Eating on a College Budget: Part I Shopping

So I  have come to realize that I am a pretty good eatin' college gal. I eat very well, I am in college...Yes, it is possible! This post is going to be broken down into parts. How many? That depends on how much needs to be said, duh!

I do not like to eat frozen meals due to a bad experience this past fall...I had recently moved into my new residence hall. I was SO happy to have a kitchen so I could cook and not have to walk down the hall to bake bread, cookies, etc. So after eating food that was minimally processed for about 2 months I was craving some chicken fingers. I went to the grocery store and purchased some chicken fingers from the store's freezer section, got home, popped a few in the oven. I was sick shortly after eating them. I ended up giving them to a friend. I decided that I could not do that ever again.

That was just a background to a short period/day in my life. I am not gonna preach eating organic foods, or eating only this or that. I LOVE food, all food, well most foods.

So where am I going with all this...I have no clue! What I do know is that food is one of the few things that the world has in common: it brings people together, it comforts some, it serves many purposes for different people. It is just plain ole amazing!

So the college budget. I always think of that All State commercial about that girl being a ramen noodle budget- that is something I know I could not do...so how do I do it? Just keep reading...

I was featured in a article for Fox News on eating healthy as a college student. I am no longer a Dietetics major at the University though... The link: Fox News Article

So after reading the article you feel like you can do anything with your college meal budget, right? Well my mother has never allowed me to grocery shop on my own since she knows that I do not do well with a college, or any, budget.

Always check the circulations of local grocery stores in your town. Compare the prices of the items that you need for your shopping trip. I usually create my weekly menu based on items that are on sale. This way I can save money on meals that I like to make. Print out or cut coupons to save even more money!

I like to buy fresh produce. Be sure to know that when produce is in season the prices will fluctuate: at the beginning and near the end of the season the prices will be higher than when the season is in its peak. This is all due to availability of the item.

The meals I make for myself are simple and easy. I recommend making your list of what you wish to make each week, as mentioned before. I say each week because you will want to add fresh produce (fruits, vegetables, etc) to your weekly menu. Meats, and some veggies, can be bought and placed in the freezer for later usage. I do not buy food in bulk. I buy enough meat in order to keep stocked up for a month or so, also you can't bulk buy if you are sharing a fridge with roommates as I am.

I process my meats as soon as I return home from my trip. By processing my meats I am able to prepare as much or as little meat as I need from the large packages. This way I can cook as little or as much of the meat that I want to.

The Process:

1. Open the meat package 
2. Rinse the meat 
3. Pat it dry  
4. Place each piece into its own freezer bag (Ex: 1 chicken breast per bag). 
5. Label the bag contents and the date it was bagged. 

Remember that certain foods can only be stored in the freezer for certain time allotments. Fish has a smaller time frame in the freezer in comparison to a chicken, but a whole chicken has a greater length than individual sections of the chicken. I personally try to keep my meats in the freezer for as little time as possible (usually 3- months; if it lasts that long before I cook it).

Always thaw out your meat in the fridge to avoid bacteria growth if left to thaw at room temperature. Another way to thaw out meat: take the bag from the freezer and place the bag in a bowl of lukewarm water. I did this tonight and it took about 30 minutes to thaw my chicken breast completely. You can also do this procedure in cold water, replacing the water every 30 minutes until your meat is thawed. This method is the quickest way to thaw out meats. Fillets of fish thaw out quickly in the fridge or under running water.

Did you learn anything new or interesting? Do you have more tips or suggestions that you do then share them in the comments!

Stay tuned for the next section of EOACB: Part II Kitchen Utensils...coming soon!