Ima Foodie University

MANTS
Memory-enhancing
Adaptable
Nutritious
Thrifty and
Speedy
menu planning for
college students

By: Stephanie Fenton and Camille Williams

Contents
Intro............................................................................................................................................................... 2
Chapter 1: the problem of student undernutrition ...................................................................................... 5
Background ............................................................................................................................................... 5
Our study on student nutrition ................................................................................................................. 5
Additional research ................................................................................................................................... 9
Chapter 2: barriers to adequate nutrition ............................................................................................... 10
Intro......................................................................................................................................................... 10
The causes ............................................................................................................................................... 10
Chapter 3: busting the barriers ................................................................................................................... 12
Tips for when ...................................................................................................................................... 12
Improving nutrient density ..................................................................................................................... 14
Chapter 4: a full week of menus ................................................................................................................. 16
Menus ..................................................................................................................................................... 17
Shopping list ............................................................................................................................................ 23
Recipes .................................................................................................................................................... 26
Selected unit price comparisons ............................................................................................................. 48

Intro
THE MANT INFESTATION
You are sitting at a desk in a crowded classroom, palms sweating, pencil
twitching in your fingers. You fill in one last bubble on your scantron and
triumphantly jump from your seat. After handing the test to your professor, you run out of the classroom without a single glance back. First
semester of college. Done.
Back in your dorm, you quickly pack a small bag of necessities, lock your
door, and find your car outside. Three hours later you pull into the driveway of your familys home and pause for a moment to enjoy the feeling of
freedom. At the front door, you barely have to knock before your mother
throws the door wide open and pulls you into a tight embrace. Youre
home! she sighs, Ive missed you so much! She finally lets you go and
welcomes you in, reminding you that this is still your home and you are
welcome to everything it has to offer: your old bedroom, the TV, the
washer and dryer, the food.
The food. Youre mouth suddenly begins to water. There is food here. There
is food, and I dont have to pay for it. Without one more thought, you crawl
to the pantry where your older brother (who came home from college a
couple days before you) is already foraging. You stick your head in and are
immediately overwhelmed by the wonderful variety of foods sitting before
you. Good, free food. You start grabbing a handful of every-thing you see
and shoving it in your pockets, in your shirt, in your backpack. You hear
footsteps behind you and turn to see your mother watching with a laugh
gleaming in her eyes, Whoa slow down! The food isnt going anywhere.
Barely processing her words, you continue gathering the goods, as your
brother downs a second bag of chips. You hear a laugh and your mother
shouts around the corner to your father, Honey, I think we have a mant
infestation!
Does this scenario sound familiar? Whether you are/were that college
student or have friends or children who have exhibited such behavior, you
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have likely seen some form of the mant, or man ant. And what causes
it? Why are some of us students so prone to overeating when free food is
readily available?
When you are sent to live on your own for the very first time, you are
suddenly entirely responsible for your health. No longer can you come
home and expect food to be waiting for you at the dinner table. You have
to decide what foods to buy. You have to make your own meals. And you
have to pay to eat. You realize that food is expensive, and making dinner is
time-consuming, and perhaps you never learned how to cook in the first
place.
So you begin to wonder, how is it that anyone can manage to gain the
freshman fifteen when eating is so difficult? Well, as it turns out, free
food tends to be quite readily available on college campuses, and its not
necessarily healthy food. You get free pizza when you go to club meetings.
You get free doughnuts for completing surveys. You get free ice cream
coupons in your planner. You get a free chocolate bar for spinning a wheel
at the off-campus housing fair. You get a free cookie just by walking past
the right table on your way to class.
And when youre not filling up on free food, you fill your grocery cart with
quick and easy foods, granola bars, cereal, canned soup, mac n cheese,
ramen. And of course (because youre an adult and you can buy whatever
you want), you have to get a tub of ice cream to keep in the freezer for bad
daysand good days.
It doesnt seem that you, or any other student for that matter, should have
too much trouble consuming adequate calories. So why are you so
entranced by the full pantry when you go home for Christmas? Is it
because you are not getting enough variety? Is it because you are getting
as many home-cooked meals? Is it because you are tired of spending
money on food? Are you not getting enough nutrients?

THE CLASS OF 2020

Through this book, we aim to provide a clearer, 20-20 vision of what
nutrients students are most lacking in and how we can improve student
eating habits.
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We begin by discussing the problem of student undernutrition and possible

causes, including issues inside and outside the home that may limit
nutrient adequacy. In order to support our claims that students are not
eating adequately, we conducted a study and included the results in
chapter 1.
We then offer several suggestions for dealing with a variety of scenarios
including: being low on funds, having minimal cooking experience, and
having limited time.
The last chapter contains a full week of menus and recipes for a low-budget
and nutrient-adequate diet. Many of the recipes are equipped with
additional tips to decrease the cost, time spent cooking, and complexity of
cooking. We have also included a chart that compares the unit prices of
canned, dried, fresh, and frozen foods.

