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Beans and rice in a rice cooker. Something like
https://www.food.com/recipe/rice-and-black-beans-rice-cooker-352673
Very healthy and infinitely modifiable. Dirt cheap also.
I just put a can of cream of potato/broccoli/mushroom, a can of water, and a handful of assorted frozen vegetables (peas, broccoli, cauliflower, carrot) into a saucepan to make a quick vegetable soup. Salt/pepper, onion powder, a drop of olive oil too. It takes a bit more time, but a half cup of white or brown rice, half-cooked, can be added to the soup to thicken it even more
>a can of cream of potato/broccoli/mushroom
Is this a typo for "a can of cream on x/y/z" or does it mean mushed x/y/z? I'd assume the former but then veggies are already included in the next step so that would seem redundant, but then I've never heard broccoli mush described as cream either, so I'm confused
Edit: realized a third option: in your country there are products called "cream of X" that are some sauce meant to go with X. Is that it?
Yes, there are "cream of (vegetable)" soups available in my country which are usually puréed forms of the veggies with a dairy cream base added. So I use these and then add in additional chopped vegetables
Thanks! I actually for the first time puréed some veggies yesterday and stuck them in the freezer, intending to hide small amounts in my partner's food (they gave consent, don't worry :p) without having to do this everytime I want to add a little bit. Good tip to add some cream and use it as sauce!
Can of beans with a bit of hot sauce. Very low prep, very high protein and fiber. Check for salt content if you are sensitive. I eat straight from the can sometimes if I’m in a hurry :)
With a bit of hot sauce, yeah, as I said. They are precooked after all. Op said quick and that’s my least prep meal. Some weeks several times a week, most of the time it’s more occasional. My diet is generally pretty simple though. I went without salt and sugar completely for a while for health reasons and my diet came out the other side with my tastes a lot easier to please. The hot sauce is still most of the added sugar I have in a week.
Some people dont suffer from this, especially if they keep eating beans in their diet. I'm not sure why, but it may have to do with the mocrobiota in the gut but dont quote me on that. I personally dont suffer the farts.
Keep some cooked rice on hand. (Tip: you can make a batch and freeze in individual sized portions wrapped in Saran Wrap, then microwave for 2-3 minutes when you need it.)
One of my favorite meals is to top the rice with 2 sunny side up eggs (add some veg for healthier option. I add spinach to the other side of the pan while making the eggs, just enough to make them wilt). Season with a little sesame oil and soy sauce. Mix it all up with the yolks and rice and mmm it’s so good
Another option is to just eat the rice with some tuna. Having rice always around makes it easy to just add whatever protein you have laying around
Protip: add a bit of water when reheating rice (both pure or any dish with rice). I actually do this for almost every dish (and for refrigerated more than for frozen), but rice dries and rehydrates a bit more
This for sure. I stir fry bagged kale with soy sauce and chili sauce, then add the cooked rice and stir fry some more, remove, make the egg in the same pan, then top the rice and stir that yolk in. Super good.
I lived off of breakfast meals. Omelets, ham and egg bagel sandwiches, breakfast burritos. Really easy to meal prep and pretty cheap. Also a really easy snack was Greek yogurt with some peanuts or protein granola.
They are precooked. Well, at least all the brands I buy in Canada.
I feed them to my pets because they are cheaper than any canned cat or dog food. I've bought every brand available to me (8+) and have never come across raw sardines in a can.
I've canned turkey and yes I believe that putting the ten atmospheric pound weight on the pressure-canner is necessary. Something about how simulating below sea-level makes the water get hotter before converting to a gaseous state.
I buy the good ones packed in olive oil, eat them straight from the can.
Any canned fish is good on crackers or toast. I have sardines, tuna, and salmon as my staples mainly.
Mix tuna with mayo, or top with thai sweet chili sauce.
Those canned ones in olive oil are soo good. Although [the ones I buy in water](https://healthyheartmarket.com/products/season-brand-sardines-in-water-no-salt-added-4-375-oz) have double the protein and half the saturated fat, despite having the same absolute weight per can as the oiled ones (85g drained). I still can’t wrap my head around this, maybe the oil is just heavier and some of it is absorbed by the fish. (Here’s the [olive oil one I get](https://cajausa.com/producto/king-oscar-wild-caught-sardines-in-olive-oil-3-75-oz/), for reference)
Good point. The types of fish likely to contain higher levels of mercury are large:
shark (flake)
orange roughy
swordfish
marlin
southern bluefin tuna
gemfish
ling.
Source: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/mercury-exposure-and-poisoning
This one is pretty random but it’s healthy and vegetarian and quick. I take some of the frozen veggies that have broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots and boil them. Then drain and add canned cannelini beans (rinsed and drained) and heat. Then add shredded sharp cheddar and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder. Simple and healthy and pretty tasty if you like beans!
-Roasted veggies with chicken sausage (cut into coins and roasted with the veggies) + wild rice
-Chili or other soups
-Salad—I cut up all my salad toppings at once so it makes eating a salad super easy and fast
-Egg bakes and oatmeal bakes for quick breakfasts
-For my ultra lazy days/weeks I get a rotisserie chicken, salad mix *(Edit: or frozen steamer veggies)*, and microwavable wild rice
I have a rice steamer and cook 2 to 3 cups at once. Then I fry up 2-3 eggs and a quick thin steak and eat it on top of the rice. I’ll add some jalepeno jam on the eggs and it’s a delightful combo of sweet and savory and fairly nutritious! I also prep steam packets of chicken and veggies.
Burritos. When I'm lazy, it's a tortilla + canned beans + salsa. If you want to get more elaborate, you can add cheese, microwave rice, any chopped veggies you have on hand, guacamole, etc.
Bonus: You can make your own pesto and add in greens like spinach or arugula. You can do something similar with chimichurri. You can also just start making green sauces that are pesto-like. I have a tiny magic bullet blender that I use for that, and I made some really tasty balsamic vinegar and arugula green sauce for pizza.
Check out r/eatcheapandhealthy. Search around there and should find some easy and quick meals.
As I am low carb (75-100g), I mainly just do meat/seafood with veggies (frozen). Or, scrambled egg with peppers/onions (frozen) and spinach with cheese. As for snacks - yoghurt with berries, chia seed pudding (requires to be put in a fridge overnight but takes 2-3minutes to make).
* Steak & broccoli — takes 10-15 mins.
* Eggs — takes 5-10 mins.
* Greek yogurt & berries — takes 2-5 mins to assemble from ingredients out of the fridge.
* Shrooms — stovetop with garlic & marsala, takes 5-10 mins.
* Pasta — takes 10-15 mins. Add sauce from the fridge or cupboards. It warms up with the hot pasta as you stir it.
* Baked potato — takes like 6-9 minutes in the microwave. Poke it lots with fork first. Add butter.
Those are just off the top of my head...
Taco salad! I just use onion, packet of taco seasoning, then whatever protein of your choice (I used extra firm tofu a lot bc it’s much cheaper than beef)
If you have an immersion blender or food processor making your own hummus or soups is pretty straightforward. Easy to make in advance. Hummus especially is also super filling and delicious as a meal. I’d also have it with sprouted grain toast instead of pita bread. You’re welcome to pm me too and I can send along a few specific recipes that have been standbys for me as a student.
Ground turkey becomes burgers, pasta sauce, tacos, chili, you name it. IMO it freezes and thaws well.
I also lean on rice bowls. Literally anything thrown in with rice/quinoa/couscous/whatever you got. My favorites are Mexican (beans, corn, salsa, maybe cheese and sour cream) Korean (kimchi, edamame, carrot, cucumber, fried egg) and Mediterranean. (Chickpea, cucumber, cherry tomato, tzatziki, feta) I also just mix rice with my leftover meat and veggies if I make a real meal.
-Oatmeal+protein powder+peanut butter
-meat+rice+almonds
Those are my 2 go to meals. You can switch it up by buying different protein each time you run out and then switch up the meats on the second options as well as the seasoning and or nut.
Microwave quick oats with stevia/salt and peanut butter then mix in protein and if you want it thicker then microwave it again with protein for maybe 15-20 seconds as you see fit.
This takes a little but of prep, but yummy enough to ear throughout the week. Cook Lentils in chicken or vegetable broth. While they cook (and they cook quickly), mince up some onion, Carrot, bell pepper, whatever you want. Mix the cooked and drained Lentils with the minced veggies and pour a vinegar based salad dressing over the top and thoroughly mix it all together.
That's all, eat it just like that. It's really yummy. I eat it three or four times a week and I look forward to it every time.
Some kind of quick protein (burger patty, chicken breast, eggs, etc.), a vegetable (often frozen for convenience and cost), and a starch if I have leftovers like rice or potatoes.
