Besides studying, sleeping and partying, most college kids devote a lot of time to snacking and foraging for food, especially cheap food. But besides fast food joints, there are a lot of creative ways you can eat on a college student’s budget, and eat a well-balanced diet. Here are 100 incredible food hacks to keep you healthy and satisfied, without draining all of your pocket change.
Eating and Shopping on a Budget
Learn to find the best deals on food and groceries here.
- Eat on campus: If your parents have already paid for a meal plan, eat on campus as much as you possibly can to save money for other needs (and wants).
- Be wary of buffets: If you’re a big eater, an all-you-can-eat buffet might be a good idea. But if you can’t fill your plate more than once, it’s a waste of money.
- Shop at regular grocery stores: Whole Foods and organic grocery stores do have healthier options, but if you want to save on regular items like cereal or chips, it’s best to hit the regular chain.
- Shop at ethnic markets: You don’t have to plan an exotic meal to shop for groceries at an ethnic supermarket, but you will save money and find more interesting things to cook.
- Don’t shop when you’re hungry: You’ll buy way too much, which will hurt your budget, ruin your diet and waste food unnecessarily.
- Keep food in your fridge: To avoid costly late-night food runs, already have some snacks in your room, whether you got them from the student center or grocery store.
- Eat vegetarian: Go without meat for at least a couple of meals to save money.
- Comparison shop: Look for online deals and coupons for different grocery stores.
- Make a list: Evaluate what you have, what you really need and what you can do without.
- iSave Groceries: This iPhone app can help you find deals on grocery items.
- Watch for sales and buy in bulk: When there’s a sale on your favorite dry or canned goods, buy in bulk.
- Be smart about buying organic: Only buy items that are most vulnerable to pesticides, like peaches and apples.
- Buy food online: It sounds weird, but there are some benefits to shopping online grocery stores. Just make sure your shipping costs aren’t outrageous.
- Make your own snacks: Make your own trail mix or cracker snacks by buying the ingredients separately and assembling them yourself.
- Track your budget: Come up with a budget just for food and drinks, and it’ll be easier to figure out where you need to cut back.
Making Your Own Meals
Even if you live in a dorm, you can find a community kitchen to experiment with cooking, or just keep some key snacks and ingredients in your mini fridge for DIY snacking.
- Make extra: Make two extra portions to freeze for later when you cook.
- Buy small jars of spices: Spices can get very expensive very fast, so only buy small jars and packets when you need them. Grow your own if possible.
- Make your own hummus: Save money on hummus by putting the ingredients in a blender.
- Cook a romantic meal for two: Show your date you really put in the extra effort by cooking for her (which also saves money).
- Choose prep over ready-made: Frozen, already-prepared meals and mixes can be more expensive than buying fresh ingredients, especially if you’re preparing single servings.
- Buy a week’s worth of meals and ingredients: You won’t want to go out to eat if you know you’ll be wasting the food that’s already in your refrigerator.
- Buy produce in season: It’s cheaper and better quality.
- Make meals with high ROI: Spaghetti, soup and stews are super cheap to make and last for a long time.
- Bake: Baking a cake or batch of cookies will yield you more dessert for much less money.
- Know when to use substitutes: You can’t use substitutes for all ingredients, but you can make certain shortcuts.
- Find a community garden: Your school or neighborhood might sponsor a community garden, where you can grow your own produce and spices.
- Ask for day-old breads: They’re much cheaper but still good enough for sandwiches and spreads.
- Plan a menu: To avoid cheap food burnout, plan a varied menu of budget-friendly meals and snacks for at least a couple of weeks.
- Learn how to prepare meat: Cutting and preparing meat yourself will save you money and allow you to pick the best parts for yourself.
- Get recipes online: Find free recipes for singles and college students by searching recipe blogs.
Eating On Campus
If you’ve got a meal plan, use it. Here are ways to stay healthy and use your meal plan money wisely.
- Choose the right meal plan: If you’re a 120-lb. female, you’re not going to be eating as much as the football players at your school (most likely). Don’t go for the heaviest meal plan, because most plans aren’t refundable.
- Pack a lunch: If you live off campus, pack a lunch to avoid paying the outrageous dining hall feeds out of pocket.
- Choose healthy sides: Pile your plate with veggies and fruit instead of chips, fries or pasta.
