Cait Mokros

Cooking on a budget doesn’t have to be stressful or time consuming. There are many meals that college students can enjoy that are both delicious and affordable. These recipes are easy and perfect for students who are in need of a quick meal or snack.

 Avocado Toast  

Avocado toast has become a staple since the 2010’s with many different ways to make it. It has become a food that is ordered for breakfast, lunch, and even brunch and has price points from high to low at restaurants. Avocado toast is easy and affordable to make at home and is the perfect meal or snack for college students. 

Ingredients: 

• Bread (sourdough, rye, wheat, white)
• Ripe avocado
• Red pepper flakes
• Sea salt
• Brushetta
• Lime juice 
• Egg (optional)

Directions: Get your favorite type of bread (sourdough or rye are my favorites) and put it into the toaster. Toast your bread to the level of crispiness that you prefer. If you’re making one slice of toast, add half an avocado into a bowl and smash it with a fork. Once your avocado is smashed, add lime juice, red pepper flakes, pepper, and flaky sea salt. Combine the avocado and spices. Take your toast out of the toaster and spread your avocado mixture onto the toast.  Once your avocado is spread onto the toast, add your toppings. Add bruschetta on top (store bought or homemade). If you prefer, you can also add a fried egg for an extra boost of protein. 

Breakfast Yogurt/Oatmeal Bowl

As college students, we all know how busy and hectic our mornings can be and a lot of the time we don’t have time to eat a cooked balanced meal. Waking up and needing to run out the door quickly leads many students to skip breakfast. A quick, easy, and budget friendly yogurt or oatmeal bowl is a good choice for at home or on the go. 

Ingredients:

• Yogurt or oatmeal
• Fresh/frozen fruit (raspberries, strawberries, bananas, etc.)
• Nut butter (peanut butter, cashew butter, almond butter, etc.)
• Honey
• Nuts or seeds (almonds, cashews, peanuts, chia seeds, etc.)

Directions: Get your favorite bowl (or bowl with a lid to go) and add your favorite yogurt/oatmeal first. Prepare the oatmeal according to the package instructions or just add water or milk and heat in the microwave for plain oats. Once that is ready, you can add your toppings. Toppings for your bowl could be anything that you like. You can add fresh or frozen fruit such as raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, etc. You can add nuts or seeds as well such as cashews, almonds, peanuts. Top off your bowl with any type of nut butter that you like (almond, peanut, cashew, etc.) and honey and enjoy!

Veggie Tacos

An easy and affordable lunch or dinner for college students is tacos. Tacos are versatile and you can add any veggies and toppings that you like. 

Ingredients:

• Tortillas (hard or soft)
• Canned corn
• Canned black beans
• One pepper
• Lime juice 
• Spices (paprika, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt)
• Avocado
• Sour cream
• Mexican Cheese 
• Lettuce
• Tomato 

Directions: Chop peppers and add to a pan on medium heat with corn and black beans. Add lime juice and spices to the pan as well. Heat for ten minutes or until fully cooked. Chop up lettuce, tomato, and avocado to use as toppings. Add cheese and sour cream to your tortilla and then add your peppers, corn, and black bean mixture while it is still warm. Add lettuce, tomato, and avocado (or whatever toppings you prefer) and enjoy!