10 Affordable Meals For Students

Going off to college means having more independence, but preparing your own meals while juggling your responsibilities can be daunting – especially if it’s your first time being in charge of managing your every waking need. College is also a time when money is limited, making the whole idea of adulting that much harder to get acclimated to as a newbie to college and making the importance of finding cheap and easy meals that much more essential.

So today, I’m sharing a round-up of affordable but healthy meals college students can easily prepare.

Ramen noodles

When it comes to cheap and easy meals, it doesn’t get much more budget friendly than the good old ramen noodles. A pack can be purchased for less than $5, even for the more elevated brands. Eat it plain or spice it up by adding egg, chicken, mushroom, ginger, garlic, and soy sauce for even more flavor and a delicious bite of nutrition.

Grilled cheese

You can’t make a list of affordable college meals without mentioning grilled cheese sandwiches. This comfort food is sure to be a dorm room essential for college students across America. To bump it up a notch, you can pair your grilled cheese with tomato soup or try your hand at this loaded grilled cheese sandwich recipe.

Ingredients

1 Bread, thick, whole wheat, slice – 120 calories
2 Egg, large – 144 calories
¼ Avocado, small – 58 calories
2 oz Deli slices, turkey – 60 calories
1 oz Cheese, sliced, cheddar, full fat/ regular – 110 calories
1 cup Carrots, baby – 45 calories

Instructions

Step 1

Slice large piece of bread in half, or use 2 small pieces of bread in this recipe.

Step 2

Spray a pan with an oil spray and crack in eggs. Cook on medium-low heat until until desired consistency (I personally like to flip mine over to cook the yolk through!)

Step 3

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350 degrees.

Step 4

Toast bread pieces for ~1 minute.

Step 5

Then top with cheese and turkey, and bake for another 1-2 minutes.

Step 6

Remove open-faced sandwiches from oven, and top with eggs and sliced avocado.

Step 7

Serve with carrots.

Step 8

No dairy? Use extra avocado. No turkey? Use tofurkey slices, or an additional egg.

Taco Mac and cheese

533 CALORIES

This college meal works as another solid option if you’re looking for cheap and easy meals. You’re basically just adding ground beef, pepper, and taco seasoning to boxed mac and cheese. And it’s delish! Dinner for the week is ready for under $20.

Ingredients

¼ Mac & Cheese, boxed, entire box with cheese packet, without milk & butter – 163 calories
1 Tbsp Milk, 2% (Tbsp) – 9 calories
1 Tbsp Butter (Tbsp) – 103 calories
4 oz Ground beef, 90% lean, raw – 185 calories
½ Bell pepper, orange, large – 25 calories
½ Bell pepper, red, medium – 19 calories
½ Onion, yellow, large – 28 calories
½ tsp Taco seasoning – 3 calories

Instructions

Note: this recipe works best when making 4 servings at once, to make the entire mac & cheese box and cheese packet (one serving is still a lot of food!)

Step 1

Dice vegetables

Step 2

Melt 1/2 of your butter in a large pan on low heat. Add in meat and vegetables, stir fry on medium heat stirring occasionally until everything has cooked through.

Step 3

Cook your pasta as instructed on package. Drain your pasta & return to your pot.

Step 4

Add vegetables and meat to your pot with pasta, mix in in taco seasoning and cheese packet.

Step 5

Enjoy!

Step 6

No beef? Use white beans. No dairy? Use a dairy-free version of mac & cheese.

Cheesy Scrambled Eggs with Peppers

211 CALORIES

Save money yet feel full with this quick and easy breakfast that’s sure to be budget friendly for all college students.

Ingredients

2 Egg, large – 144 calories
1 Bell pepper, red, medium – 37 calories
1 Tbsp Cheese, shredded, cheddar (Tbsp) – 30 calories
¼ tsp Salt – 0 calories
¼ tsp Pepper, ground – 0 calories

Instructions

Step 1

Dice pepper.

Step 2

Spray pan with an oil spray, add in peppers, stir-fry 5 minutes on low heat.

Step 3

Crack eggs in a bowl, whisk with a fork. Add in cheese and seasonings.

Step 4

Add to pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until eggs have cooked through.

Step 5

No dairy? Use a dairy free cheese, or avocado

Loaded Scrambled Eggs with Bagel and Cream Cheese

387 CALORIES

If you’re looking for some easy diet meals, this is a hardy yet super nutritious breakfast idea for college students that can be ready made in your dorm room.

Ingredients

1 Egg, large – 72 calories
¼ Bell pepper, green, medium – 7 calories
2 Uncured bacon, slice – 88 calories
½ Bagel, regular, whole wheat – 155 calories
2 Tbsp Cream cheese, whipped (Tbsp) – 66 calories
⅛ tsp Garlic salt – 0 calories

Instructions

Step 1

Dice pepper.

Step 2

Cut bacon into small pieces with kitchen shears.

Step 3

Spray a small pan with an oil spray.

Step 4

Fry bacon on low heat until cooked through, ~4 minutes.

Step 5

Once bacon has cooked, crack in eggs and add in bell pepper to the pan. Mix together with a wooden spoon until eggs have cooked through. Top with garlic salt once cooked.

Step 6

Toast bagel.

Step 7

Top with cream cheese.

Step 8

No bacon? Use turkey or soy bacon. No dairy? Use a dairy-free cream cheese or avocado. Gluten free? Use a gluten free bagel, or slice of bread.

Parmesan Roasted Green Beans and Baked Chicken

395 CALORIES

If you have an instant pot in your dorm room, then you’ll want to try your hand at this nutritious recipe. You might even opt to purchase a rotisserie chicken instead to cut back on even more time while still keeping this one of the best cheap and easy meals. All in all, you’re coming out of pocket between $10-15, with a dish that could last throughout the week.

