Most college students lead hectic lives, trying to balance their life with classes, and some, work. In the midst of all that, they struggle with limited finances, making it hard to live as comfortably as they would when under their parents’ roof.
However, this does not mean that the student should forego a rich diet, even when on a tight budget. So, how do you eat healthy in college? Below are a few tips from Just For College which will help you out in your tight budget:
What is Eating Healthy?
Living in college dorms causes many students to develop unhealthy eating patterns. Why? Because most of them can only access food in the cafeteria and have minimal access to kitchens.
However, you can keep your supply of healthy foods in the dorm and enjoy them daily. A healthy diet consists of:
Fruits and Vegetables
if you have a small refrigerator or not, you can stock your dorm room or hostel with some fruits and vegetables.
They are ruck in vitamins and help boost your immune. These include bananas, apples, oranges, grapes, celery, cucumber, and carrot sticks, to mention a few.
Low-fat Dairy
As a student, you need proteins and calcium for your bones. As a student, dairy is the fastest source of these nutrients. So, you can stock your dorm room with some low-fat yogurt, milk, and cheese.
Whole Grain
Whole-grain cereal has a long shelf-life. So, you can enjoy the high fiber content as you wish.
Besides, most cereals have vitamins and minerals, which, when mixed with other foods, like nuts and seeds, delivers a wholesome nutrient content to your body.
Nuts and Seeds
These are easy to access, store and supply you with a lot of nutrients in a small pack. You can enjoy the whole or in processed form like peanut spread or butter.
A healthy diet consists of small amounts of lean meat, some fat and sweets, and soups.
Tips for College in Eating Healthy on a Tight Budget
Balancing life, hobbies, and classes can be taxing on any college student. Add a meal plan to that, and your life becomes busier.
It is even worse when you have to work with a tight budget because then, you need to plan your activities and your finances.
However, it does not have to be that way. A few strategies can help you eat healthy in college and eat on a tight budget. Some of these include:
1. Learn the Sales Cycles at Your Local Grocery Store
Learning the seasonal sales cycles at your local grocery store is one often overlooked yet effective way to save money.
By knowing what’s on sale in a specific month, you can easily plan and save yourself some dollars on your grocery bills.
For instance, say a lot of diet foods and cereals are on sale in January. Buying them then and stocking for the off-season means you pay less and get to eat healthy in college.
2. Buy Simple Foods and Prepare them Yourself
While trying to achieve a class-life balance, many students fall prey to fast food and convenience store meals. These unhealthy processed foods seem cheap but are relatively expensive and lack the nutrients you need.
On the other hand, buying ingredients for a meal, you prepare yourself could cost you less than a restaurant meal.
So, instead of instant ramen, why not visit the grocery store and buy some supplies for your kitchen. It is cheaper, and better yet, a healthier option.
3. Shop Bulk Items
Buying your groceries in bulk always translates to savings. For instance, instead of paying $4 for a pack of 6 eggs, you could pay $5.50 for ten eggs if you buy in bulk, resulting in a lower unit price than upfront shopping.
However, Just For College readers make sure you buy what you need. Just because the products are cheap, you don’t need to overstock, especially on groceries with a very short shelf-life period.
4. Take Advantage of Coupons and Pricing Apps
If you want to benefit from reduced prices, coupons and pricing apps are one place to look. With enough coupons, you can cut down your grocery bills.
You can earn coupons by visiting select grocery stores that give weekly fliers or websites that offer discounts. You could also join the valued customer program and enjoy the benefits of pooled shopping points.
5. Use your Student Discount
Perks of being in college? Well, the student discount. If you visit a store that offers students discounts, make sure you use it.
A lot of these come in handy when you are looking for food. In addition, some restaurants offer student pricing and discount programs for students.
Also, most restaurants near your college might have these exceptional prices to accommodate students. If so, consider buying your food from them to save more when planning to eat healthy on a tight budget.
6. Pool your Resources
They say two are better than one, which is evident when trying to survive on a tight budget and eat healthy in college.
So, consider partnering with your roommates to plan your meals rather than taking on the whole burden of planning, buying, and saving on food.
By joining hands, you get a good reason to buy in bulk, and when you cook, you save more than ordering in or eating out.
7. Choose Generics
A lot of students often lose money when they forego generic products for brand names. So, rather than looking for a famous brand, and paying a hefty amount, go for a generic product whose prices are considerably lower. Usually, these products are on the top or bottom shelves.
Buying generic means, you get to save tons of cash while enjoying the same nutritional value, which is good news for students wondering how to eat healthy in college on a tight budget.
College is expensive. You have to pay for almost everything out of your pocket, especially if you do not live in the college dorms. So, eating healthy on a tight budget becomes a challenge that most students lose.
However, you can start eating delicious yet healthy food in your room with proper planning and time management while saving a lot of money. With a meal plan and knowledge of grocery prices in your area, you can say goodbye to the fast and convenient store foods and shift to a healthier diet.