Chapter 1: the
problem of student
undernutrition
Background
Are students getting enough of each food group and nutrients? We have
gathered some research to determine whether students are meeting
nutrient and food group recommendations.

THE FRESHMAN 15
The freshman 15 is often anecdotally mentioned in conversation, but is
there any actual research supporting this idea? Mihalopoulos et. al.
conducted a study to test this belief and found that freshman weight gain
was 5.5 times greater than that seen in the general population
(Mihalopoulos, 2008, p. 531). This makes it clear that the freshman 15 is
not merely a myth; students do tend to gain weight in their first year of
college. The question is, why?

Pie chart showing what

percent of students
gained weight in their
first year of college
(Mihalopoulos, 2008, p.
531).
5

Our study on student nutrition

INTRODUCTION
We conducted a study of twenty college students to assess their nutrient
intake. Each student was asked to record their three-day dietary intake and
assess the calories and nutrients obtained on average from the three days.
They were also asked whether they were gaining or losing weight. We then
calculated how many students, on average were meeting nutrient
requirements, how many were losing weight, and how many were gaining
weight.

CALORIE INTAKE
The first thing we noticed after conducting this study was the number of
students not obtaining their recommended calories. We found that, on
average, students were only getting 77% of their calorie needs, and only
two of the twenty students exceeded their calorie needs.

So the question is, why is the freshman fifteen a problem at all if most
students appear to not be reaching their calorie needs? And my answer is
that students are not likely accurately keeping track of all their calories.
Think of it this way: students come to college with empty wallets and
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suddenly start restricting the amount of food they can buy for themselves.
However, a hungry student wont last long. As a result of limited food in
the pantry, students will take whatever free food they can find on campus
or at social events. And most of this food was likely not recorded in the 3day dietary records we collected, since it is usually consumed without
much thought. It is likely that students are, in fact eating enough calories.
However, the extra calories not recorded in dietary intakes likely come
from free, calorie-dense, and not-so-healthy foods snacked on throughout
the day.

MACRONUTRIENT INTAKE
In general, students had no trouble meeting the acceptable macronutrient
distribution ranges. On average, they were well within range.

However, students had a lot more trouble when it came to meeting the My
Plate recommendations for intake of fruits, vegetables, protein, dairy, and
grains. Not a single one of the students met the recommendations for all
six food groups. Even on average, students fell short on every one of the
food groups.

As demonstrated by this bar graph, students consumed the most from the
grains group (which is to be expected, since most junk foods and snack
foods are very high in carbohydrates), but didnt even reach 90% of the
recommended intake in any of the food groups. Students consumed the
least from the vegetable category and second least from the dairy
category, as expected, considering how difficult it is to purchase and
consume fresh produce on a regular basis, and drink 3 glasses of milk each
day.

MICRONUTRIENT INTAKE
The next thing we looked at was whether or not students were reaching
the Daily Values of major vitamins and minerals.

The slices of this chart demonstrate the nutrients students consumed the
most of, on average. The largest slices (vitamin C, iron, and sodium)
indicate the micronutrients most consumed. The percentages listed on
each slice are the average intakes of the twenty students. We see that, on
average, students greatly missed the recommended daily intake for vitamin
D, and were slightly low on fiber and calcium.
Looking through the 3-day food records, we found that the diets of the
students were low in whole wheat products. Instead, they consumed a lot
of refined grains found in white bread, pasta, rice, and numerous desserts
and snack foods. Many students also had a low intake of vegetables. This
likely contributes to the under consumption of fiber.
In addition, very few students reached the recommended 3 cups of dairy a
day, and what little dairy that was consumed was typically in the form of
cheese, which tends to be high in saturated fat. Few students drank
enough milk to satisfy dairy requirements, likely contributing to the low
calcium consumption.

Additional research
STUDENT MEAL PLANS
Merlo et al. suggests that students who eat in school meal programs are
more likely to consume key nutrients such as calcium and fiber, than those
students who do not eat in meal programs. This suggestion can be applied
to college students, especially freshmen. Many freshmen begin college on a
meal plan. If the foodservice departments that provide meal plans at
colleges and universities implement the new required nutrition standards
Merlo et al. talk about then students will have a better chance of obtaining
more fruits and vegetables and cutting out sodium (Merlo, 2015, p. 905).

ANXIETY AND VITAMIN C SUPPLEMENTATION

Pak et al. suggests vitamin C supplementation reduces anxiety levels in
students by providing important antioxidants. Although, the students we
included in our study got sufficient amounts of vitamin C, perhaps
supplementation would still reduce anxiety and thus improve academic
performance (De Oliveira, 2015, p. 11).
9

Chapter 2:
barriers to
adequate nutrition
Intro
Why do most college students struggle to meet nutrition recommendations? What are the causes attributing to student deficiencies? What
causes freshmen 15? We believe some of the main causes of college
undernutrition are due to:
Limited money, time, knowledge
Inability to cook
Vending machines
Free food is often junk food

The causes
LIMITED MONEY, TIME, AND KNOWLEDGE
Limited money is a cause of undernutrition because it forces students to
buy cheaper foods. Cheaper foods are often not as nutritionally adequate
as the more expensive option. Due to students strict budgets, it does not
leave much room to experiment with different, healthier foods. The
documentary Fed Up describes the support our government gives in
producing cheap and low quality foods. This possess as a problem because
the government is a vital part of what regulates the prices and products of
our food culture.

