Ask the RD: Meal Prepping

“How can I effectively prepare meals as a college student?”

At CDS, we know how stressful the month of March can be for students as they work to prepare for midterms and patiently wait for the start of Spring Break. We want to be able to guide students in preparing healthy meals outside of campus if it becomes too difficult to take study breaks to walk to campus for food. For this edition of Well Fed, we are tying the National Nutrition Month theme of “Beyond the Table” with the needs of students to create a list of tips and tricks on how to eat right when not at the kitchen table. 

What do we need to focus on for “meal prep”? 

1. Time- It is beneficial to pick a day or two where you can cook all the food you need for weekly meals. For example, if you are interested in making a chicken and rice bowl, you may use Saturday as the day to cook chicken and roast vegetables for the bowl and Sunday to cook the rice, add some sauces and seasonings, and serve the dish into containers for the remainder of the week. It is less time consuming to pick a day to cook food that requires more time and using the next day to build the meals and add some last-minute additions. To ensure food safety, it is critical to freeze cooked food that you cannot finish in three days. You may thaw frozen portions in the refrigerator a day or two before you plan to eat them!  
2. Ingredients- When thinking of ideas for meals, it is good to determine what kind of ingredients you need to purchase depending on when you want to cook them. If you allocate time to cook your meal one to two days after shopping, fresh produce is a great option for you to use in your dishes. However, if you want to wait three or more days to make your meals after shopping, frozen produce is better to make sure your ingredients stay fresh. Many types of frozen veggies can be cooked in the microwave and are also pre-seasoned for your convenience. If you also find yourself not wanting to add meat to your dishes, there are vegan meat products available that can be prepared within minutes.
3. Be creative and collaborate!– Cooking is much more relaxing when you are working with others. Plan your grocery trips with your roommate and come together once a week to cook meals for the week together. Check out local farmers markets in the Triangle area if you are buying fresh produce! You can also chat with friends and find some new recipes that you can try on your own or together as a group. Food blogs and sites like Pinterest are good to use if you want recipes at your fingertips!