Sick of eating cereal and Ramen for lunch and dinner? Want to spend less money eating out and finally start cooking for yourself? Put down that frozen pizza, because HC’s Health Editor, Sammie Levin, is here to share her daily eats so you can get ideas for healthy, satisfying meals that are easy enough for any time-strapped collegiette to make. After you read Collegiette Eats, your taste buds, wallet and waistline will thank you.
Breakfast
When I woke up yesterday and realized I was out of bananas AND almond butter, I shed a few tears and then decided to make eggs for breakfast instead. I toasted two pieces of Ezekiel bread, spread a Light Laughing Cow Swiss Cheese wedge on each half, and topped each off with a fried egg. I had a half of a grapefruit on the side, and saved the other half for a mid-morning snack. If you can handle the tang, grapefruit is a great antioxidant-packed addition to any meal - one study found that eating half before a meal can "help you slim down faster, thanks to the fruit's fat-burning properties and its beneficial effect on blood sugar and insulin levels." You could always sprinkle a packet of Stevia or some brown sugar on top to make it sweeter!
Lunch
I was writing a final paper all morning, so by the time lunch rolled around I was too hungry, tired and time-crunched to spend time preparing a meal. I opted for a microwavable Amy's meal: quinoa and black bean with butternut squash and chard. It may not have been as good as preparing this meal fresh would've been, but for a frozen meal, it was actually pretty tasty, which I think is common of all Amy's meals. I had a peach-flavored Greek yogurt on the side, to which I added ground flaxseed (full of omega-3s!) and some chopped almonds.
Dinner
Yesterday afternoon, my phone decided to take a swim in the toilet - the cherry on top of a lovely day spent cramming for finals. With my phone camera out of comission (which unsurprisngly made me more productive for the rest of the day by robbing me of my ability to snapchat), I was unable to take a picture of my dinner. I ate a Thai Chicken Salad at Panera with an apple on the side while studying. The Thai salad is definitely my favorite option on Panera's menu because I love the peanut sauce and crispy wontons. It's pretty filling, too. At 490 calories and 19 grams of fat, it's certainly not the healthiest salad on the market, but of the options at Panera, it's one of the better balances between flavor and nutrition.
Time to go make an appointment at the Apple store. Want the most delicious study break ever? Scroll through TasteSpotting. You're welcome.