10

The challenge of limited time in a college students hectic schedule is often

a cause in undernutrition because it causes students to eat whatever is the
quickest option. The quickest options are often fast food or whatever is
available in their sparse pantry and fridge. It is challenging to obtain
adequate fruits and vegetables when eating fast food often. The absence of
fruits and vegetables can easily cause undernutrition as they contain many
essential vitamins and minerals. It is also challenging to obtain adequate
fruits and vegetables with whatever is available in students pantries and
fridges, because fruits and vegetables go bad quickly. Because fruits and
vegetables go bad quickly means students can only buy a small amount at a
time and requires them to go to the grocery often, which adds to the
ultimate cause of not having enough time.

VENDING MACHINES
Vending machines are a cause of college undernutrition because the
majority of the foods available in them dont provide the essential
nutrients they lack. Vending machines are a staple to some students diets
because they are in close proximity, cheap, and quick. The foods available
in vending machines are often in abundant in unneeded nutrients like:
sodium, sugar, fat and calories. These nutrients cause an overproduction in
nutrients that arent needed and leave the essential nutrients still not met.
Cisse-Egbuonye et al. studied the availability of foods sold in vending
machines and subsequent impact on student purchases and dietary
intake. Researchers found that typical foods in vending machines had low
nutrient density and were significantly correlated with increased
consumption of such goods. They concluded that this relative lack of
healthy food options in vending machines may be contributing to
unhealthy dietary choices and may lead to increased health risks (CisseEgbuonye, 2015, p. 48).

FREE FOOD
Free food often adds to college undernutrition because the free food is
often junk food. Junk food refers to food similar in vending machines that is
high in sodium, sugar, fat and calories. This causes correlates to the cause,
limited money. Students dont want to spend their own money on food,
resulting in them to stock up on free food they when they get the chance.
11

Chapter 3:
busting the
barriers
Tips for when
YOURE ON A BUDGET
Being a little low on funds is one of the biggest challenges students face
when buying foods. This is why free food on campus and calorie-dense
vending machine foods become such a large part of the students diet.
However, lets think about it this way: paying just a little extra now to eat
properly and maintain good health could save you hundreds to thousands
of dollars in health care costs later in your life. So its certainly worth it to
make healthy eating a priority, even when moneys a bit tight. But there
are certainly ways to eat well and not break the bank. Here are a few
suggestions:
Buy in bulk. Usually, the more of an item you buy, the cheaper the
unit price will be. It is advantageous to purchase non-perishable
goods such as flour and sugar in larger containers, since they are
unlikely to go bad soon and will have a cheaper unit price.
Get the generic brand. Name brand products are rarely superior to
their generic counterparts. If you are uncertain about which
product to buy, compare the ingredients list and nutrition facts. If
the name brand product has important advantages (i.e. significantly
higher nutrient content), purchase that one. But most of the time,
go with the generic brand. Its cheaper.

12

 Make freezer meals. If you have a little room to spare in your

freezer, try making a lot of food and freezing the leftovers. For
example, you could make a dozen frozen burritos at one time
(which might take you an hour, tops) and freeze them. Then
whenever you need a quick meal, pull one out and microwave it.
This method is only a little tricky if you have lots of roommates and
very little freezer space.
Start a dinner group. Dinner groups are fantastic. Not only does it
give you the perfect study break and a little time to socialize on the
week days, but it can effectively lower the cost and time
consumption of meal planning. And you get a wider variety of foods
than you would likely get by cooking only for yourself. Say you
formed a group of eight people and decided to have dinner with
them Monday through Thursday on a weekly basis. That means you
would only have to cook dinner for your group once every two
weeks, and you would be getting free, home-cooked meals almost
every other week day. And cooking for larger numbers of people
allows you to buy in bulk, which lowers the cost per serving of the
meal.
Make food from scratch. This can be somewhat time-consumptive.
However, if you need a break from studying, you might as well take
a little time to make some good homemade bread or a delicious
home-cooked meal. It will be a good stress reliever and you will
save a little money in the process.

YOUVE GOT A TIGHT SCHEDULE

Make a lot of food in advance: Instead of making each individual
meal, try making larger meals and saving the leftovers for later. This
will greatly cut down on your cooking time.
Pre-chop and freeze vegetables: So that you dont have to chop your
veggies every time you cook, try cutting up all your produce (the
produce thats going to be cooked eventually) and putting it in the
freezer ahead of time. Then, when its time to make a meal, you can
just scoop some vegetables from the freezer into the recipe. This
also helps prevent premature ripening and spoilage.
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YOU DONT KNOW MUCH ABOUT COOKING

Learn: There are a lot of resources available to teach you various
cooking techniques and help you survive in the kitchen. Look up
cooking videos on the internet, check out a book, ask a friend. Dont
let your current skill set stop you from trying new recipes.
Simplify the recipe: Ive included several tips with the recipes at the
end of this book that explain how you can simplify each recipe
when you dont have a lot of experience with cooking.

