It’s midnight and you haven’t been home since the morning. You are starving and want something ready-made and cheap, yet when you open your refrigerator, it’s empty.
Many students struggle with transitioning from living at home to being on their own at college, especially when figuring out their next meal. This makes it easy to fall into an expensive cycle of eating out and adds stress about what your next meal will be. Instead of slipping into this pattern, students should prep their food and create meal plans.
“I love meal prepping, and we see so many more families, but specifically college students that are meal prepping,” said John Sauter, the HEB vice president of meat, seafood, deli, meal simple and restaurants. “Meal prepping is an ultimate way to save (money).”
When grocery shopping, cost is on many college students’ minds. It’s common for students to have an allocated amount of money for food, but grocery stores like HEB make budget shopping easier. Many grocery stores offer lower prices, coupons and sales on produce to help people save.
Some students may avoid meal prepping at home due to the increased time spent shopping in the grocery store, but many stores offer curbside pickup. This option allows customers to plan out meals on the app and pick an exact time that works for their schedules to go to the store.
“I like doing curbside or delivery…because I can plan out exactly what I’m getting for the week,” said Makayla De La Paz, a communication and leadership junior. “It’s just fast, efficient and easy. It really helps out with my daily schedule.”
A strategy that works well when it comes to meal prepping is cooking everything in advance so that you don’t have to stress about it later.
“I just cook my meals for a few days in advance, and I come (home) and it’s ready,” said Alexa Gonzalez, a government and English junior. “It gives me more time to do work, or homework, and not have to spend a lot of time worrying about something else.
According to the NIH, cooking at home allows for more nutritional value from your food as well as reduced risks for chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes. Home-cooked meals are also a cheaper alternative to takeout.
Coming home and knowing exactly what you will be eating makes your schedule more stress-free. You don’t have to worry about your meals, which for many college students can feel like another chore. Meal planning and prepping helps you focus on other necessities for a student, and it takes one thing off your plate.
It can be hard to be on your own for the first time and have to think about your next meal, but there are ways that can make it easier, budget-friendly and feel less like a burden. Making the time to meal prep can help you come home from a long day and finally have a fully stocked refrigerator.
Healy is a journalism junior from San Antonio, Texas.