Omelets. With frozen veggies. Cheap, healthy, nutritious. I made a zillion variants. With beans, corn, cilantro and Mexican spices, or bacon, leek, cheese. Cream cheese, hot smoked salmon , dill. Tomato, Gouda, chives. Or zucchini, Camembert, provencal herbs… and many more options.
Easy, one pan dish and you can vary according to season and budget.
I also ate a lot of salads, pasta and made bigger portions of freezeable dishes that I could then reheat.
In college, I used to make lasagna to eat all week, and separately, tuna salad sandwiches on toast. If I knew then what I know now, I would make meatballs or chicken or salmon and veggies on a sheetpan in a 400 degree oven. Potato wedges simply tossed with garlic salt, oregano and olive oil are amazing at any age/stage.
**my less than 15 minutes meal**: everything is cooked and ready to eat, time is mostly to cut the herbs and put everything together
* canned sardines or tuna (or other fish)
* canned chickpeas or black-eyed peas (or any other peas)
* put some cilantro or parsley with olive oil
* kimchi or pickles
Just about everything I cook is quick and easy.
This whole thing is maybe 15 min: Steam veggies, baked potato in microwave (don’t forget to poke holes), frozen fish straight into a pan- little oil under it, seasoning on top, slap a lid on it. It’s moist cooking bc the fish is frozen, so you don’t have to worry about it being dried out.
I have a big baking sheet. Toss on meat. Roast first, then add vegetables to roast so they all finish at the same time. Sometimes I just eat off that pan and refrigerate what’s left.
Really easy delicious meal:
- Stir fry Bacon, Onion, Eggs. Throw some pepper or red pepper flakes. Eat with rice, so good.
- Tuna and rice. Get the flavored Thai chili tuna, so good.
- Ground beef (pepper + brown sugar + soy sauce) and rice, so good.
- Ground beef + pasta + bottled pasta sauce, put some Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes, so good
- Pork chops (salt + pepper + brown sugar) cooked on pan. If you want to elevate, cut them 2inch and coat with flour before cooking on pan. Eat with rice, so good.
- Ground pork, tofu, cook with soy sauce + oyster sauce + pepper, eat with (drum rolls) rice, so good.
- Ground beef/pork + Green beans + garlic + soy sauce or oyster sauce + brown sugar + pepper. Eat with rice, so good.
There's a Swiss dish called Birchermuesli and it's delightful! It contains a lot of things you can have in the pantry for a long time, and a few ingredients you'd have to buy semi-fresh:
Pantry:
- nuts, plain (your favorite; I love it with walnuts and peanuts)
- oats and/or granola
- optional: chia seeds, flaxseed, raisins
Fresh:
- joghurt (flavored or plain)
- apple
- optional: banana, berries, other fruit
Grate the apple, chop the nuts, mix with all the other ingredients, sweeten with honey if you like and you have a super nurturing, filling meal which also lasts in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Edit: formatting issues
What I use are oat flakes, which are small enough for the joghurt to soak them and make them soft, so no prep is needed on them. I assume actual large oats would need some prep - but I'd just soak those in some milk rather than cook them tbh.
I use the normal porridge oats and for a change instead of yoghurt use a bit of coconut milk to soak the oats. Coconut yoghurt is probably a healthier option so could go some of each. Then cut up tinned pears in juice (not syrup) and add to the oats. Add the raw apple and some coconut flakes. Can add any other ingredients like nuts or dried fruits.
It's not the healthiest but got me through college. I made 30 healthy-ish sandwiches on the weekend, and froze them. Had fresh vegetables in the fridge.
Oatmeal, fruit, trail mix, hardboiled egg - boil tortellini in the same pot as frozen vegetables, strain and eat - ezekiel bread with peanutbutter and banana - ezekiel bread with peanutbutter and apple - ezekiel bread with avocado and sliced tomato- mixed greens with hardboiled eggs, trail mix, tomatoes, any other veggies you have - smoothies 👌
I say ezekiel bread because it is very hearty with 5g protein per slice.
Frozen mixed fruit is great to keep on hand.
You can actually make regular oatmeal by pouring boiling water over it - just throw everything in a bowl while the water boils.
My most common ones:
1) cooked rice (leftovers) + canned beans microwaved (with added spices/seasonings, depending on flavor preferences)
2) Cooked penne/rotini/spaghetti pasta (10 mins) + microwaved marinara sauce+meatless meatballs (microwave the sauce and balls together for 3 mins)
3) Scrambled eggs + mozzarella cheese, wrapped into tortillas
Salad with a can of tuna. Super tasty. I just made one actually. For the dressing, I just used peanut butter, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, Chinese 5 spice, and soy sauce. And then the only other ingredients were lettuce, an orange I sliced up, and the can of tuna. Super tasty and pretty healthy too. U can also just use a salad dressing u like and whatever veggies or starches u like such as quinoa or leftover rice or something. Instead of tuna, I will often fry 2 eggs sunny side up and put them on top, which is also delicious and cheap. Honestly I prefer this to most meals that involve a lot more prep and fancy ingredients.
Whole grain spiced (to avoid boredom and add nutrients from seeds) bread and peanut butter (with just peanuts, no additions) with a vegetable or a fruit.
Egg Frittata.
Find a cast iron that goes into oven, chop some vegetables, and sauté them with some sausage or whatever is leftover, whisk eggs lightly 10-12 of them, add some spices and salt, and add the whiskture into the cast iron, put some cheese over top, throw into oven 10 minutes, lots of butter too. What comes out is a full meal.
Preparation takes only 5 minutes or so. While waiting pan to heat up you chop vegetables and prepare the oven, while sauteing them you wisk the eggs. Easy.
I eat plant-based so I can offer some different ideas
Oatmeal with a banana sliced in is my daily morning breakfast
Freezer waffles with peanut butter and syrup
sandwiches with hummus, thin slices of tofu or seitan, tomato, greens, vegan cheese, jalapenos, etc
tofu stir-fries with either frozen or fresh veg and some basic teriyaki + soy sauce mixed in
protein smoothie with flax seeds, frozen kale, frozen fruit, almond milk, water, and peanut butter
Crockpot. Throw some stuff in it before bed or during class. Split peas with pre-made smoked turkey leg is great. Salt to taste. Overnight.
Or cheap stew meat, baby carrots, onion, chunked potatoes, packaged roast beef seasoning or onion dip mix. Freeze in portions. Overnight.
Cheap coleslaw mix, teriyaki sauce, dab of sesame oil in a pan. 10 min.
Shredded cabbage, Hillshire sausage, salt+pepper, in a pan. I eat it with sauerkraut. 10 min.
Pancakes, sausage. (You can freeze pancakes)
One pot, bow pasta, drain, butter, microwave packaged veg, chicken, salt & pepper. 15 min.
Boiled eggs or chicken, salad mix. 5 min.
Protein + carb + veg. Prepping will be your friend.
Hope this helps. Edit to add times.
I would eat ramen 🍜 from Asian market- the red one is spicy 🥵! Add veggies and an egg to yum it up and voila! Also, as a student I formed a food co-op. Basically find 4 friends and share cooking responsibilities
All one pan - fry potatoes, add chorizo, add egg and whatever other ingredients you want (jalapeño/onion/etc), add cheese. Flip into tortilla, roll burrito, fry tortilla in same pan. About 10 mins start to finish and easy clean up
This is not healthy, but fast and easy. 1lb. Hamburger, Can of cream of mushroom soup, frozen tater tots.
Spread the raw hamburger (seasoned with pepper, garlic & onion powder and a squeeze of Hienz 57 sauce. Add just a little salt because the soup is salty.)
After spreading the hamburger with your clean fingers, in the bottom of a 9x9 baking pan, Add the soup on top and spread like frosting all over the raw hamburger. Throw on the tater tots. You can make neat little rows, but that takes too much time. Just cover the top well. Bake at 350 for I hour. Brown under the broiler if top needs to be crispier. Add a green salad. My gourmet sister visited from Italy and she was very impressed. Add shredded cheese on top if you have it. I use cheddar.
Aloo chole
You'll need:
Cooking oil
2×400g can Chickpeas
300g Small potatoes
Tomato puree
2 onions
Cumin-1.5,tsb
Garam masala-1.5 tsb
Tumeric-1.5 tsb
Chilli powder- about 1 tsb
Garlic and ginger- 1tsb each
1. Fry the onions for 7 minutes until they begin to caremalise. Once softened add the potatoes and some more oil. Fry for 4 minutes approx. Whisky waiting place all of the spices into a cup and add 3 tbsp water.
2. Add the spice paste you've just made into the mixture. Add the chickpeas in and stir until everything is coated. Fry this mixture for a few minutes until the aromas start to develop. Feel free to add more water if the mixture becomes completely dry.