Improving nutrient density

LIMIT THE SUGAR CONTENT
A lot of the convenience foods sold in stores today have added sugar,
which is a nightmare for a college student, or anyone for that matter.
Foods high in added sugar and refined carbs are poor appetite
suppressants, which means you will be hungry far too soon after
consumption. And sugar is addictive; so when you eat it, you crave more,
and then you overeat, and congrats! You are well on your way to adopting
the freshman fifteen. Not to mention the fact that when you are eating
more than you really need, you are not only paying with your health, but
with your wallet. Here are a few tips for limiting the added sugars in your
diet:
Choose no sugar added products. If you like canned fruit, buy the
stuff canned in water or natural juices. If you like cereal, consider
choosing an option with no added sugars. When buying yogurt, buy
the original type with no sugar added and add fruit for flavor. I
have found that when I minimize the amount of simple sugars I am
consuming, especially at breakfast, I tend to stay full much longer
and I dont crash shortly after eating. It becomes much easier to
stay awake and concentrate in class.
Check the ingredients list. Added sugars can come in many forms:
high fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, lactose, etc. Check the
ingredients list on food products before you buy them. The higher
up on the list, the more sugar there is in the product.

14

THE HEALTHY FREE FOOD FAMINE

Yes, there is a lot of free food out there, and yeah that free food doesnt
typically qualify as nutritious. So what can we do about it? Well, if you
are one of those club presidents handing out free pizza and cookies at club
meetings, you can certainly exchange such for fruit and vegetable trays. Or
instead of passing out candy as a prize, why not try passing out carrots?
Okay, maybe not carrots. But why not apples or bananas? I would certainly
fill out a survey or come to a club meeting to get some free produce,
especially considering how frequently you have to go grocery shopping to
keep a fresh supply. There are certainly simple actions we can take as
individuals to become more healthy and encourage others to do the same.

15

Chapter 4: a full
week of menus
This chapter provides a full week of menus and recipes designed for a 2000
calorie diet. The menus meet the following guidelines:
Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDR): 20-35% of
total calories come from protein, 45-65% come from carbohydrates,
10-35% come from fat
MyPlate recommendations: A 2000 calorie diet should consist of 2
cups fruit, 2.5 cups vegetables, 5.5 oz protein, 3 cups dairy, and 6 oz
grain
Nutrient requirements: The menus meet at least 70% of the daily
value (DV) for the following major vitamins and minerals each day:
calcium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, and folate
You can easily adjust the serving sizes of the food according to your calorie
needs. The calorie levels of each individual meal are listed at the bottom of
each recipe. We have also provided tips with many of the recipes for those
on a tight budget, those with a busy schedule, and those with minimal
cooking knowledge/skill.
The costs shown in the menu price/calorie chart are accurate as of
November 2015 at a Walmart in Provo, UT. Such costs are subject to
change over time and in different regions, however relative cost of one
item compared to another should remain fairly constant. The items in this
chart are divided up by recipe so you can examine the cost each individual
item contributes to each meal.
A few of the recipes are designed to provide two servings of the meal, so
you can make the entire recipe, then save half for another day. This will
16

ultimately save time and effort throughout the week by minimizing the
number of meals you have to make. I also tried to include similar
ingredients from meal to meal, so you can use up the majority of your
vegetables by the end of the week and reduce food waste.
Keep in mind that when you first come to college and are completely
starting from scratch, your initial grocery bills are going to be a bit high
while you are stocking up on pantry and fridge essentials such as flour,
sugar, salt, spices, condiments, etc. In the shopping list, I made a separate
section for such staples. So if you already have all those ingredients, your
grocery cost will be much lower.

Menus
MONDAY
Breakfast
Scrambled eggs...pg. 26
2 slices whole wheat toast
1 cup orange juice
Snack
1 apple (or fruit of choice)
Lunch
Italian sub.pg. 27
Baked potato fries..pg. 28
Snack
Peanut butter balls...pg. 28
1 cup skim milk
Dinner
Broccoli cheddar soup.pg. 29
17

 2 Biscuits..pg. 31
1 cup skim milk

TUESDAY
Breakfast
Pancakespg. 33
2 tbsp light syrup
1 medium banana
Snack
Yogurt parfait.pg. 34
Lunch
Whole wheat pita spinach calzone.pg. 35
Snack
Peanut butter balls
Dinner
Chicken fettucine alfredo..pg. 36
1 cup green peas

WEDNESDAY
Breakfast
Breakfast burrito....pg. 37
Snack
Apple
1 tbsp peanut butter

18

Lunch
Leftover broccoli cheddar soup
2 leftover biscuits
Snack
1 cup strawberries
1 cup fat-free yogurt
Dinner
Pasta casserole.pg. 38