- Treat it like a grocery store: If you have lots of extra money left on your card towards the end of the semester and your school won’t let you carry over your plan to the next session, stock up on dry goods, juices and anything you can take home with you for later.
- Don’t get overwhelmed with the choice: You’ll have more choices available to you than you ever did at home: pizza, Chinese food, sandwiches, chips, cookies and waffles, but don’t overcompensate just because it’s there.
- Try new things: At the same time, don’t get stuck in a pizza rut. Try out new types of food every once in a while for a more balanced diet.
- Eat on a schedule: Your dining halls may be open around the clock, but that doesn’t mean you have to visit them every hour. Set up an eating schedule that works for you.
- Don’t go overboard with the salad bar: After layering bacon, cheese and heavy dressing on your salad, your meal isn’t healthy anymore.
Snacking
You might turn to cookies, pizza or energy bars when you’re anxious or bored, but these snack hacks will help you turn your bad habits around.
- Buy generic snacks: Buy generic brand chips and snack foods to save money.
- Try healthy options: Pick Triscuits over potato chips and baked Tostitos over Doritos. There’s always a better option.
- Watch out for emotional eating: Create a list of foods to eat when you’re excited, upset, tired or stressed.
- Power snack: Eat power snacks — snacks with a mix of fiber, protein, carbohydrates and a little fat — when you have to focus between meals. Examples are fruit with cheese, low-fat yogurt and granola or seeds.
- Snack an hour or two before meal time: Enjoying a 100- or 200-calorie snack before a meal can prevent you from overeating on heavier foods.
- Pack snacks strategically: To avoid serious hunger pangs which can result in overeating later, keep a small bag of pretzels, saltines or fruit in your backpack or car. Just don’t overload with lots of snacks, or you’ll be eating all the time.
- Don’t eat because you’re bored: If you’re bored, go to the gym, get some fresh air, take a nap, call a friend, or study, but don’t snack mindlessly.
Eating Out
When you eat out with friends, remember these tips to save money and calories.
- Order an appetizer: Order an appetizer or split an entree with a friend to save money and calories.
- Be careful who you go out with: Try to go out with groups who spend money the way you do. Smaller groups means you can avoid blanket gratuity rates too.
- UrbanSpoon: This free iPhone app will show you restaurant locations based on your price and cuisine preference.
- Fast Food Calories Hunter: Use this iPhone app to help you pick out sensible fast food options.
- Get a doggie bag: If you have food left on your plate that you know will last in the refrigerator, take it home for a snack or second meal.
- Save freebies: Swipe butter and ketchup packets that you’ve already taken, but don’t raid the condiment bar before leaving.
Beverages
From alcohol to coffee, here are some beverage hacks that will help you find cheap fixes.
- Make your own coffee: Even simple coffees can add up to $280/year if you buy one every day.
- Only drink on the weekends: It can be hard to avoid Tuesday Night Drinking Club in college, but save your drinking money for weekends.
- Drink at home: You can drink fancier cocktails for less money if you make them at home at your own party.
- Drink tap water: If the water quality is seriously terrible, get a water filter, but don’t hurt the environment or your budget by buying bottled.
- Watch calories: Almost every alcoholic beverage is loaded with calories. Use this calculator to help yourself eliminate the worst offenders (margaritas, wine coolers, Kahlua).
- Don’t be a snob: College students aren’t expected to be wine and booze snobs, so drink whatever is cheapest.
- Buy generic mixers: Don’t spend money on expensive margarita mix or pina colada mix: use store-brand lemonade and juices instead.
- Pre-game: Pre-game (in moderation) before going out to a bar so that you don’t have to buy as many drinks.
- Be careful with caffeine: Caffeine can be a college student’s best friend, but it can also interfere with your sleep schedule, your overall mood and your breath.
- Don’t drink and drive: A DWI/DUI is incredibly expensive, and you’re putting yourself, your friends and others on the road when you drink and drive.
Well-balanced Meals
Check out this list if you want tips on eating well-balanced meals while your friends gorge themselves on carbohydrates and fats.
- Shop around the perimeter of the store: The healthiest, freshest foods are found bordering the store’s walls, not in the inner aisles.