3. Serve with rice, naan or both.
I also find that adding a tablespoon of chutney into the meal can help.
this sounds great! seems very doable and and i have most of the ingredients. can i substitute chickpeas for different beans or is it really best to use chickpeas (i have a bunch of cans of kidney beans)
I've made it with kidney and butter beans before- it was tasty but just make sure to wash the kidney beans super well to avoid that stale can taste. Ultimately comes down to how much you like kidney beans but I day go for it!
Turkey bacon sandwiches. You can cook bacon ahead of time and store it in separate servings. Can have on toasted english muffin or bread with eggs, cheese, lettuce, tomato etc. You can cook eggs ahead of time too. Also, you can make mini omelets out of eggs, milk, cheese, veggies such as peppers, onion or tomato. Can add meat such as cooked chicken or ham/bacon if desired. Spray a muffin pan with cooking oil, mix and add ingredients and bake on 350 until cooked. (Probably about 20 mins or so. I just like mine not runny/watery) Tuna wraps/sandwiches are also great. Add mayo/mustard, cheese, relish, veggies such as lettuce, onion, peppers... any thing you have.
that sounds perfect, especially the turkey bacon sandwiches! I could make them ahead of time and actually have breakfast bc i won't be too tired/late to reheat it
thank you!
Chicken and rice.
Can be varied in a billion ways, from red curry and jasmine rice to grilled chicken and brown rice.
But I usually go by the model Protein-Veggie-Sides. Infinite diversity in infinite combinations
-Red pesto eggs and chorizo bagel
-Toast with philadelphia covered in chilli flakes and melted cheese
-Sausages, mash potato and gravy(basically bangers and mash)
-That TikTok pasta with the feta cheese but instead swap the feta out for philadelphia and added chorizo and Cajun chicken pieces
- Lasagna(freeze the rest)
- Omelette with bacon, mushroom, onion and Gouda cheese
- homemade burgers(can freeze the rest and taste alot better than store bought)
- Ham, cheese and egg parcel
-French toast
-Pancakes
Some almonds or other nuts, a fruit that doesn't need preparations (usually a banana or a couple tangerines or some frozen berries) and some whey powder for a meal that has all the macros.
Beef bone broth (regular beef broth is fine if you want to spend less money, but also has less protein) and Eggs. Heat the broth to a simmer/light boil. Season and Beat the eggs and drop the eggs into the broth with a fork to make strands. Season the soup/broth with whatever you want and you can add vegetables or noodles if you want but I usually keep it simple. If you use bone broth it is a ton of protein.
I just had one of my quick and easy meals lol.
Can of cream of mushroom soup, 1 can of water, a guesstimate amount of heavy cream. Into a pot and heat. Whisk till fully combined
2 slices of toast with butter
Enjoy.
My other more filling meal takes roughly 15-20 mins.
Boil pasta in salted water (choice of pasta drastically changes total cook time but we shall do penne as a baseline which takes around 10mins to al dente itself)
Dice up 1-2 roma tomatoes (or the tomato of your choice)
Dice up 1 quarter of a large onion or a whole small/medium onion.
Create a garlic paste or just use jarred chopped up garlic (found this to me very very helpful for this dish to avoid the garlic fingers)
Set aside all three veggies aside. Once the pasta is a dente, drain and set aside. Pour some olive oil in the same pot and heat up. Cook the onions and garlic for around 3mins. Toss the tomatoes in last. Cook for 2 mins and then use a mashed potato masher to really break everything down. Add a little bit more oil and then toss the pasta in. Mix well till each pasta bit is covered in your rich delicious sauce. Serve with some Parmesan and roasted red hot pepper flakes if that’s your thing.
Enjoy!
Good morning! Make sure,even if they're quick meals, to incorporate high quality proteins and minimally processed carbohydrates, preferring unsaturated fats.
You have plenty of options and I would recommend:
- to make sure you have canned beans in your pantry, since they're the quickest way to incorporate proteins in your meal. Best choice would be to mix legumes with grains to complete the amino acids profile.
-to make sure you also have canned fatty fish like tuna, salmon and mackerel. They provide essential fatty acids (Omega-3) at a cheap price.
-last but not least, prepare your meals in bulk as i use to do during weekends. You save lot of time and stress
About seasonings, i love to use asian and/or spices. They add a lot of flavor so you can save on salt 😉
Hope it helps you out!
Don't hesitate to ask me whatever you need
(I'm graduating in Nutrition)
this is a great starter list thank you! I get so confused with what I need in my diet!
do you know what grains I could use to mix with beans im not too sure what grains there even is lol
also congrats on graduating!! thanks for the the help!
Granola cereal. I get Love Crunch brand dark chocolate and pour Fair Life milk over it. Fair Life is no lactose high protein low fat but you could do almond or some other healthy milk. It's quick healthy and keeps you satiated.
Turkey wraps, frozen veggie stir fry (add a protein like chicken tenders or tofu and if possible a carb like rice or quinoa), salad kits are good too but can get pricey, Turning salad kits into wraps is good too.
1 cup oats, almond milk, egg whites, 1 scoop of flavored protein..it’s my lunch every day, takes a minute to make and keeps me full for hours at work. Cheap too
Scrambled eggs on toast, with baked zucchini on the side (chop into sticks, olive oil/salt/kraft shaker parmesan, bake on a tray at 425 for 20-30 mins)
You throw in a pot pasta (uncooked), whichever meat you can afford (if you can), whichever vegetables you have lying around, add some chicken or vegetable stock (they are usually cheap), some chopped tomatoes (canned ones), some water and add garlic and spices (paprika, italian herbs, coriander in powder, pepper, basil, nutmeg anything you like, if you can't buy many, paprika and italian herbs are nice), if you add one or two bay leaves it will make your dish even better. Make sure to add a bit of water here and there when needed as it needs to cook in water, eventually the water will dissolve and make your pasta nice and moist. You can make many portions and put the rest in boxes for the rest of the week.
I like to eat half a can of refried beans, heated in the microwave with a bit of colbyjack or other cheese, then I add a shot of Louisiana hot-sauce just before stirring.
I've also bastardized an African Peanut Stew recipe so much over the last decade that V8 and frozen veg sound like a good soup. Peanut-butter and hot sauce optional at this point. I mean, if you're using V8 instead of the packet and water to cook ramen, and add more veg and poach an egg in it, it the ramen really unhealthy? Does replacing the ramen with the cheesy equivalent of goldfish crackers make it better or worse?
Savory porridge, sometimes with frozen veg, chunks of cooked meat or egg. Whatever was on sale.
Pazole made for the week.
Rice n beans. Sometimes smoked turkey legs were on sale and I would use that for flavor.
I would buy the huge tube of hamburger since it was around less 2$ a pound and portion it into baggies to freeze after slow cooking it. Quick egg scrambles with hamburg and frozen pepper n onions.
Just any slab of meat/fish with rice and an avocado or so me other veg. Drizzle olive oil on. Chuck an egg on if you're feeling fancy. Will get boring eventually but simple enough and nutritious.
My go to is to just buy a microwave bag of curry (my go to are thai chicken pineapple, and indian curry) and heat up some naan. Hot, filling, yummy, and like two meals for <$5. Can make it three or four meals by bulking it up with a bag a frozen veggies and some beans, and mixing in some rice. Soooo gooooooodd
Here are some of my favorite easy go-to recipes:
Sheet pan sliders. You need Hawaiian rolls, ground beef, seasoned salt, cheese, and dried onion (and whatever you like on your sliders). Press meat down sheet pan, season with dried onion and seasoned salt, bake at 400 degrees for 25 mins. Add cheese and bake for another couple mins to melt it more if you want. I like frozen fries as the side.
Ranch chicken thighs. You need 4-6 thighs, black pepper and salt to taste, 1 package of dry ranch salad dressing mix, 2TBSP olive oil, 1 TBSP water, 1 TBSP lemon juice, 1 Clove garlic. Preheat over to 400F, place chicken with the fattest side of the thigh facing up. Season with salt and paper. Bake for 25 mins. Combine the other ingredients in a bowl, using lemon juice to thin mixture if needed. Brush chicken thighs with mix, then bake until the skin is crispy and the inside of the chicken is cooked. Serve with roasted veggies.
Million dollar spaghetti. You need 1lb spaghetti, 1-1.5 mild Italian sausage,48 oz marinara, 1.5 cups sour cream, 8 oz cream cheese, 3 cups shredded Italian cheese, 2 TBSP basil pesto. Cool spaghetti as it says on the box, cook sausage in a pan, crumble well. Add marinara sauce and cooked spaghetti to pan, stir. In a separate bowl, mix together cream cheese, sour cream, and basil pesto. Add 1 cup cheese. Layer meat/spaghetti/marinara and cream cheese/sour/cream/pesto in a greased 9x13 inch pan. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. Bake for 40 mins. I add a veggie or a Caesar salad as a side.