THURSDAY
Breakfast
Breakfast pizza.......pg. 39
1 cup skim milk
Snack
1 leftover biscuit
2 tbsp jam
1 cup fruit of choice
Lunch
Tuna fish sandwich.pg. 40
1/2 cup yogurt
Snack
Turkey wrap...........pg. 41
Dinner
Stir fry.pg. 42
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 1 cup orange juice

FRIDAY
Breakfast
Oatmeal......pg. 43
Banana
1 cup skim milk
Snack
Orange (or 1 cup fruit of choice)
1 cup fat-free yogurt
Lunch
Bean burrito....................................................pg. 44
1/2 cup corn with 1 tsp butter
Snack
1/2 cup Great Value mountain trail mix
Dinner
BBQ pulled chicken...pg. 45
1/2 cup corn with 1 tsp butter
1 whole wheat roll

SATURDAY
Breakfast
Leftover breakfast burrito
1 cup skim milk

20

Snack
Leftover tuna fish sandwich
Lunch
Chef salad.pg. 45
1 whole wheat roll
1 cup orange juice
Snack
1 banana
1 tbsp peanut butter
1/4 cup oats
Dinner
Crustless chicken pot pie..pg. 46
1 leftover biscuit
1 cup skim milk

SUNDAY
Breakfast
Leftover pancakes
2 tbsp light syrup
1 banana
1 cup skim milk
Snack
Fruit smoothie..pg. 46

21

Lunch
Leftover bean burrito
Snack
1/2 cup Great Value mountain trail mix
1 cup skim milk
Dinner
Crockpot chili.pg. 47
1 whole wheat roll

22

Shopping list
The following shopping list is organized by where you will commonly find
each item in the grocery store.

Produce

Bread

2 apples

1 loaf whole wheat bread

4 bananas

1 bag whole wheat rolls

1 orange

1 bag whole wheat pita bread

1 container strawberries

1 package 8 flour tortillas

2 cup Misc. fruit

2 bell peppers

Canned

1 sweet onion

1 can spaghetti sauce

4 roma tomatoes

5 oz can tuna

1 head romaine lettuce

1 can refried beans

1 russet potato

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 cloves garlic

1 can black beans

1 head broccoli

1 can pinto beans

1 package baby carrots

1 can lima beans

2 tbsp mushrooms

1 can diced tomatoes

1 bag celery stalks

Pasta

Dairy

1 box fettucine pasta

1 gallon skim milk

Miscellaneous

32 oz container plain or low-

1 can frozen orange juice

sugar yogurt
1 package butter

concentrate

1 dozen eggs

1 bottle light syrup

23

 1 package shredded cheddar

1 jar jam
Great Value mountain trail mix

cheese
1 package shredded

1 box granola

mozzarella cheese

Condiments

1 packaged sliced provolone

Mustard

(or cheese of choice)

4 oz whipping cream

Miracle whip

1 jar parmesan cheese

Ranch salad dressing

8 oz container cottage

BBQ sauce

cheese, low fat

Condiments of choice

Meat

Pantry staples

1 package turkey deli meat

1 jar peanut butter

1 package ham deli meat

Oats

1 package low fat pepperoni

Flour

1 lb ground turkey

Granulated sugar

1 lb chicken breast

Brown sugar

Frozen

Baking powder

1 package frozen green peas

Vegetable oil

1 package frozen corn

Honey

1 package frozen spinach

Cooking spray

1 package frozen stir fry

Chicken bouillon cubes

Olive oil

vegetables

Salt

1 package frozen mixed

Pepper

vegetables

Chili powder

1 package frozen mixed fruit

Seasoning salt
Oregano
24

 Ground ginger
Cinnamon
Active dry yeast
Soy sauce
Vanilla

25

Recipes
SCRAMBLED EGGS
Ingredients
1 tsp olive oil
2 eggs
1 Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp chopped bell pepper
1 Tbsp chopped onion
2 Tbsp chopped tomatoes
Salt and pepper
Directions
1. Heat olive oil in a small skillet on medium heat. Add the vegetables
and saut until the onions become transparent.
2. In a small bowl, whip milk and eggs together until well blended.
With your spatula, scrape the vegetables to one side of the pan and
pour the eggs in the other side.
3. Cook the eggs until firm, but not completely dry, and mix with the
vegetables. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
Tips
On a budget: Green bell peppers tend to be cheaper than red. I
prefer to use red bell peppers because of their slightly sweeter
taste, but green bell peppers are a good, less-expensive alternative.
You can also choose just one vegetable to mix with the eggs so you
dont have to buy the rest.
In a hurry: Pre-whipped eggs and egg substitutes can be found in
most grocery stores. They are a little more expensive than regular

26

eggs, however it is quick and easy to pour a little of the mixture into
a hot pan, fry it up, and eat it.
With minimal cooking experience: Eggs can be microwaved, but you
have to be careful. Whip the eggs and milk together with desired
vegetables in a microwave-safe bowl. Set the time for one minute,
and watch/listen closely. Eggs tend to crackle in the microwave and
you will need to take them out every ten seconds or so to mix them.
Continue heating and mixing until the eggs are firm but not dried
out. You may also prefer to use pre-whipped egg products as
mentioned in the in a hurry section.

