College Girl Meal Planning

As a single college girl, I just don't see the point in cooking a fabulous dinner for myself each night. Upon arriving home at 8 pm, I would rather eat some popcorn and applesauce than cook a real meal. Not to mention, recipes are almost always meant to feed a family of four.

Bloggers from around the universe told me that if I'd only meal plan, all of my problems would be solved and KA-POW! I would be insta-healthy! insta-wealthy! I tried to meal plan- I really did. But, despite the fridge full of ingredients and directions hanging on the fridge, I still lacked motivation to actually carry out the meal plan come 8 pm.

Enter Super Cooking Fiesta. Here's the rundown:

• Cook a whole bunch one day and don't cook again for 2 weeks.
• Because planning 2 weeks of different meals overwhelms me, I instead pick 3-4 family sized recipes, portion them into individual servings, and eat for days.
• Then I mix this with some hearty salads and healthy snacks .
• I pre-portion everything, including snacks, so that in the morning I can grab and go.
• Pre-portioning also means I eat everything I buy rather than things getting lost in the depths of fridgedom where fungi attacks.
• To prep food for 2 weeks takes me around 4 hours and costs around $50 (And if you are a better planner, you could probably do it faster and cheaper).

The Execution of Super Cooking Fiesta:

1. Make your list. My planning for 2 weeks looks like this:

Pick 3-4 lunch/dinner recipes that will make 3-4 servings each

Pick 3-4 green salad recipes that will make 2-3 servings of each

Pick 4-5 different snack ideas and make 4-5 servings of each

I also make 12 breakfast burritos and freeze them for breakfasts on the go

2. Go to the grocery store and purchase the items on your list. 

3. Bring home said items and put them all on the kitchen table so your roommates have nowhere to eat or sit or study

4. Find the thing that will take the longest to cook and start cooking it. In my case, that was quinoa. I love quinoa because it holds its texture even after days in the fridge. 

Maybe quinoa doesn't make for great pictures. I love it anyway.

5. While the quinoa cooks, start chopping. Chop everything that needs chopped.

6. When things are chopped and your quinoa is cooked, assemble your main meals (the lunch/dinner recipes). 

Pumpkin Pie Quinoa sans caramel

Trader Joe's Garlic Chicken Stir Fry

Once fully assembled, I usually let mine cool and then put individual portions in ziploc bags, because ziploc bags can squish closer together than Tupperware, and fridge-squishing is an essential technique of roommate living.

7. Assemble your salad recipes. This week I only made two types because I also made a green bean salad. I make all my salads in jars - they last a full 10 days without wilting!  

Greek Salad - Olive Oil, Pepper, Feta, Olives, Red Onions, Tomatoes, Quinoa, Lettuce

Peach Avocado Salad - Peach Salsa, Chopped Avocado, Olives, Black Beans, Lettuce

8. Using your remaining chopped veggies, assemble your snacks. I like to pair a fruit or veggie with some protein. These do get stored in Tupperware for dipping ease. Some of my favorite combinations:

• Mixed veggies with hummus
• Peaches and cottage cheese
• Applesauce and string cheese
• Apples + celery with peanut butter

9. Enjoy grab-and-go eating for the next two weeks.

A few days later, when you've regained your cooking strength, you should make these fabulous pumpkin scones. You probably even have everything you need in your pantry.