5 Healthy & Easy to Prepare Meals for Students
No one has more insane kitchen adventures than a student living in the dorms. Out on your own for the first time and sharing a kitchen with a few dozen other same-age and similarly inexperienced chefs, eating can become an adventure every time you’re ready to make a meal. Whether you’re fuelling up for a midnight study-session meal or just trying to grab a hot breakfast, it helps to have a few easy recipes you can whip together from common ingredients.
5 Healthy and Easy Student Recipes
1) Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
You can’t go wrong with the classics. Grilled cheese and tomato soup provide a kick of protein and veg in a hot meal you can make in less than ten minutes of kitchen time.
Ingredients
- Bread
- Butter
- Cheese
- Can of Tomato Soup
Supplies
- Frying Pan
- Flipper
- Bowl with Lid
- Spoon
- Can Opener
Instructions
– Sandwich
Heat your pan on medium-low and butter two pieces of bread. Lay one piece of bread, butter side down, onto the hot pan. Layer on the cheese. Place the second piece of bread, butter side up, on top. Flip when the cheese sticks together. Flip until both sides are golden and crispy.
– Soup
Pour tomato soup into a microwave-safe bowl. Cover the bowl and microwave for 1-3 minutes. Alternatively, heat in a saucepan until soup simmers.
2) Omelettes and Egg Scrambles
Eggs are the number-one source of quick and easy protein for students that you can cook in a hundred different ways. But the easiest is just to whip the eggs together and combine with veg in a pan. The only difference between an omelette and an egg scramble is whether you stir it in the pan.
Ingredients
- 3 Eggs
- Butter or Oil
- Chopped Veg to Taste
- Salt, Pepper, Spices
Supplies
- Frying Pan
- Mixing Bowl
- Fork
- Spoon or Spatula
Instructions
Heat frying pan and oil or butter the pan. Whip eggs in a bowl until they are consistent. Pour eggs into the pan. Spice the eggs to taste, then layer chopped veg on top. For omelettes, allow eggs to congeal until flippable. Then fold or flip to preference. For scramble, stir eggs ad veg until the mixture is fluffy and cooked through. Enjoy with buttered toast.
3) Pasta Bowl
Students have been living on pasta since time immemorial, and not just ramen noodles. You can quickly whip up some pasta to enjoy with veg, meat, and jarred or canned sauce for pretty much any occasion. Any type of pasta, any type of sauce, and throw in some veg and meat for nutrients.
Ingredients
- Pasta
- Jarred Sauce
- Chopped Veg and Meat (Optional)
Supplies
- Small Pot
- Frying Pan
- Strainer or Cullender
- Spoon
Instructions
Boil pasta according to instructions or prepare in a microwave-safe bowl. While pasta is boiling, add oil to a frying pan and sauté optional chopped veg and meat, then add sauce and heat until it simmers. Alternately, add sauce and veg to a microwave-safe bowl, cover, and heat for 2-4 minutes. Strain pasta and combine for a delicious meal.
4) Turkey Melt Sandwiches
Just want a hot sandwich? A turkey melt can really be made with any kind of lunchmeat and cheese, or really any kind of sandwich that is then fried or baked to make it hot.
Ingredients
- Bread
- Butter
- Turkey (Any Lunchmeat)
- Cheese
- Optional Sandwich Extras
Supplies
- Frying Pan or Baking Sheet
Instruction
– On Stove
Heat pan. Butter two slice of bread and build your sandwich butter-sides out. Fry in the pan until outsides are golden and crispy.
– In Oven
Preheat oven to 175 C or 350 F while you build your sandwich. Place on a baking sheet and cook for 5-7 minutes or until crispy and melty. Optionally, wrap in foil first.
5) Lunchmeat Salad
Or you can have something quick, cold, and healthy. A lunchmeat salad is the easiest quick lunch a student can make and everyone makes them differently.
Ingredients
- Lettuce or Spinach
- Chopped Lunchmeat
- Shredded Cheese
- Chopped Extra Veg
- Dressing
Supplies
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Bowl
Instructions
Chop all ingredients and combine in a large salad bowl. Add dressing and eat. It’s a salad, after all.
Keeping the Communal Kitchen Clean
One of the most important things to remember when cooking in a communal dorm kitchen is to keep it clean. When several dozen students are sharing the same kitchen, cleaning becomes a vital task that everyone shares. Here are a few key tips to make your post-meal cleanup much easier:
- Always cover anything that goes in the microwave. Spatter can build up fast.
- Fill the sink with hot water and drop dishes into it immediately after use. This makes scrubbing them much faster.
- Make a habit of wiping counters with surface cleaner before and after every meal.
- Rinse communal sponges in very hot water, then wring out completely to fight residue and mildew
Communal Kitchen Cleaning Services
Students do their best to keep a kitchen clean, but no one has time for the kind of top-to-bottom clean that every high-traffic kitchen needs. Regional Services offers communal area cleaning that can help to keep a dorm kitchen functional and sanitary with no dust hiding in the corners and someone regularly coming through with a mop. Regional services would be proud to help students in your dorm enjoy a healthy life where the kitchen is a safe and welcoming place to make fast, nutritious meals. Request a Quote today to find out how we can help your dorm students with communal area cleaning.