ITALIAN SUB
Ingredients
2 slices sandwich bread
2 slices (2 oz) deli meat (ham, turkey, pepperoni)
2 leaves romaine lettuce
1/2 roma tomato, sliced
2 tsp mustard
Directions
1. Layer all ingredients between the two slices of sandwich bread.
Spread condiments on inside faces of bread. Serve.
2. Note: You can add other condiments and vegetables as desired.

27

BAKED POTATO FRIES

Ingredients
1/2 cup sliced potato wedges, with skin
Cooking spray
Seasoning salt
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Cut potatoes to desired shape. Thinner wedges will cook faster and
crispier.
3. Lightly spray wedges with cooking spray and sprinkle seasoning salt
over the tops. Bake for 10-15 or until soft on the inside and crispy
on the outside. Using a spatula, flip the wedges every 5 minutes
during the baking process.

PEANUT BUTTER BALLS

Ingredients (Note: this recipe makes enough for two servings. You will eat
half today and half tomorrow.)
1/2 cup oats
2 tbsp honey
4 tbsp peanut butter
Directions
1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Roll mixture into balls. If it is too sticky to roll in hands, pat hands
down with powdered sugar before rolling.

28

BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP

Ingredients (Note: this recipe makes 2 servings. You will be saving the
second serving for another day.)
1 tbsp butter
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup flour
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 cup water
1 cup skim milk (using 2% or higher will give you a creamier soup,
but its unlikely that you will keep both skim and 2% in your fridge
at the same time. I typically use skim and the soup turns out just
fine)
1 cup broccoli florets, diced
1 cup carrots, sliced
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Melt the butter in a sauce pan on medium heat. Sautee the garlic
and onion in the butter until onion appears translucent.
2. Pour the flour into the sauce pan and mix with the butter until
thick. Add the water, chicken bouillon cube, and milk to the pan and
whisk ingredients together until smooth and lump-free.
3. Allow the soup to simmer for about 15 minutes, then add the
broccoli and carrots. Cook until vegetables are tender.
4. Slowly add the cheddar cheese, stirring constantly, then cook until
cheese is thoroughly melted and mixed into the soup. Add salt and
pepper to taste.
29

Tips
On a budget: You can use powdered milk in place of fresh milk for
this recipe. It may alter the flavor a bit, but it wont be terribly
noticeable, and it is definitely cheaper. Also, some stores sell both
broccoli crowns and whole stocks of broccoli. If you buy the whole
stock, the price is lower, and you can peel and cut up the stem to
use in the soup as well.
In a hurry: One thing you can do at the beginning of each week is to
pre-slice all your vegetables and store them in the freezer. Then
simply take out what you need each day and throw it into your
recipe. I would only recommend this if you plan on cooking all the
vegetables straight from the freezer. Most vegetables turn out a bit
limp and soggy if you try to thaw them and eat them raw.
With minimal cooking experience: The hardest part of this recipe is
probably making the roux (flour-butter mixture) at the beginning. If
you dont feel comfortable with this step, you can simply combine
all the ingredients at once (but leave out the butter, flour, milk, and
cheddar cheese). Let the soup heat until the vegetables are mostly
tender, then combine the milk, flour, and cheese into a lidded
container and shake the contents until well combined. Then pour
this mixture into the soup and stir until it thickens. Ive found that
this works just as well as starting with a roux. You can also buy precut frozen broccoli to throw into your soup. Another option is
simply buying canned broccoli cheddar soup, however the nutrition
content is not as high due to heavy processing, and canned soups
are generally very high in sodium.

30

BISCUITS
Ingredients (Note: this recipe makes 6 biscuits. You will eat the leftovers
throughout the week, as listed in the menu.)
1 cup flour
1/2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
6 tbsp milk
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 F. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar,
baking powder, and salt. Cut butter into dry ingredients with a
pastry cutter or by crisscrossing butter knives repeatedly across the
mixture until the crumbs are smaller than the size of peas.
2. Sprinkle the milk over the mixture a little at a time, stirring
constantly. Knead the mixture 5-6 times, or until it forms a ball. The
dough will be a little sticky.
3. Turn the dough out onto a clean, floured surface. Sprinkle a little
flour over the top to prevent sticking, then roll out the dough until it
is about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.
4. Take a glass with a circular top and cut biscuits out of the dough.
Try to make an even six biscuits. Place the biscuits on a greased
cookie sheet. You can space them apart or touch their sides
together for more moist biscuits.
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Tops of biscuits should appear goldenbrown when finished.

