Are you a college student who wants to eat healthy and whip up delicious meals, but you don’t have the time or money to do it right? If this sounds familiar, you should look into meal preparation — a largely beneficial practice for students since it allows them to maximize their time and budget. 

Meal preparation is simple: first, search for recipes you’d like to try throughout the week. The key is to choose a simple recipe that isn’t very time-consuming. Typically, you’ll need three to four days worth of meals, so plan out what you would like to eat accordingly. Once you’ve decided upon recipes, construct a grocery list with the exact ingredients you’ll need — nothing more, nothing less. That way, you won’t aimlessly roam around the aisles and grab whatever’s closest. After that, follow the recipe and store your meals in a tight, labeled container for later use. 

With readily available delicious meals, you can reach for them whenever you feel hungry instead of purchasing junk food out of convenience or grabbing random snacks. The goal is to save time by prepping meals when you have gaps in your schedule, perhaps on a Sunday afternoon or a random weeknight.

While you may save time and money, the cost of meal prepping is a lack of variety. You’re generally eating the same meal for days at a time. If you don’t like eating leftovers or you’re easily bored, it might not be the best option for you. Plus, food generally only stays good for four days or so in the fridge — remember to store your meals in a tightly sealed container and put it in the fridge immediately after cooking.

That being said, here are some recipes to help you get started with your meal-prepping journey.

Overnight oats

If you’re a lazy cook, this is the perfect breakfast recipe for you. All you need is a container — a jar or a bowl — oats, a base liquid of water, milk or yogurt and any add-ons you want to put inside, like frozen fruit or granola.

The first thing you will do is put about 1/2 cup of oats inside of your container. Experiment with the amount of oats you put in your container the first time, so you know the perfect amount you’ll need the next time around.

After that, pour in 3/4 cup of water, milk or yogurt — I recommend using milk or yogurt for a creamier taste, although I’ve used water plenty of times when I didn’t have either of those ingredients and it still tastes amazing.

Include any add-ons to customize the oats to your taste. Personally, I like a pinch of cinnamon, berries and a little protein powder for a kickstart to my day. 

Mix everything together with a spoon then seal the container and let it sit overnight. It should be ready to consume the following day!

Fancy quesadillas

While the only sparkle to this recipe is vegetables and a special sauce, this recipe is still fancy in my book. You’ll need a pan, spatula, 1 tablespoon of oil, tortillas, 1/2 cup of sauteed vegetables, your favorite sauce and cheese.

After warming up the pan on medium heat, spread oil across the skillet and place your tortilla at the center. Press down on the tortilla for about 40 seconds with your spatula, then flip the tortilla onto its other side and do the same.

For the next few steps we are only putting the ingredients on half the tortilla, so be mindful of the amount of ingredients you use. 

After heating up the tortilla, spread out a sauce of your choice. Personally, I recommend pairing a spicy sauce with this recipe — I tend to reach for Taco Bell hot sauce or sriracha. Next, you’ll sprinkle a generous layer of cheese and sauteed vegetables over half of the tortilla.

Take the remaining half to close the tortilla into a half-moon shape. Flip the quesadilla over and press down for 30-40 seconds. 

When you slide your quesadilla off the pan, ideally it should be golden brown and the cheese should be completely melted. Seal it in a container and store in the fridge.

Mug cake

If this is the first recipe you’re reading, I’m disappointed, but I understand. You only need three ingredients — does this mean you can bulk on these ingredients and treat yourself to cake everyday? Absolutely. You will need a mug, microwave, one egg, one-quarter cup of sugar, and two tablespoons of cocoa powder.

All you have to do is crack an egg then add sugar and cocoa powder into the mug. After stirring the ingredients together, place the mug in the microwave for about a minute. 

When you take the mug out, stick a toothpick inside to see if the cake is baked. If it comes out clean, your mug cake is done. If it doesn’t, put it into the microwave for 10-second intervals until fully cooked.

Top off the mug cake however you want — with vanilla ice cream, cherries, chocolate or whatever your heart desires. You may save this cake in the fridge to consume later or eat it right away.

As a student, you should give meal prepping a chance. Test it out for a couple weeks and see where it fits into your lifestyle.