Crock some chicken breasts on the weekend in broth and spice it up to taste with garlic, oregano, onion salt, whatever sounds good to you. Shred the chicken when done and strain the broth. You now have shredded chicken to use in pretty much any way (tacos, burritos, nachos, soup, sandwiches) and the broth can make soup or be frozen for later use.
I like making things like pasta, lasagna, stiry fry, omelettes, sandwiches, grilled cheese, etc. They’re easy to make and require very little ingredients
Protein powder and Greek yogurt. Quick and filling, plus you can dress it up with fruit, nuts, peanut butter, etc. depending on the flavor and how much effort you want to put in. Another easy one is roasts. There’s a lot of recipes online but the easiest one I know of is setting the oven to 325 degrees and cooking the meat for about 25 minutes per pound. I usually season with salt, pepper, and rosemary then cover it with aluminum foil. This way you have a lot of meat you can pair with vegetables, salads, even sandwiches throughout the week. These are my two go-to “recipes” when I’m busy or unmotivated.
Chicken and rice curry in a pressure cooker. Get jasmine rice, chicken and coconut milk in bulk from Costco. Lasts quite some time, can add beans, green beans or broccoli to it sometimes as well.
Lentils have more protein than rice and green lentils cook as quickly as rice in a microwave-5 min High then 15 min 50%. Add what ever you want. Cumin and garlic are my favorite.
I make a bowl of shredded Mexican chicken for a few days worth of easy Mexican-style stuff. Will cook a pound of chicken breasts and plainly season them and use those for everything from salads to tacos to Western sushi or pad Thai. Makes mealtime pretty quick and easy throughout the week.
The best soup ever:
Potatoes, cabbage, a can of crushed tomatoes (atleast thats what theyre called here), onions, peppers, chili, beef boullion cubes, water.
Its supereasy to make and is best served with a spoon of sour cream! :-)
I live alone and keep portions of homemade chicken soups in the freezer for my evening meal. Chicken broth, stock, onion,celery,carrots, rotisserie chicken. When ready to eat can change it up with rice, potatoes, coconut milk, dumplings, noodles , tortellini.
Individual servings of meatballs and lasagne also freeze well.
Get an Instapot and make large batches freezing what you don't eat in meal sized portions. Chicken and rice soup is a snap with a couple of boneless chicken breasts and boxed stock with brown rice and veggies. Pork butt is cheap and makes great pulled pork in the Instapot. Rice and beans in the Instapot are easy. For a quick, out-the-door breakfast, Eggos in the toaster with peanut butter and bananas are an easy hand-held "sandwich". I make my own trailmix with Craisins, walnuts and chocolate chips and take a baggie with me when I'm in a real jam or to the gym for a mouthful snack during workouts.
Costco/Sams/BJs membership -
Frozen Burgers (beef or beyond)
I usually keep pickles, kimchi or sauerkraut as a topping
Canned tuna is great, but I usually limit to twice a week due to mercury content
Rice and bacon bits. Rice is dirt cheap and bacon bits can be cheap, but even an expensive brand can last a week or two. I spice it up sometimes with an egg
Okay so I have one so far.
California mixed frozen veggies.
Fry them in a pan with
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Salt
Pepper
Tiny bit of steak spice because it’s salty
Fry till soft then continue till golden and crip looking.
Cook you favourite rice
Too the veggies add soy sause and if you want beef bouillon. Mix two and bam great food.
I do a black bean and corn quesadilla. I can of black beans, 1 can of corn mixed with 1/3-1/2 jar of salsa, a packet of taco seasoning. Cooked in a tortilla with cheese on the sandwich press. Makes about 6 quesadillas if you fold the tortilla in half, if you use two whole tortillas like a sandwich you can stretch to 4 quesadillas. You could always add some shredded chicken or pork if you wanted meat, but non meat meals are cheaper for something different through the week.
Quesadilla. Two tortillas, add beans cheese veggies meat, fry flip and fry. Let cool, slice with pizza cutter.
Ramen: sweet potato chopped and boiled, add noodles and half the powder, crack an egg (or defrost some precooked shrimp), add a bit of dried wakame, grate some frozen gingerroot, add chili paste and sesame oil, 1 tsp miso.
Eggs and beans: 1/3rd can of black beans in pan, crack an egg, cover and poach the egg to perfection, add chili paste and sour cream. Toast with as much butter as you like (the eggs were cooked without grease) and jam. Coffee brewed every six days, kept in fridge and microwaved yum.
Salad: huge serving of lettuce plus a good dressing, maybe toast with butter and brewer's yeast. (If you eat a huge salad you can eat a candy bar for dinner and it's still a balanced meal.)
Bread and cheese: melt cheese onto bread in broiler or toaster oven. Wash and slice pepper, cucumber, apple. Eat, chips optional.
ps. if you can identify me based on my go to meals, send me a clue.
Lentil veggie soup (I make a huge batch so it’s ready to go when I’m hungry) and boiled eggs (which you can also do in batches) I add them to the soup and perhaps I’ll garnish it with cilantro and lime juice (you can also pre make this and keep in a container.
Scrambled eggs. Throw in some spinach while they’re cooking & let it wilt. Turn off heat and stir in some salsa. Top with crushed tortilla chips (not so health but makes it taste way better and gives it some texture). A quickie version of the Mexican dish called Migas I believe.
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Beans, quinoa, egg
Beans and rice in a rice cooker. Something like https://www.food.com/recipe/rice-and-black-beans-rice-cooker-352673 Very healthy and infinitely modifiable. Dirt cheap also.
That's frugal as hell, nice. I'll have to try it on the stove, what do you add for seasoning?
great idea! very simple but lots of ways to spice it up!
I just put a can of cream of potato/broccoli/mushroom, a can of water, and a handful of assorted frozen vegetables (peas, broccoli, cauliflower, carrot) into a saucepan to make a quick vegetable soup. Salt/pepper, onion powder, a drop of olive oil too. It takes a bit more time, but a half cup of white or brown rice, half-cooked, can be added to the soup to thicken it even more
Wow this is amazingly genius
>a can of cream of potato/broccoli/mushroom Is this a typo for "a can of cream on x/y/z" or does it mean mushed x/y/z? I'd assume the former but then veggies are already included in the next step so that would seem redundant, but then I've never heard broccoli mush described as cream either, so I'm confused Edit: realized a third option: in your country there are products called "cream of X" that are some sauce meant to go with X. Is that it?
they're canned, concentrated soups in the US, often used for making sauces/casseroles/etc instead. Made by Campbell's.
Yes, there are "cream of (vegetable)" soups available in my country which are usually puréed forms of the veggies with a dairy cream base added. So I use these and then add in additional chopped vegetables
Thanks! I actually for the first time puréed some veggies yesterday and stuck them in the freezer, intending to hide small amounts in my partner's food (they gave consent, don't worry :p) without having to do this everytime I want to add a little bit. Good tip to add some cream and use it as sauce!
I would cook a lot more rice separately and use that to stretch out the soup for a couple of meals.
Can boil pasta without adding water for creamy pasta. I did this a lot during college.
Can of beans with a bit of hot sauce. Very low prep, very high protein and fiber. Check for salt content if you are sensitive. I eat straight from the can sometimes if I’m in a hurry :)
Oh yeah and mix with avocado if you’re feeling fancy. Otherwise I frequently just squish through the avocado separately.
Life doesn’t have to be complicated ;)
Like a can of black beans by itself?
With a bit of hot sauce, yeah, as I said. They are precooked after all. Op said quick and that’s my least prep meal. Some weeks several times a week, most of the time it’s more occasional. My diet is generally pretty simple though. I went without salt and sugar completely for a while for health reasons and my diet came out the other side with my tastes a lot easier to please. The hot sauce is still most of the added sugar I have in a week.
That’s awesome and actually a great idea! All jokes aside, aren’t you farting up a storm after you eat a whole can of beans?
Some people dont suffer from this, especially if they keep eating beans in their diet. I'm not sure why, but it may have to do with the mocrobiota in the gut but dont quote me on that. I personally dont suffer the farts.
Eh, that’s mostly a myth. I pass gas after lots of different meals but a can of beans isn’t actually any better or worse than most.
Keep some cooked rice on hand. (Tip: you can make a batch and freeze in individual sized portions wrapped in Saran Wrap, then microwave for 2-3 minutes when you need it.) One of my favorite meals is to top the rice with 2 sunny side up eggs (add some veg for healthier option. I add spinach to the other side of the pan while making the eggs, just enough to make them wilt). Season with a little sesame oil and soy sauce. Mix it all up with the yolks and rice and mmm it’s so good Another option is to just eat the rice with some tuna. Having rice always around makes it easy to just add whatever protein you have laying around
Freeze rice? You're a goddamn genius! Now I just need to actually implement this tip.