31

Tips
On a budget: Making biscuits from scratch is by far the most costeffective option. When you are shopping for the raw ingredients,
make sure to look for the larger sacks of flour, sugar, etc. These
tend to have the lowest unit price.
In a hurry: You can easily buy biscuit mixes or pre-formed biscuit
dough in tubes in the fridge section of the grocery store. This may
be a little more expensive than making your own, but its quick and
the directions are easy to follow.
With minimal cooking experience: Take a look at the advice in the
in a hurry section. And if you really dont feel like baking your
own biscuits, you can just buy some pre-made rolls or bread when
you go shopping.

http://www.momswhothink.com/bread-recipes/biscuit-recipe.html

32

PANCAKES
Ingredients (Note: this recipe makes two servings. You will eat half today
and freeze the rest to eat at a later date.)
1 cup flour (I like to use half
white flour and half whole wheat)
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 tbsp sugar
Directions
1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk together.
2. Heat a frying pan or skillet on medium-low heat and spray with
cooking oil. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter onto the pan and wait
until bubbles form in the center and the edges begin to look dry.
Flip the pancake and cook for about one more minute. Continue
this process until all the batter is gone.
3. Note: Top the pancakes with 2 tbsp syrup and sliced banana if
desired.
Tips
On a budget: Making pancakes from scratch is fairly inexpensive.
Make sure to buy ingredients in bulk, use powdered milk, etc. for
lower unit prices.
In a hurry: Making a bunch of pancakes at once and freezing the
extra is very time-efficient. The next time you want pancakes for
breakfast, just take one out of the freezer and pop it in the toaster
or microwave.
With minimal cooking experience: Making good pancakes just takes
a little practice. An easy way to tell if the pan is hot enough is to wet
your hand and splash a bit of water on the pan. If it sizzles and
evaporates quickly (but not immediatelythis means its too hot),
the pan is ready to pour pancakes on.
33

YOGURT PARFAIT
Ingredients
1 cup yogurt of choice (I like to use plain, fat-free Greek yogurt or
low-sugar vanilla yogurt.)
1/4 cup granola
1 cup sliced strawberries, blueberries, mangos, etc. (whatever fruit
you like)
Directions
1. First put yogurt in a bowl, then top with granola and sliced fruit.
And thats it! Delicious and nutritious.
Tips
On a budget: You can make your own granola, however it is rather
time consuming. But if you need a break from studying, this is a
cost-effective and delicious alternative to store-bought granola.
Also, I like to use Greek yogurt in my parfaits because of its high
protein content, however regular yogurt is much cheaper. And
using just one type of fruit may be more cost effective than buying a
wide variety. Also, during the winter, buying frozen fruit may be
cheaper than buying fresh. Keep a look out for which fruits are in
season, since these will have the best prices.
In a hurry: If you want to skip the step of slicing the fruit, you can
buy frozen fruit and then thaw what you want to use, since this
doesnt affect the flavor of the fruit too badly.
With minimal cooking experience: This recipe doesnt require any
actual cooking and is simple to follow. If you want, you can use
thawed frozen fruit instead of fresh.

34

WHOLE WHEAT PITA SPINACH CALZONE

Ingredients
1 whole wheat pita
1 slice deli meat
(turkey, ham, pepperoni, etc.)
2 tbsp spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, fat free
2 tbsp onion, chopped
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300 F.
2. Cut a whole wheat pita in half and open each half. Mix vegetables
with spaghetti sauce, oregano, and salt and pepper and stuff each
pitta half. Sprinkle the cheese inside the pita.
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Tips
On a budget: You can take out the oregano if you dont have any.
Replacing the deli meat with more vegetables, such as frozen
spinach, may also be a cheaper option.
In a hurry: Pre-chop and freeze your vegetables, as mentioned in
the broccoli cheddar soup recipe. If this is something you need to
pre-make and take with you to eat away from home, you can stuff
the pitas, wrap them in plastic wrap (without baking them), then
microwave them at lunch time (if you have access to a microwave).
With minimal cooking experience: This recipe is fairly simple. You
can use frozen vegetables to stuff the pitas, and you can microwave
them instead of baking them; however this may make the pitas a bit
soggy.

35

CHICKEN FETTUCINE ALFREDO

Ingredients
1 tsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup raw chicken breast
2 oz uncooked fettucine
1 tbsp butter
Directions
1. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Slice chicken breast into
thin slices and fry in pan until cooked through and just starting to
turn golden-brown. Set aside.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
3. In a small sauce pan, heat butter, whipping cream, and milk over
low heat until melted. Add parmesan cheese and salt and pepper.
Combine sauce, pasta, and chicken until everything is well coated.
4. Note: You can eat your green peas on the side or mix them in with
the fettucine alfredo. Both are quite tasty options.
Tips
On a budget: The more chicken you buy at a time, the cheaper the
unit price will be. A very cost-effective option is to buy a 3-pound
package of fresh (frozen and canned are more pricy) chicken breast,
then break it up and freeze the portions you wont be using right
away.
In a hurry: Cook more pasta than you need at one time. Then you
can use the leftovers for future meals without needing to take the
time to cook pasta again.
With minimal cooking experience: If you want, you can easily crack
open a can of spaghetti sauce and microwave it instead of making
Alfredo sauce. You can also use pre-cooked frozen or canned
chicken to skip the first step.
36