- Eat breakfast: Eat some kind of breakfast (besides coffee) within 1 hour of waking up to jump start your metabolism, keep you from bingeing in the afternoon and help you focus on classes.
- Plan out your daily meals and snacks: You’ll be more likely to stick to a sensible meal plan that incorporates all parts of the food pyramid this way.
- Whole grains vs. white bread: Choose whole grain bread, pasta and cereals at the store, on the menu and at your dining hall for more nutritious meals that will keep you fuller longer.
- Ask for sauces and dressings on the side: You can opt to leave it off altogether or control how much you drizzle on.
- Set goals: Vow to eat one extra fruit and one extra vegetable a day. Treating it like a game should make it easier.
- Know the difference between good fats and bad fats: Good fats that you should incorporate into your diet include olive oil, flaxseed, avocados, olives, almonds, and pistachios.
- Dietary fiber: Also add sources of dietary fiber to your diet to help digestion and regularity as you chug coffee, lose sleep and stress over exams. Good sources include whole grains, black beans, lentils, nuts, and whole grain cereals.
Free Food
One of the best parts about college is all of the opportunities to find free food. From study breaks to free sample days, set up a plan of action now.
- Find free samples: Restaurants offering promotional deals and grocery stores are good places to find free samples.
- Study breaks: Dorm or department-sponsored study breaks will have free food.
- Special campus events: Film showings, seminars, and art shows should also have refreshments.
- Clubs: You may have to chip in or bring something every once in a while, but club meetings usually have free food.
- Museum openings: Special openings at museums will offer refreshments.
- Student discounts: Look for places that offer free appetizers or sides for college students.
- Open houses: Put on nicer clothes and visit open houses for the free refreshments.
- Dinner parties: When professors or family friends invite you and classmates over for dinner, take them up on it. And always send a thank you note.
Dieting
Even if you aren’t on a serious diet, these tips will prevent you from gaining the Freshman 15, or 20.
- Drink more water: Drink tap water instead of soda: you’ll save money and will eliminate hundreds of calories daily, depending on your soft drink habit.
- Understand portion sizes: Measure out everything you eat into a dish or plastic bag according to recommended serving sizes. This goes for cereal, candy, chips, cookies and anything in a package or can.
- Use smaller plates and bowls: You can actually trick your brain into thinking your body’s not getting enough food if you use oversized dishes, even if you’re overeating.
- Get your calcium: In your early twenties, you need to build up a store of calcium.
- Avoid eating late: Eating late at night before bed can contribute to serious weight gain, so try to stop eating by 8pm.
- Keep high-calorie foods out of your room: If you feel like indulging in ice cream, get a single serving from the dining hall.
- Eat foods that weigh more: When calorie content is about the same, choose the food that weighs more, since it will make you feel fuller.
- Avoid vending machines: Keep healthier, more satisfying snacks nearby and avoid packaged, fatty foods from vending machines.
- Grab a piece of fruit: Whenever you see it, grab a piece of fruit to keep in your bag for when you get hungry.
- Let your stomach digest: Before going back for seconds, let your stomach digest for 20 minutes. You’ll probably realize that you’re already full.
Foods to Keep in Stock
Always keep these foods in your dorm or apartment for breakfast, late night snack options and easy meals.
- Oatmeal: Oatmeal is cheap, a little goes a long way, and it keeps you full for a very long time.
- Rice: Rice lasts a long time and can be used in all types of dishes. Plus, it’s cheap.
- Ramen noodles: Ramen noodles are dirt cheap, easy to make, and can be used in hundreds of recipes for any meal of the day.
- Canned tuna: It’s easy to prepare and store.
- Cottage cheese: Cottage cheese is a healthy snack option packed with protein.
- Lite yogurt: Yogurt can help prevent UTIs and will satisfy your sweet tooth without overloading on calories or sugar.
- Spinach: Any leftovers you have you can heap over a fistful of fresh spinach for a salad.
- Peanut butter: Peanut butter is cheap and it lasts a long time. Eat it with toast, whole grain bread, celery, apples or out of the jar (in moderation).
- Lowfat or skim milk: Get your daily calcium and Vitamin fix from low fat or skim milk.
- Light microwave popcorn: It’s easy, cheap and better than mountains of chips.
- Black beans: Make with rice, eggs, corn, salsa or eat them by themselves for a satisfying dose of fiber and protein.