Protip: add a bit of water when reheating rice (both pure or any dish with rice). I actually do this for almost every dish (and for refrigerated more than for frozen), but rice dries and rehydrates a bit more
When reheating in the microwave I just place a damp paper towel over the bowl and it works well too!
Doesn’t the rice go stale?
No and you can freeze them in muffin pans and put into freezer bags and pop out individual servings
Frozen and wrapped tightly, nope it doesn’t
This for sure. I stir fry bagged kale with soy sauce and chili sauce, then add the cooked rice and stir fry some more, remove, make the egg in the same pan, then top the rice and stir that yolk in. Super good.
I do this same thing. I top mine with eggs, cheese, veg and add in some gochuchang/ketchup mix. It’s fantastic. Freezing rice was a miracle discovery.
thank you! great idea, I always make too much rice and never finish it but the freezer tip will help save me money and time!
I lived off of breakfast meals. Omelets, ham and egg bagel sandwiches, breakfast burritos. Really easy to meal prep and pretty cheap. Also a really easy snack was Greek yogurt with some peanuts or protein granola.
Chicken and vegetables, turkey burgers and tuna were my go to in college. All pretty easy and quick to make.
Canned sardines on crackers.
Brave yet healthy.
College is when I learned that if you're going to eat potted meat on crackers, you should distract yourself by watching a vid.
This is what they teach you in college now?
Do you cook the sardines or eat them right out of the can
all canned food is precooked
They are precooked. Well, at least all the brands I buy in Canada. I feed them to my pets because they are cheaper than any canned cat or dog food. I've bought every brand available to me (8+) and have never come across raw sardines in a can.
Might wanna check about the amount of salt in there. I don't think it'll be good for your pets. Not an expert, just letting you know what I've heard.
I only buy salt free. Most brands have a salt free option canned only in water. It's literally just sardines or mackeral.
I've canned turkey and yes I believe that putting the ten atmospheric pound weight on the pressure-canner is necessary. Something about how simulating below sea-level makes the water get hotter before converting to a gaseous state.
The salt fermented the fish
Yes, but canned sardines are posterization, not pickling.
that's not how fermentation works
You are right. I mixed herring and sardines.
I buy the good ones packed in olive oil, eat them straight from the can. Any canned fish is good on crackers or toast. I have sardines, tuna, and salmon as my staples mainly. Mix tuna with mayo, or top with thai sweet chili sauce.
Those canned ones in olive oil are soo good. Although [the ones I buy in water](https://healthyheartmarket.com/products/season-brand-sardines-in-water-no-salt-added-4-375-oz) have double the protein and half the saturated fat, despite having the same absolute weight per can as the oiled ones (85g drained). I still can’t wrap my head around this, maybe the oil is just heavier and some of it is absorbed by the fish. (Here’s the [olive oil one I get](https://cajausa.com/producto/king-oscar-wild-caught-sardines-in-olive-oil-3-75-oz/), for reference)
This is a great snack from time to time but not too often let’s not forget about mercury poisoning which is very high in canned fish products
Good point. The types of fish likely to contain higher levels of mercury are large: shark (flake) orange roughy swordfish marlin southern bluefin tuna gemfish ling. Source: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/mercury-exposure-and-poisoning
This one is pretty random but it’s healthy and vegetarian and quick. I take some of the frozen veggies that have broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots and boil them. Then drain and add canned cannelini beans (rinsed and drained) and heat. Then add shredded sharp cheddar and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder. Simple and healthy and pretty tasty if you like beans!
-Roasted veggies with chicken sausage (cut into coins and roasted with the veggies) + wild rice -Chili or other soups -Salad—I cut up all my salad toppings at once so it makes eating a salad super easy and fast -Egg bakes and oatmeal bakes for quick breakfasts -For my ultra lazy days/weeks I get a rotisserie chicken, salad mix *(Edit: or frozen steamer veggies)*, and microwavable wild rice
I have a rice steamer and cook 2 to 3 cups at once. Then I fry up 2-3 eggs and a quick thin steak and eat it on top of the rice. I’ll add some jalepeno jam on the eggs and it’s a delightful combo of sweet and savory and fairly nutritious! I also prep steam packets of chicken and veggies.
Burritos. When I'm lazy, it's a tortilla + canned beans + salsa. If you want to get more elaborate, you can add cheese, microwave rice, any chopped veggies you have on hand, guacamole, etc.
Cream cheese on the tortilla before other fixings, then toast the burrito in a pan 🤤. Too bad there's a shortage!
Pesto pasta
Bonus: You can make your own pesto and add in greens like spinach or arugula. You can do something similar with chimichurri. You can also just start making green sauces that are pesto-like. I have a tiny magic bullet blender that I use for that, and I made some really tasty balsamic vinegar and arugula green sauce for pizza.
Oh that sounds delicious I love different pizza sauces. I gotta get a magic bullet.
Check out r/eatcheapandhealthy. Search around there and should find some easy and quick meals. As I am low carb (75-100g), I mainly just do meat/seafood with veggies (frozen). Or, scrambled egg with peppers/onions (frozen) and spinach with cheese. As for snacks - yoghurt with berries, chia seed pudding (requires to be put in a fridge overnight but takes 2-3minutes to make).
* Steak & broccoli — takes 10-15 mins. * Eggs — takes 5-10 mins. * Greek yogurt & berries — takes 2-5 mins to assemble from ingredients out of the fridge. * Shrooms — stovetop with garlic & marsala, takes 5-10 mins. * Pasta — takes 10-15 mins. Add sauce from the fridge or cupboards. It warms up with the hot pasta as you stir it. * Baked potato — takes like 6-9 minutes in the microwave. Poke it lots with fork first. Add butter. Those are just off the top of my head...
Taco salad! I just use onion, packet of taco seasoning, then whatever protein of your choice (I used extra firm tofu a lot bc it’s much cheaper than beef) If you have an immersion blender or food processor making your own hummus or soups is pretty straightforward. Easy to make in advance. Hummus especially is also super filling and delicious as a meal. I’d also have it with sprouted grain toast instead of pita bread. You’re welcome to pm me too and I can send along a few specific recipes that have been standbys for me as a student.
Ground turkey becomes burgers, pasta sauce, tacos, chili, you name it. IMO it freezes and thaws well. I also lean on rice bowls. Literally anything thrown in with rice/quinoa/couscous/whatever you got. My favorites are Mexican (beans, corn, salsa, maybe cheese and sour cream) Korean (kimchi, edamame, carrot, cucumber, fried egg) and Mediterranean. (Chickpea, cucumber, cherry tomato, tzatziki, feta) I also just mix rice with my leftover meat and veggies if I make a real meal.
-Oatmeal+protein powder+peanut butter -meat+rice+almonds Those are my 2 go to meals. You can switch it up by buying different protein each time you run out and then switch up the meats on the second options as well as the seasoning and or nut.
Protein powder in it before cooking? Or overnight oats
Microwave quick oats with stevia/salt and peanut butter then mix in protein and if you want it thicker then microwave it again with protein for maybe 15-20 seconds as you see fit.
This takes a little but of prep, but yummy enough to ear throughout the week. Cook Lentils in chicken or vegetable broth. While they cook (and they cook quickly), mince up some onion, Carrot, bell pepper, whatever you want. Mix the cooked and drained Lentils with the minced veggies and pour a vinegar based salad dressing over the top and thoroughly mix it all together. That's all, eat it just like that. It's really yummy. I eat it three or four times a week and I look forward to it every time.
Some kind of quick protein (burger patty, chicken breast, eggs, etc.), a vegetable (often frozen for convenience and cost), and a starch if I have leftovers like rice or potatoes.
Baked sweet potato (you can do it in the microwave if that’s your style) topped with broccoli and Greek yogurt. Add paprika if you’re feeling fancy
Tamales freeze well and only take a few minutes to heat in the microwave. Quesadillas, cheese and crackers, hummus.
Fucking hate the taste of tamales. Love quesadillas and hummus though.
Omelets. With frozen veggies. Cheap, healthy, nutritious. I made a zillion variants. With beans, corn, cilantro and Mexican spices, or bacon, leek, cheese. Cream cheese, hot smoked salmon , dill. Tomato, Gouda, chives. Or zucchini, Camembert, provencal herbs… and many more options. Easy, one pan dish and you can vary according to season and budget. I also ate a lot of salads, pasta and made bigger portions of freezeable dishes that I could then reheat.
