Student Recipes To Fight The “Freshman 15″
Being a student is rough. How are you expected to go to class, do homework, study, go out, go to work and eat 3 square meals a day? The short answer: you aren’t. The “Freshman 15” is practically a rite of passage for all university and college students. Unfortunately, poor eating trends often continue after students’ first year.
Most dishes generally begin with McCain’s or Michelina’s, while cooking instructions never instruct you to do anything more complex than “remember to remove packaging before placing in microwave oven.”
Luckily for me, growing up with a dietitian for a mother and living with cooking-savvy roommates has made me privy to some simple, delicious, and most importantly, cheap cooking options. Now, I pass two of these recipes on to you, in the hopes that you can cut the “Freshman 15” down to a more reasonable 5 or 6.
1) Dish: Steak and Salad Supreme
Ingredients:
- 1 pre-marinated peppercorn fast-fry steak
- 1 bag of lettuce
- 1 bottle of salad dressing
- Vegetable oil
Tools:
- Frying pan
- Spatula
- Salad/spaghetti strainer
Cooking Instructions: Many people are initially apprehensive about dealing with raw meat. My advice? Suck it up. Raw meat is cheap and generally E.coli free- as long as you’re smart. Wash your hands and utensils after contact with raw meat to prevent spreading bacteria; rubber gloves and goggles are not required. Begin by heating the pan on a low setting and adding two tablespoons of vegetable oil, making sure to spread it around the pan. Next, add the meat (which you should have defrosted earlier). Watch over the steak, making sure to flip it every few minutes, until the outside is brown and the inside is just slightly pink, or to your own taste. The salad is the easy part- grab a bag of lettuce, empty a portion into the strainer, wash, rinse and let sit for a few minutes before adding salad dressing. Voila! You have a meal that is both nutritious and delicious.
Cost: $8-10
2) Chicken Fried Rice
Ingredients:
- 1 bag of frozen vegetables
- 1-2 cans of chicken soup
- 1 bag of rice
Tools
- 2 medium-sized pots
- 1 frying pan
- 1 spatula
- 1 measuring cup
Cooking Instructions: This is a relatively simple dish, provided you do not screw up the rice. Therefore, remember this sage-like advice: add two cups of water for every cup of rice. Combine both in a pot and bring to a boil. When water begins to boil, turn off the heat and let the rice simmer for ten minutes. At the same time, boil the vegetables. When both the rice and vegetables are done, add vegetable oil to the pan and heat at a low-mid temperature. Strain and add the rice and veggies to the pan, followed by the chicken soup. Mix the ingredients continuously until the rice begins to turn a golden brown. Voila! You have a filling meal that can feed a number of people.
Cost: $7-10
