Why I’m Trying to Eat Better on a College Budget –

Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the smattering of fairly-affordable food options Auraria Campus has to offer. I’ll gladly hit up Starbucks before my morning class, iPie or Biker Jim’s for lunch and stop at the Tivoli for a beer before I head home. But after a few weeks of this, my mind, body and wallet have had enough. 

I wish I’d learned how to cook before college, but the kitchen never held much interest for me when I was younger. Because I like to eat and I don’t have enough money to eat out for every meal, I’m trying to become more appreciative of good home cooking and, if I can, I like to try my hand at it. I like to ask people how they cook certain foods, I often consult the food sections in the New York Times and the Washington Post, and I’ve even bought a few of my own cookbooks.

The one I use the most is “The Really Useful Ultimate Student Cookbook” by Silvana Franco. This thing is chock-full of quick, healthy recipes that can be whipped up in a sometimes surprisingly short amount of time. There is a recipe for gumbo, which can take a whole day to cook if you go full-on bayou style, but Franco’s recipe only takes half an hour to make. She tells you how long each meal will take to prepare and how easy they are, and she also gives you the freedom as the chef to add other ingredients or combine things differently than the book says to do. 

In college, it’s easy to take the fast, fun, seemingly-cheap option and get takeout with friends, but those costs add up until you’re broke. While living on one trip to the grocery store a week seems less preferable, it’s more financially sensible and can also be much healthier. 

According to healthline, buying whole foods at grocery stores is beneficial because they have enough nutrients to fill you up so you won’t need that second burger from McDonald’s. A can of beans, a block of cheese and a package of tortillas can make enough breakfast burritos or quesadillas to last at least a week. Healthline also says that planning your meals and sticking to your grocery list is a more physically and financially healthy way of eating.  

With the lack of fresh fruits and vegetables served on campus, it’s no surprise that college students are living an unhealthy lifestyle. An article from Northwestern Now, Northwestern University’s media outlet, claims that failure to eat enough healthy foods and exercise often at a young age can increase the risk of cancer later in life. Whether or not the average college student’s eating habits are putting him or her in that dire of a situation, healthy eating is still crucial — and possible — in college. 

At the end of a long week of classes and eating food packed from home, the extra money in your back pocket will be there for your Friday beer or whatever you like to splurge on. At least, that’s what I’m hoping my financial situation will look like once I grow up and learn how to cook.

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