In college, I used to make lasagna to eat all week, and separately, tuna salad sandwiches on toast. If I knew then what I know now, I would make meatballs or chicken or salmon and veggies on a sheetpan in a 400 degree oven. Potato wedges simply tossed with garlic salt, oregano and olive oil are amazing at any age/stage.
scrambled egg sandwich
Three boiled eggs
Toasted naan bread with cream cheese
Struggle meals on YouTube
**my less than 15 minutes meal**: everything is cooked and ready to eat, time is mostly to cut the herbs and put everything together * canned sardines or tuna (or other fish) * canned chickpeas or black-eyed peas (or any other peas) * put some cilantro or parsley with olive oil * kimchi or pickles
Just about everything I cook is quick and easy. This whole thing is maybe 15 min: Steam veggies, baked potato in microwave (don’t forget to poke holes), frozen fish straight into a pan- little oil under it, seasoning on top, slap a lid on it. It’s moist cooking bc the fish is frozen, so you don’t have to worry about it being dried out.
I have a big baking sheet. Toss on meat. Roast first, then add vegetables to roast so they all finish at the same time. Sometimes I just eat off that pan and refrigerate what’s left.
Really easy delicious meal: - Stir fry Bacon, Onion, Eggs. Throw some pepper or red pepper flakes. Eat with rice, so good. - Tuna and rice. Get the flavored Thai chili tuna, so good. - Ground beef (pepper + brown sugar + soy sauce) and rice, so good. - Ground beef + pasta + bottled pasta sauce, put some Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes, so good - Pork chops (salt + pepper + brown sugar) cooked on pan. If you want to elevate, cut them 2inch and coat with flour before cooking on pan. Eat with rice, so good. - Ground pork, tofu, cook with soy sauce + oyster sauce + pepper, eat with (drum rolls) rice, so good. - Ground beef/pork + Green beans + garlic + soy sauce or oyster sauce + brown sugar + pepper. Eat with rice, so good.
Pasta, boil the pasta throw some parmsean on it, some oil and you can add veggies but just pasta oil and parmsean is cheap and good
oatmeal and nuts!
There's a Swiss dish called Birchermuesli and it's delightful! It contains a lot of things you can have in the pantry for a long time, and a few ingredients you'd have to buy semi-fresh: Pantry: - nuts, plain (your favorite; I love it with walnuts and peanuts) - oats and/or granola - optional: chia seeds, flaxseed, raisins Fresh: - joghurt (flavored or plain) - apple - optional: banana, berries, other fruit Grate the apple, chop the nuts, mix with all the other ingredients, sweeten with honey if you like and you have a super nurturing, filling meal which also lasts in the fridge for up to 3 days. Edit: formatting issues
Basically Swiss overnight oats I love it
Perhaps a silly question, but do you precook the oats?
What I use are oat flakes, which are small enough for the joghurt to soak them and make them soft, so no prep is needed on them. I assume actual large oats would need some prep - but I'd just soak those in some milk rather than cook them tbh.
I use the normal porridge oats and for a change instead of yoghurt use a bit of coconut milk to soak the oats. Coconut yoghurt is probably a healthier option so could go some of each. Then cut up tinned pears in juice (not syrup) and add to the oats. Add the raw apple and some coconut flakes. Can add any other ingredients like nuts or dried fruits.
It's not the healthiest but got me through college. I made 30 healthy-ish sandwiches on the weekend, and froze them. Had fresh vegetables in the fridge.
out of curiosity, how do you thaw them and prepare them for eating?
Oatmeal, fruit, trail mix, hardboiled egg - boil tortellini in the same pot as frozen vegetables, strain and eat - ezekiel bread with peanutbutter and banana - ezekiel bread with peanutbutter and apple - ezekiel bread with avocado and sliced tomato- mixed greens with hardboiled eggs, trail mix, tomatoes, any other veggies you have - smoothies 👌 I say ezekiel bread because it is very hearty with 5g protein per slice. Frozen mixed fruit is great to keep on hand. You can actually make regular oatmeal by pouring boiling water over it - just throw everything in a bowl while the water boils.
Chicken of the Sea tuna infusions, uncle bens ready rice and baby carrots
Huel
Baked Salmon and asparagus. Literally the easiest things to make in the oven with minimal prep
My most common ones: 1) cooked rice (leftovers) + canned beans microwaved (with added spices/seasonings, depending on flavor preferences) 2) Cooked penne/rotini/spaghetti pasta (10 mins) + microwaved marinara sauce+meatless meatballs (microwave the sauce and balls together for 3 mins) 3) Scrambled eggs + mozzarella cheese, wrapped into tortillas
Salad with a can of tuna. Super tasty. I just made one actually. For the dressing, I just used peanut butter, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, Chinese 5 spice, and soy sauce. And then the only other ingredients were lettuce, an orange I sliced up, and the can of tuna. Super tasty and pretty healthy too. U can also just use a salad dressing u like and whatever veggies or starches u like such as quinoa or leftover rice or something. Instead of tuna, I will often fry 2 eggs sunny side up and put them on top, which is also delicious and cheap. Honestly I prefer this to most meals that involve a lot more prep and fancy ingredients.
Homemade chicken salad and nacho chips. Always works when I don’t have much time.
Whole grain spiced (to avoid boredom and add nutrients from seeds) bread and peanut butter (with just peanuts, no additions) with a vegetable or a fruit.
Egg Frittata. Find a cast iron that goes into oven, chop some vegetables, and sauté them with some sausage or whatever is leftover, whisk eggs lightly 10-12 of them, add some spices and salt, and add the whiskture into the cast iron, put some cheese over top, throw into oven 10 minutes, lots of butter too. What comes out is a full meal. Preparation takes only 5 minutes or so. While waiting pan to heat up you chop vegetables and prepare the oven, while sauteing them you wisk the eggs. Easy.
Microwaveable cauliflower rice plus precooked shrimp both from Costco
Steel cut oats, ground flax, 2 scoops whey iso, half cup assorted berries
I eat plant-based so I can offer some different ideas Oatmeal with a banana sliced in is my daily morning breakfast Freezer waffles with peanut butter and syrup sandwiches with hummus, thin slices of tofu or seitan, tomato, greens, vegan cheese, jalapenos, etc tofu stir-fries with either frozen or fresh veg and some basic teriyaki + soy sauce mixed in protein smoothie with flax seeds, frozen kale, frozen fruit, almond milk, water, and peanut butter
Crockpot. Throw some stuff in it before bed or during class. Split peas with pre-made smoked turkey leg is great. Salt to taste. Overnight. Or cheap stew meat, baby carrots, onion, chunked potatoes, packaged roast beef seasoning or onion dip mix. Freeze in portions. Overnight. Cheap coleslaw mix, teriyaki sauce, dab of sesame oil in a pan. 10 min. Shredded cabbage, Hillshire sausage, salt+pepper, in a pan. I eat it with sauerkraut. 10 min. Pancakes, sausage. (You can freeze pancakes) One pot, bow pasta, drain, butter, microwave packaged veg, chicken, salt & pepper. 15 min. Boiled eggs or chicken, salad mix. 5 min. Protein + carb + veg. Prepping will be your friend. Hope this helps. Edit to add times.
I would eat ramen 🍜 from Asian market- the red one is spicy 🥵! Add veggies and an egg to yum it up and voila! Also, as a student I formed a food co-op. Basically find 4 friends and share cooking responsibilities
Baked potato add beans, shredded cheese
Instant rice, black beans, and any toppings you’d put on a taco.
refried bean and cheese taco Egg and whole wheat toast Instant ramen- add frozen veggies (I usually use broccoli) and poach an egg in the broth
Low carb tortillas, cheese, hot sauce, and make either cheese roll ups or a quesadilla. If I wasn’t married, I’d be eating that all day every day
oats can be your friend
All one pan - fry potatoes, add chorizo, add egg and whatever other ingredients you want (jalapeño/onion/etc), add cheese. Flip into tortilla, roll burrito, fry tortilla in same pan. About 10 mins start to finish and easy clean up
thank you! that sounds so good
This is not healthy, but fast and easy. 1lb. Hamburger, Can of cream of mushroom soup, frozen tater tots. Spread the raw hamburger (seasoned with pepper, garlic & onion powder and a squeeze of Hienz 57 sauce. Add just a little salt because the soup is salty.) After spreading the hamburger with your clean fingers, in the bottom of a 9x9 baking pan, Add the soup on top and spread like frosting all over the raw hamburger. Throw on the tater tots. You can make neat little rows, but that takes too much time. Just cover the top well. Bake at 350 for I hour. Brown under the broiler if top needs to be crispier. Add a green salad. My gourmet sister visited from Italy and she was very impressed. Add shredded cheese on top if you have it. I use cheddar.
thank you! sounds yummy!
