Going to college can be hard; mentally, emotionally, spiritually (I’m just spitting them out as they come) nevertheless, your pants, well…They may begin to feel a little tight (unless you only ever wear leggings because then, you go girl! Rock n’ roll.) So, how do you eat a real and healthful meal when you’re constantly on the go? It can be difficult. Especially if you’re like me and totally not great at multitasking… Which makes “life-ing” a challenge.

I have however either due to; acquired wisdom, or out of simple desperation, added some easy and repeatable recipes into my young-struggling-college gal culinary repertoire. There are some ingredients that are just handy to have, and I feel like everyone should know about them! Eating like you give a damn doesn’t have to be difficult... It can even be relatively cathartic- especially with wine involved. Scratch that, there should probably always be at least some wine involved.

Chicken Tenderloins//

These suckers should be found in the frozen aisle of your local grocery store. I typically grab a three-pound bag of Kroger brand tenderloins when I need to re-up my chicken supply (what? Who am I?) anyways, these are super handy to have in the freezer. You can use them as a protein component for just about any kind of food you want… Chopped up (in a stir-fry) or lightly breaded and baked (with pasta) or you can cook them in a skillet, or simmer them in sauce... Right? That’s five ways just right there! I highly recommend these. You can make basically whatever you want, that alone should be a seller.

Birds Eye Frozen Protein Packs//

Birds Eye is a brand of frozen vegetables known for their microwave steaming bags. Super easy, crisper (in my opinion) than other frozen varieties and they have a ton of different combos from

South-west rice to buffalo cauliflower, there are at least a dozen assortments depending on your palate, and they normally range from 8-16g of protein per serving, which is sweet to bode!

Pre-cut veggies//

Normally located in the produce section, $3-5, assortments- kits for fajitas, you name it! These are huge time savers. They reduce prep time dramatically allowing you to then spruce up your meal however you’d like. I personally love, love getting pre-chopped onions because it saves me from crying into my meal… Just a personal preference. Some may find that part of the cathartic process though.

Eggbeaters//

This one is super helpful for Breakfast options. I find this stuff super easy to use in “breakfast muffins” aka put eggbeaters and whatever else you fancy in your mornin’ eggs into a sprayed muffin tin, sprinkle with some sharp cheddar, bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes and thank me later. You can take these to the next notch (and I highly recommend doing so) by lining your muffin tin with an untoasted piece of wheat bread (which- shocker- comes out fully toasted!) They also make great scrambled eggs without a mess, last for an extended time and are, totally microwaveable.

Ground Chicken//

I normally buy organic, non-Antibiotic Chicken. What an uppity way to start a sentence… But, I am very skeptical of that stuff, truthfully. You can of course, buy whatever brand of ground chicken your heart desires, it all does the same basic trick! Ground chicken is particularly tasty, I’ve found- in pasta dishes with zucchini and cheese (okay that one was specific- it was also a crock-pot dish!) Just a slight push for the crock-pot there because they’re awesome! Back to chicken though, ground chicken is also great for tacos! Chicken is a lower fat, lighter calorie option as opposed with ground beef, and the meat is very receptive to seasoning!

Penne//

[Penne is the black dress of pasta.]

It goes with whatever you command it to go with. Chicken parmesan, balsamic and mozzarella flavors, pasta salads, pesto and more— I also personally always keep some LoMein noodles on deck for a mean sriracha stir-fry whenever my heart desires!

Fresh Herbs//

Humor me; I’m throwing this one in just for the heck of it; parsley, basil, rosemary, mint— all of them can be grown in your house! Windowsills are great places for these to grow, they’re easy to take care of (and less messy and smelly than a goldfish in terms of up-keep) If you think you’re a botanist in the making, grab a couple tiny herbs in your produce section!

{If you're just beginning to cook for yourself, don't be afraid of experimenting. Crack open that bottle of adult grape juice and appreciate yourself for 30 minutes. Treat yourself to something you'll be proud to eat and don't let anyone tell you that you don't have time!}