This semester marks the first time that I am off of the Macalester meal plans since becoming a college student. No more unused meal swipes (yay)! No more over-seasoned potatoes (yay)! No more undercooked rice (yay)! No more people cooking my meals 🙁 !
My Personal Dietary Goals
From this semester onward, I am hoping to not become the stereotypical college student with a ramen diet. I want to incorporate more vegetables, various forms of protein, and fewer carbohydrates in my meals (I tend to overeat carbs). When I grocery shop now, I try to be more health conscious, aiming for less processed and packaged foods and adding more gluten-free (read easy-to-digest) and organic options.
By making a meal plan and a grocery list weekly, I’m hoping that it’ll motivate me to cook more healthily and meal prep. Plus, it will force me to stick to a menu so I can’t revert to ramen and packaged foods every other day…
So, here are some photos to document the beginning of my cooking journey. Please excuse the terrible green dishware; they belong to the Summit House (my dorm building).
Rachel’s cooking journey:
Spaghetti with shrimp, broccoli, and artichoke hearts tossed in olive oil (and red chili flakes). This pasta dish was partially inspired by Gabie Kook, a Korean chef/YouTuber (wife of Josh from Korean Englishman), and her one-pan pasta dishes. I think I will try to find more one-pan recipes so that clean up is super easy.
That’s it for now! Maybe I’ll post some more updates later in the semester of my cooking; stay tuned 🙂 If you know any awesome recipes or cooking websites, share them with me in the comments! I will definitely check them out! 😀
Loved reading your blog post. I’m about to be in college and I am not looking forward to having to be a typical college student! I will take this into consideration for when it is my time.
Looks like some really tasty food and it’s good that you don’t want to be a typical student who always eats the same kinds of things x
Your post reminded me of my college days and the type of mixed foods we used to have. Some times it was not healthy but rest times, I tried my level best to have healthy options for myself. Kale is a great option for healthy food.
Good for you! Having plenty of good leftover options is the best way to avoid resorting to junk. As for the kale; saute 1-2 cloves chopped garlic with some red pepper flakes for a minute then cook down a bundle of chopped kale. Finish with a little salt and sesame oil. Quick and easy!
Being a fellow Asian, I overeat carbs as well. Specifically rice! This is a good way to plan meals ahead. I might start doing this myself as soon as I find the time to do it.
It’s so interesting and fun to see college student’s diets…mine definitely consisted of noodles, chicken nuggets, and instant potatoes…hahaha.
Being a college student as well, you are doing waaay better than me when it comes to diets and your meal plans look delicious than my cup of noodles and rice
Cooking is always better than eating out or eating dormintory hall meals! You learn so much just from cooking and you develop a style too! Thanks for sharing!
What an informative post I always love to learn, and I’m so excited to try this diet, Glad that you share this
Well good for you!!! Cooking your own food is one great way to control what goes in your body!
College is so fun especially when you can be the driver of anything you would want to undertake, and that just starts from your meals. Since I joined college, I’ve enjoyed experimenting on so many recipes and enjoying my own cooked meals..it has been fun, and no doubt, fun is the term to describe your feeling, right? Anyway, veges and proteins are always a nice incorporation in any menu . I wonder why many think of reducing their carbo-content though? I to be included..ha-ha!
When I was college I do also have this kind of diets, sometimes I was able to eat healthy food but sometimes not, my college days are so busy that time and I don’t have time for cooking my own food.
Not bad dishes. I ‘d totally and happily eat any of these dishes in my uni days.
I love the spaghetti with shrimp dish. The fact that it is one-pan reciepe and it is easier to clean up is actually what makes it a priority item! All the dishes look wonderful to me!
I think it’s awesome that you are learning to plan meals and cook a variety of healthy foods while still in college. My daughter is also in college but we live within a half hour of the campus so she still lives at home and commutes to school. Aside from being a full-time student she also has a full-time job.. Because of her busy schedule she is only in charge of planning, shopping for and preparing one meal a week to learn how to be more self sufficient when she leaves the nest.
You are off to a great start! Meal planning and grocery lists come in very handy. I find it hard to stick to the list. Online grocery shopping seems to help with that. My guy likes to go through my list and edit out all of the foods that aren’t as healthy. If I can’t come up with a good reason to have it on the list, it gets removed. Now that, right there, is love. 🙂