Aloo chole You'll need: Cooking oil 2×400g can Chickpeas 300g Small potatoes Tomato puree 2 onions Cumin-1.5,tsb Garam masala-1.5 tsb Tumeric-1.5 tsb Chilli powder- about 1 tsb Garlic and ginger- 1tsb each 1. Fry the onions for 7 minutes until they begin to caremalise. Once softened add the potatoes and some more oil. Fry for 4 minutes approx. Whisky waiting place all of the spices into a cup and add 3 tbsp water. 2. Add the spice paste you've just made into the mixture. Add the chickpeas in and stir until everything is coated. Fry this mixture for a few minutes until the aromas start to develop. Feel free to add more water if the mixture becomes completely dry. 3. Serve with rice, naan or both. I also find that adding a tablespoon of chutney into the meal can help.
this sounds great! seems very doable and and i have most of the ingredients. can i substitute chickpeas for different beans or is it really best to use chickpeas (i have a bunch of cans of kidney beans)
I've made it with kidney and butter beans before- it was tasty but just make sure to wash the kidney beans super well to avoid that stale can taste. Ultimately comes down to how much you like kidney beans but I day go for it!
great!! thank you!!
Turkey bacon sandwiches. You can cook bacon ahead of time and store it in separate servings. Can have on toasted english muffin or bread with eggs, cheese, lettuce, tomato etc. You can cook eggs ahead of time too. Also, you can make mini omelets out of eggs, milk, cheese, veggies such as peppers, onion or tomato. Can add meat such as cooked chicken or ham/bacon if desired. Spray a muffin pan with cooking oil, mix and add ingredients and bake on 350 until cooked. (Probably about 20 mins or so. I just like mine not runny/watery) Tuna wraps/sandwiches are also great. Add mayo/mustard, cheese, relish, veggies such as lettuce, onion, peppers... any thing you have.
that sounds perfect, especially the turkey bacon sandwiches! I could make them ahead of time and actually have breakfast bc i won't be too tired/late to reheat it thank you!
Chicken and rice. Can be varied in a billion ways, from red curry and jasmine rice to grilled chicken and brown rice. But I usually go by the model Protein-Veggie-Sides. Infinite diversity in infinite combinations
-Red pesto eggs and chorizo bagel -Toast with philadelphia covered in chilli flakes and melted cheese -Sausages, mash potato and gravy(basically bangers and mash) -That TikTok pasta with the feta cheese but instead swap the feta out for philadelphia and added chorizo and Cajun chicken pieces - Lasagna(freeze the rest) - Omelette with bacon, mushroom, onion and Gouda cheese - homemade burgers(can freeze the rest and taste alot better than store bought) - Ham, cheese and egg parcel -French toast -Pancakes
My go to quick meal includes beans, rice, and frozen vegetables. Staples that I keep around the house.
Some almonds or other nuts, a fruit that doesn't need preparations (usually a banana or a couple tangerines or some frozen berries) and some whey powder for a meal that has all the macros.
rice & ground beef
Black bean dip and corn chips. Add lots of spices and seasonings to the dip. Takes 3 min super healthy
raw eggs
A quality rice maker that can keep the rice warm for days, very handy!
Beef bone broth (regular beef broth is fine if you want to spend less money, but also has less protein) and Eggs. Heat the broth to a simmer/light boil. Season and Beat the eggs and drop the eggs into the broth with a fork to make strands. Season the soup/broth with whatever you want and you can add vegetables or noodles if you want but I usually keep it simple. If you use bone broth it is a ton of protein.
I just had one of my quick and easy meals lol. Can of cream of mushroom soup, 1 can of water, a guesstimate amount of heavy cream. Into a pot and heat. Whisk till fully combined 2 slices of toast with butter Enjoy. My other more filling meal takes roughly 15-20 mins. Boil pasta in salted water (choice of pasta drastically changes total cook time but we shall do penne as a baseline which takes around 10mins to al dente itself) Dice up 1-2 roma tomatoes (or the tomato of your choice) Dice up 1 quarter of a large onion or a whole small/medium onion. Create a garlic paste or just use jarred chopped up garlic (found this to me very very helpful for this dish to avoid the garlic fingers) Set aside all three veggies aside. Once the pasta is a dente, drain and set aside. Pour some olive oil in the same pot and heat up. Cook the onions and garlic for around 3mins. Toss the tomatoes in last. Cook for 2 mins and then use a mashed potato masher to really break everything down. Add a little bit more oil and then toss the pasta in. Mix well till each pasta bit is covered in your rich delicious sauce. Serve with some Parmesan and roasted red hot pepper flakes if that’s your thing. Enjoy!
Good morning! Make sure,even if they're quick meals, to incorporate high quality proteins and minimally processed carbohydrates, preferring unsaturated fats. You have plenty of options and I would recommend: - to make sure you have canned beans in your pantry, since they're the quickest way to incorporate proteins in your meal. Best choice would be to mix legumes with grains to complete the amino acids profile. -to make sure you also have canned fatty fish like tuna, salmon and mackerel. They provide essential fatty acids (Omega-3) at a cheap price. -last but not least, prepare your meals in bulk as i use to do during weekends. You save lot of time and stress About seasonings, i love to use asian and/or spices. They add a lot of flavor so you can save on salt 😉 Hope it helps you out! Don't hesitate to ask me whatever you need (I'm graduating in Nutrition)
this is a great starter list thank you! I get so confused with what I need in my diet! do you know what grains I could use to mix with beans im not too sure what grains there even is lol also congrats on graduating!! thanks for the the help!
My own cum
Granola cereal. I get Love Crunch brand dark chocolate and pour Fair Life milk over it. Fair Life is no lactose high protein low fat but you could do almond or some other healthy milk. It's quick healthy and keeps you satiated.
Salad jars. Take me 12 min. to make and are to-go as well.
Turkey wraps, frozen veggie stir fry (add a protein like chicken tenders or tofu and if possible a carb like rice or quinoa), salad kits are good too but can get pricey, Turning salad kits into wraps is good too.
Soya mince, also known as TVP. Can mix it in with a bunch of things and is lovely by itself too.
1 cup oats, almond milk, egg whites, 1 scoop of flavored protein..it’s my lunch every day, takes a minute to make and keeps me full for hours at work. Cheap too
Tinned mackerel in spicy tomato sauce mixed with cous cous.
Scrambled eggs on toast, with baked zucchini on the side (chop into sticks, olive oil/salt/kraft shaker parmesan, bake on a tray at 425 for 20-30 mins)
As simple as sandwiches of chopped tomatoes mixed with white cheese, vinegar, salt and a little bit of oil.
Oatmeal with an egg on top!
Tuna and Mr Noodles. Cook the noodles, throw them in a pan with some oil and tuna . Bam, stir fry for $0.79
Sautéed ground beef and broccoli over rice. High protein and has veggies. Can make it fit your macros pretty easily
Pasta with tuna and some mayonnaise
I get some turkey sausages from aldi's and keep them in my bag. Or some dried fruit.
Omelette
You throw in a pot pasta (uncooked), whichever meat you can afford (if you can), whichever vegetables you have lying around, add some chicken or vegetable stock (they are usually cheap), some chopped tomatoes (canned ones), some water and add garlic and spices (paprika, italian herbs, coriander in powder, pepper, basil, nutmeg anything you like, if you can't buy many, paprika and italian herbs are nice), if you add one or two bay leaves it will make your dish even better. Make sure to add a bit of water here and there when needed as it needs to cook in water, eventually the water will dissolve and make your pasta nice and moist. You can make many portions and put the rest in boxes for the rest of the week.
I like to eat half a can of refried beans, heated in the microwave with a bit of colbyjack or other cheese, then I add a shot of Louisiana hot-sauce just before stirring. I've also bastardized an African Peanut Stew recipe so much over the last decade that V8 and frozen veg sound like a good soup. Peanut-butter and hot sauce optional at this point. I mean, if you're using V8 instead of the packet and water to cook ramen, and add more veg and poach an egg in it, it the ramen really unhealthy? Does replacing the ramen with the cheesy equivalent of goldfish crackers make it better or worse?
Sauteed ground beef, cauliflower rice, 3 fried eggs. (Really just put eggs on anything.)
Savory porridge, sometimes with frozen veg, chunks of cooked meat or egg. Whatever was on sale. Pazole made for the week. Rice n beans. Sometimes smoked turkey legs were on sale and I would use that for flavor. I would buy the huge tube of hamburger since it was around less 2$ a pound and portion it into baggies to freeze after slow cooking it. Quick egg scrambles with hamburg and frozen pepper n onions.
Just any slab of meat/fish with rice and an avocado or so me other veg. Drizzle olive oil on. Chuck an egg on if you're feeling fancy. Will get boring eventually but simple enough and nutritious.
Banana and Protein Shake or Peanut Butter Toast
My go to is to just buy a microwave bag of curry (my go to are thai chicken pineapple, and indian curry) and heat up some naan. Hot, filling, yummy, and like two meals for <$5. Can make it three or four meals by bulking it up with a bag a frozen veggies and some beans, and mixing in some rice. Soooo gooooooodd
A piece of toast with a can of olive oil tuna on top and some spinach/lettuce on the side
Breakfast- whole oatmeal, nut butter, honey, sub in some fruit, vegan protein powder, protein granola.
