As poor, starving college students, it’s tough to find decently priced food when the closest grocery store is Whole Foods. Don’t get me wrong, if I had unlimited cash to spend I would go crazy at Whole Foods every week. But, unfortunately, money doesn’t grow on trees, so we have to watch what we’re spending. By reusing ingredients to make a variety of snacks, you can minimize your spending and maximize your snackage for the week. Check out this Whole Foods example shopping cart for under $25 and the recipes listed below to make one trip to the grocery store go a long way.
What to buy:
California grown strawberries (1 lb.): $3.99
celery sticks (14 oz.): $2.99
roma tomato: $1.49
3 bananas: $0.65
baby spinach (6 oz.): $2.49
whole wheat bread: $2.69
original oatmeal (8 packets): $3.49
shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz.): $3.49
creamy peanut butter (18 oz.): $3.49
Total Cost: $24.77
What to make:
Peanut butter celery sticks
Who doesn’t love the classic celery and peanut butter combination? All you have to do is spread a scoop of peanut butter in the crevice of the celery, and voila. You have a delicious side-dish.
Caprese salad
This is a spin-off of the traditional Italian appetizer that is super easy to do. First, slice up the Roma Tomato. On each tomato slice, put a baby spinach leaf on top. To finish it off, sprinkle mozzarella cheese over to tomato and spinach. If you want to add some more flavor, bring your salad down to the cafeteria with you and sprinkle a balsamic vinaigrette dressing on top. Curb your hunger with this salad, or eat it as a lunch substitute.
Melted banana oatmeal
Instead of loading your oatmeal with sugar or chocolate, the melted banana trick naturally sweetens your oatmeal and is such a healthy way to kick-start your day. All you have to do is cook your oatmeal the way that you normally would. Then you melt however much banana you would like to add – I would recommend half of one – in a separate bowl until it is caramelized. Mix them together and you have your breakfast.
Peanut butter banana sandwich
It’s as simple as it sounds. Toast two pieces of whole wheat bread, spread peanut butter on each piece, then slice up a banana. This will fill you up and give you plenty of protein so you can conquer your full day of classes and activities. It’s super quick to make and it’s healthy too. If you want to sweeten it up, add some honey or powdered sugar.
Grilled mozzarella sandwich
Without a pan or a stove, the classic grilled cheese is getting a college makeover. Wander down to your lounge if you live in a residential hall with a microwave and bring your shredded mozzarella cheese and bread. Toast two slices of bread and butter one side of each. Sprinkle cheese on one slice and place the other slice on top. Microwave for 30 seconds or until the cheese is melted and let cool for 30 seconds. To make it a panini, add sliced tomatoes. Bon appetit.
Peanut butter oatmeal au natural
To add some protein to a standard oatmeal breakfast, make the oatmeal as you normally would. Add 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, stirring it in gradually as the consistency will thicken. Eat with some bananas or strawberries and enjoy your well-balanced breakfast.
Strawberry and banana fruit salad
This is a great combination to have any time of day. Slice up your banana and strawberries and mix until it looks like there’s an even amount of each. Serve with any meal or eat when you are craving something sweet.
Spinach salad
All you have to do for this salad is toss up some spinach leaves, sliced roma tomatoes, celery slices and mozzarella cheese. This is an easy salad to make and it tastes great dry or with dressing. I always prefer my salads dry, but if you’re a normal person who uses dressing, top it off with some balsamic vinaigrette and enjoy.
Strawberry oatmeal
A tasty morning treat, strawberry oatmeal is even easier to make than banana. Slice up your California grown strawberries and add them to your original oatmeal. Now you have a fast breakfast or late-night snack. What makes your oatmeal taste even better – and sweeter – is some semi-sweet chocolate chips. Stir them in until they melt and eat up.
Peanut butter toast
This is my personal favorite study snack and it’s such an easy thing to make. Just toast a piece of your whole wheat bread and lather the peanut butter on top. Enjoy the heavenly smells and get ready to rock whatever class you’re working on.
If you need a supplement to your meal plan to stay satisfied, it is possible to meet your hunger needs with a reasonably priced shopping cart at Whole Foods. All you have to do is get a few basic ingrediants and mix them up. Diversify your diet without breaking bank. Have other ingrediants that you want to use? Go to www.supercook.com to find recipes for whatever food you have lying around your dorm room.