Ingredients

2 cups Green beans, frozen – 90 calories
⅓ cup Cheese, Parmesan, grated (cups) – 115 calories
6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw – 190 calories
⅛ tsp Garlic salt – 0 calories
¼ tsp Salt – 0 calories
¼ tsp Pepper, ground – 0 calories

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Step 2

Cube chicken.

Step 3

Spray a pan with an oil spray.

Step 4

Cook frozen green beans for ~5 minutes.

Step 5

Line baking sheet with parchment paper & spray it with an oil spray.

Step 6

Add green beans and chicken to baking sheet, top with cheese and seasonings, mix around.

Step 7

Bake for 25 minutes, depending on your preference!

Step 8

Notes: No chicken? Use salmon or tofu. No frozen green beans? Use fresh.

Chickpea Greek Salad with Chicken

518 CALORIES

This dump and go recipe works great for dorm rooms no matter what cooking gadgets you have at your reach.

Ingredients

1 cup Tomatoes, grape – 32 calories
1 Cucumber, small – 32 calories
¼ Onion, red – 11 calories
½ cup Beans & legumes, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), cooked – 134 calories
6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw (or buy it precooked)- 190 calories
1 Tbsp Olive oil (Tbsp) – 119 calories
¼ tsp Salt – 0 calories
¼ tsp Basil, dried – 0 calories

Instructions

Step 1

Spray pan with an oil spray.

Step 2

Cube chicken. Cook for ~10 minutes on low heat, until cooked through.

Step 3

Chop cucumber, tomatoes, and onion.

Step 4

Combine all ingredients into a salad.

Step 5

No chicken? Use more beans.

Instant Pot Beef & Broccoli

285 CALORIES

This instant pot recipe is probably the most easy healthy recipe ideas we’ve named thus far. Using a few simple ingredients you’ve got delicious college meals your roommates would love.

Ingredients

3 oz Beef, chuck roast (stew meat), raw – 182 calories
2 cups Broccoli – 48 calories
1 Tbsp Garlic, minced (Tbsp) – 0 calories
1 cup Broth, chicken or beef (cups) – 35 calories
2 Tbsp Soy sauce (Tbsp) – 20 calories
1 cup Water – 0 calories

Instructions

Step 1

**This recipe should be doubled to make 2 servings at a time (share or eat the other serving at a later time); the Instant Pot needs to have at least 1 ½ cups of liquid in it in order to work

Step 2

Put Instant Pot on “Saute” function; Spray inside pot with an oil spray

Step 3

Add in garlic; Saute beef pieces, stirring frequently

Step 4

Add in broth, soy sauce, and water

Step 5

Press “Cancel” to stop Saute function, and then press “Manual” and adjust the time to cook for 15 minutes

Step 6

After the Instant Pot beeps that it’s done, release the pressure knob and open the pot

Step 7

Add in broccoli, stir, and then close the lid & let sit for 5 minutes

Step 8

There will be extra liquid – you can discard it!

Baked Potato With Chicken & Avocado

418 CALORIES

Ingredients

1 Potato, sweet, medium, 5 inches – 112 calories
½ Avocado, small – 117 calories
6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw – 190 calories
¼ tsp Everything bagel seasoning – 0 calories

Instructions

Step 1

Slice baked chicken into strips.

Step 2

Spray a pan with an oil spray. Cook chicken for ~10 minutes, turning at last once, until cooked through.

Step 3

Poke holes in potato with a fork; microwave for 8 minute – flipping potato over halfway through.

Step 4

Slice potato in half, top with chicken, avocado, then everything bagel seasoning.

Step 5

No chicken? Use tofu.

Instant Pot Lemon Chicken with Brown Rice and Broccoli

424 CALORIES

Ingredients

6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw – 190 calories
1 tsp Butter (tsp) – 36 calories
½ Onion, yellow – 28 calories
½ cup Broth, chicken or beef (cups) – 18 calories
2 Tbsp Garlic, minced (Tbsp) – 0 calories
0 tsp Salt – 0 calories
0 tsp Paprika – 0 calories
0 tsp Pepper, ground – 0 calories
¼ tsp Parsley, dried – 0 calories
4 Tbsp Lemon, juice – 16 calories
0.4 Tbsp Almond flour/Almond meal – 16 calories
½ cup Broccoli – 12 calories
½ cup Rice, brown, cooked – 109 calories

Instructions

Step 1

Arrowroot flour is another flour option

Step 2

Set Instant Pot to sauté mode. When it’s hot melt butter.

Step 3

Add onion, garlic, paprika, parsley, and pepper to melted butter, and sauté until onions soften.

Step 4

With your Instant Pot still set to sauté, sear the chicken on each side for about 3-5 minutes. The chicken should be a caramelized brown color.

Step 5

Pour with lemon juice and salt over chicken and stir.

Step 6

Lock lid into place and close steam valve. Set Instant Pot to poultry setting and cook for 7-8 mins if chicken is thawed and 12-15 minutes if it’s frozen.

Step 7

If you’re going to be making pasta, rice or veggies to serve with this chicken, start making it now while your chicken cooks.

Step 8

Once done, let depressurize naturally – it shouldn’t take very long.

Step 9

Remove the baked chicken from the Instant Pot, but leave the sauce in the pan. Gradually stir in flour to thicken sauce.

Step 10

If you’re serving chicken on top pasta, mix cooked pasta in with thickened lemon sauce. Otherwise drizzle sauce over chicken.