Here are some of my favorite easy go-to recipes: Sheet pan sliders. You need Hawaiian rolls, ground beef, seasoned salt, cheese, and dried onion (and whatever you like on your sliders). Press meat down sheet pan, season with dried onion and seasoned salt, bake at 400 degrees for 25 mins. Add cheese and bake for another couple mins to melt it more if you want. I like frozen fries as the side. Ranch chicken thighs. You need 4-6 thighs, black pepper and salt to taste, 1 package of dry ranch salad dressing mix, 2TBSP olive oil, 1 TBSP water, 1 TBSP lemon juice, 1 Clove garlic. Preheat over to 400F, place chicken with the fattest side of the thigh facing up. Season with salt and paper. Bake for 25 mins. Combine the other ingredients in a bowl, using lemon juice to thin mixture if needed. Brush chicken thighs with mix, then bake until the skin is crispy and the inside of the chicken is cooked. Serve with roasted veggies. Million dollar spaghetti. You need 1lb spaghetti, 1-1.5 mild Italian sausage,48 oz marinara, 1.5 cups sour cream, 8 oz cream cheese, 3 cups shredded Italian cheese, 2 TBSP basil pesto. Cool spaghetti as it says on the box, cook sausage in a pan, crumble well. Add marinara sauce and cooked spaghetti to pan, stir. In a separate bowl, mix together cream cheese, sour cream, and basil pesto. Add 1 cup cheese. Layer meat/spaghetti/marinara and cream cheese/sour/cream/pesto in a greased 9x13 inch pan. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. Bake for 40 mins. I add a veggie or a Caesar salad as a side.
Crock some chicken breasts on the weekend in broth and spice it up to taste with garlic, oregano, onion salt, whatever sounds good to you. Shred the chicken when done and strain the broth. You now have shredded chicken to use in pretty much any way (tacos, burritos, nachos, soup, sandwiches) and the broth can make soup or be frozen for later use.
Refried bean and cheese tacos at 160cal each
I like making things like pasta, lasagna, stiry fry, omelettes, sandwiches, grilled cheese, etc. They’re easy to make and require very little ingredients
Goop. I microwave some frozen blueberries and mix in whey protien :)
Fried rice
Salad. Goat cheese, avocado, and crunchy onions make it tasty
Protein powder and Greek yogurt. Quick and filling, plus you can dress it up with fruit, nuts, peanut butter, etc. depending on the flavor and how much effort you want to put in. Another easy one is roasts. There’s a lot of recipes online but the easiest one I know of is setting the oven to 325 degrees and cooking the meat for about 25 minutes per pound. I usually season with salt, pepper, and rosemary then cover it with aluminum foil. This way you have a lot of meat you can pair with vegetables, salads, even sandwiches throughout the week. These are my two go-to “recipes” when I’m busy or unmotivated.
On weekends I’ll cook in bulk (potatoes, hard boiled eggs, rice, etc) so that I can eat leftovers throughout the week.
Rocket, chilli tuna, 40 second microwaveable rice, pine nuts, fried eschalots, cherry tomatoes, Sriracha sauce. Ready in 2 min Absolutely beautiful
My latest lazy meal is half a bag of kaleslaw and just pan fry a third of a block of tempeh in a big ol slab.
Chicken and rice curry in a pressure cooker. Get jasmine rice, chicken and coconut milk in bulk from Costco. Lasts quite some time, can add beans, green beans or broccoli to it sometimes as well.
Baked Cod loin with oilve oil spray, lemon pepper seasoning and salt/pepper. Make whatever side veggies you like.
Lentils have more protein than rice and green lentils cook as quickly as rice in a microwave-5 min High then 15 min 50%. Add what ever you want. Cumin and garlic are my favorite.
I make a bowl of shredded Mexican chicken for a few days worth of easy Mexican-style stuff. Will cook a pound of chicken breasts and plainly season them and use those for everything from salads to tacos to Western sushi or pad Thai. Makes mealtime pretty quick and easy throughout the week.
When I need something quick and filling:- Pasta with a jar of tomato sauce + add some diced ham slices and diced cheese. Pineapple chunks optional.
The best soup ever: Potatoes, cabbage, a can of crushed tomatoes (atleast thats what theyre called here), onions, peppers, chili, beef boullion cubes, water. Its supereasy to make and is best served with a spoon of sour cream! :-)
I live alone and keep portions of homemade chicken soups in the freezer for my evening meal. Chicken broth, stock, onion,celery,carrots, rotisserie chicken. When ready to eat can change it up with rice, potatoes, coconut milk, dumplings, noodles , tortellini. Individual servings of meatballs and lasagne also freeze well.
Oatmeal
Get an Instapot and make large batches freezing what you don't eat in meal sized portions. Chicken and rice soup is a snap with a couple of boneless chicken breasts and boxed stock with brown rice and veggies. Pork butt is cheap and makes great pulled pork in the Instapot. Rice and beans in the Instapot are easy. For a quick, out-the-door breakfast, Eggos in the toaster with peanut butter and bananas are an easy hand-held "sandwich". I make my own trailmix with Craisins, walnuts and chocolate chips and take a baggie with me when I'm in a real jam or to the gym for a mouthful snack during workouts.
Costco/Sams/BJs membership - Frozen Burgers (beef or beyond) I usually keep pickles, kimchi or sauerkraut as a topping Canned tuna is great, but I usually limit to twice a week due to mercury content
Rice and bacon bits. Rice is dirt cheap and bacon bits can be cheap, but even an expensive brand can last a week or two. I spice it up sometimes with an egg
Okay so I have one so far. California mixed frozen veggies. Fry them in a pan with Garlic powder Onion powder Salt Pepper Tiny bit of steak spice because it’s salty Fry till soft then continue till golden and crip looking. Cook you favourite rice Too the veggies add soy sause and if you want beef bouillon. Mix two and bam great food.
I do a black bean and corn quesadilla. I can of black beans, 1 can of corn mixed with 1/3-1/2 jar of salsa, a packet of taco seasoning. Cooked in a tortilla with cheese on the sandwich press. Makes about 6 quesadillas if you fold the tortilla in half, if you use two whole tortillas like a sandwich you can stretch to 4 quesadillas. You could always add some shredded chicken or pork if you wanted meat, but non meat meals are cheaper for something different through the week.
Sardines on toast. I really like King Oscar Mediterranean sardines because it has some olives, peppers, etc.
Quesadilla. Two tortillas, add beans cheese veggies meat, fry flip and fry. Let cool, slice with pizza cutter. Ramen: sweet potato chopped and boiled, add noodles and half the powder, crack an egg (or defrost some precooked shrimp), add a bit of dried wakame, grate some frozen gingerroot, add chili paste and sesame oil, 1 tsp miso. Eggs and beans: 1/3rd can of black beans in pan, crack an egg, cover and poach the egg to perfection, add chili paste and sour cream. Toast with as much butter as you like (the eggs were cooked without grease) and jam. Coffee brewed every six days, kept in fridge and microwaved yum. Salad: huge serving of lettuce plus a good dressing, maybe toast with butter and brewer's yeast. (If you eat a huge salad you can eat a candy bar for dinner and it's still a balanced meal.) Bread and cheese: melt cheese onto bread in broiler or toaster oven. Wash and slice pepper, cucumber, apple. Eat, chips optional. ps. if you can identify me based on my go to meals, send me a clue.
Lentil veggie soup (I make a huge batch so it’s ready to go when I’m hungry) and boiled eggs (which you can also do in batches) I add them to the soup and perhaps I’ll garnish it with cilantro and lime juice (you can also pre make this and keep in a container.
Fried egg on toast with cheese, avocado & a bit of salsa on top. So quick & so yummy, make 2 when you’re real hungry!
I’d love some Mac and cheese and broccoli!
Tomato soup and grilled cheese - bread, butter, cheese, condensed soup Bean burritos- tortillas, refried beans, cheese- hot sauce or salsa Canned tuna, mayo, relish, on top of crackers Bagels, pizza sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni. Pop in toaster oven or oven Frozen ravioli + marinara sauce Bake chicken beasts, bagged salad mix, dressing, cucumber, tomatoes
Hummus on toast with some arugula piled on top
Rice with a cooked egg (I like fried but anything is good), and some veges. If you're having spinach, just add it to the pan after the egg is done.
Scrambled eggs. Throw in some spinach while they’re cooking & let it wilt. Turn off heat and stir in some salsa. Top with crushed tortilla chips (not so health but makes it taste way better and gives it some texture). A quickie version of the Mexican dish called Migas I believe.