofu cubes, salmon, or chicken on top.

Pasta

If you absolutely love pasta, one easy way to pack it with protein and make it more filling is to use a lentil or chickpea based pasta. My personal favorite is Banza because it’s the most similar in taste and texture to traditional pasta. There’s a bit of a learning curve when it comes to cooking it to the perfect texture, but once you figure it out, Banza is a nearly seamless change to all your favorite pasta recipes. As a bonus, if you’re like me and can’t have gluten, an alternative, legume based pasta means that you can add this college staple food to your weekly rotation!  

Chia Pudding

For an easy breakfast item or snack that you can have ready to go in the fridge, try making a jar of chia pudding the night before. You only need 3 ingredients to make this super satisfying treat that’s packed with fiber, protein, antioxidants, and omega-3s, all while tasting like dessert. Simply add 2 tablespoons of chia seeds for every half cup of milk (of any variety you would like), sprinkle in some sugar, honey, or maple syrup, and then add in any extra flavoring you want. I absolutely love making chocolate chia pudding by adding a bit of cocoa powder, but vanilla is another favorite of mine. You can top it with berries or eat it plain. This is a great option if you don’t have a kitchen! All you need is a jar and a couple ingredients, making it the perfect dorm food.

One Sheet Salmon & Roasted Vegetables

I often find myself losing the motivation to make healthy meals when I think about all the dishes I’ll have to do afterwards. Dinners that can be made with a single pan makes that hurdle much easier to jump. On a single sheet pan, you can make roasted salmon and vegetables with ease! Just lay down some foil and add your filet of frozen salmon. Then choose a vegetable to roast along side it. My personal favorite is cauliflower, but broccoli, zucchini, and squash all work well. You can also throw on an extra side like cubed potatoes to add another element to the meal while keeping it to one pan. Just make sure you keep a close eye on the oven since the cooking times will vary.

Want more from Trojans 360?

Visit Trojans 360 on Facebook & Twitter to stay up to date with more student content! You can also Ask A Trojan an anonymous question, and we’ll try to answer it in a future post. And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram!

Trojans 360 is USC’s official student-run blog. Content created by students, for students.