BREAKFAST BURRITOS
Ingredients (Note: this recipe makes 2 burritos. You will eat one today and
freeze the second for later use.)
1 tsp olive oil
2 slices deli ham, cut into small pieces
2 tbsp onion, chopped
1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
3 eggs, whipped with 2 tbsp milk
2 8 flour tortillas
1/3 cup cheddar cheese
Directions
1. Heat olive oil in a frying pan at medium heat. Sautee onion and red
bell pepper until onion is translucent.
2. While vegetables are cooking, bring a small pot of water to a boil,
add potatoes, and cook until they can be easily pierced with a fork.
Drain and add potatoes to the frying pan.
3. In a separate pan, cook the eggs on medium-low heat, and then add
them to the vegetable mixture. Add the deli ham and cheddar
cheese and cook until cheese is just melted.
4. Split the mixture between two flour tortillas and form them into
burritos. Wrap one in plastic wrap and freeze for a later date, and
eat the other one for breakfast.

37

PASTA CASSEROLE
Ingredients
1/2 cup ground meat (I like to use ground turkey)
2 oz pasta (lasagna noodles, spaghetti, fettucine, etc.)
1/2 cup frozen spinach, chopped
1/2 cup cottage cheese, low fat
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. In a small casserole dish, layer 1/3 of each of the ingredients on top
of one another, except for the shredded cheese. Repeat layering
process until all ingredients are used.
3. Top with shredded cheese and bake for 10-15 minutes or until
cheese is melted.
Tips
On a budget: Ground meats can be a little pricey. If you use ground
beef, the beef with higher percentages of fat is cheaper than the
leaner options.
In a hurry: You can use any extra pasta you cooked when you made
the fettuccini alfredo. That way you dont have to make a new
batch for this recipe.
With minimal cooking experience: Making this recipe is as simple as
layering ingredients and popping it into the oven. If youre just not
in the cooking mood today, you can buy pre-made lasagna from the
store and heat it up for dinner.

38

BREAKFAST PIZZA
Ingredients
1/2 cup flour
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp water
1/2 tsp yeast
2 eggs
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Combine flour, oil, water, and yeast and
knead with hands for about 5 minutes.
2. Roll out dough and set in the bottom of a small casserole dish. Bake
for 5-6 minutes.
3. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl and pour on top
of the dough. Bake for 10-25 minutes or until eggs are cooked
through.
Tips
On a budget: You can take the meat out of this recipe to make it
cheaper and it will still taste pretty good. If you want to replace the
protein, add another egg. You can also substitute canola oil for olive
oil, since canola is quite a bit cheaper.
In a hurry: If you want to skip the dough making step, you can
replace it with a piece of pita bread or just skip it all together and
make this more like a crust-less quiche.
With minimal cooking experience: If you want to use the microwave
to make this recipe, replace the crust with a piece of pita bread,
pour the other ingredients on top, and stick it in the microwave
until the egg is well cooked. Make sure to watch closely, as the
mixture is likely to pop and splatter as it heats up.

39

TUNA FISH SANDWICH

Ingredients (Note: this makes enough for 2 servings. You will eat half today
and the other half for snack on Saturday.)
4 slices whole wheat bread
1 can tuna (5 oz)
4 tbsp miracle whip
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Open and drain the can of tuna.
2. Combine tuna, miracle whip, celery, and salt and pepper. Spread
half of the mixture between two pieces of bread and eat.
Tips
On a budget: I like to use miracle whip because it is lower in fat than
regular mayonnaise. However mayonnaise is cheaper, so this may
be a better option for you.
In a hurry: Its pretty quick to mix all these ingredients together. But
if you really need a grab-n-go meal, you can by tuna fish salad kits at
the grocery store that are complete with tuna, mayonnaise, relish,
and crackers to eat it with. Then when youre taking a lunch break
between classes, you can whip out your kit and make some tuna
fish on the spot, no refrigeration required.
With minimal cooking experience: All this recipe requires is mixing
and spreading. If you want to, you can take the celery out of the
equation, or replace it with relish so you dont have to do any
chopping.

40

TURKEY WRAP
Ingredients
2 slices turkey deli meat (and/or other leftover deli meats)
1 slice cheese (provolone, Monterrey-jack, etc.)
1 roma tomato, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh spinach, chopped
8 flour tortilla
Condiments of choice
Directions
1. Slice and chop vegetables as needed, then line a tortilla with all the
ingredients.
2. Roll it into a wrap and eat.

41

STIR FRY
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil (or sesame oil for more flavor)
1 cup frozen stir fry vegetables
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp ground ginger
Directions
1. Heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Pour vegetables into the
pan and fry until tender and completely thawed.
2. Add soy sauce and ground ginger and cook a little longer until
vegetables start to get crispy. You may add more soy sauce for
greater flavor.
3. Note: Almost any vegetable can be used for this recipe, fresh or
frozen. Fresh tend to provide better flavor and texture, however I
like using frozen stir fry vegetables so I dont have to buy so many
different types of vegetables and take the time to prepare all of
them.
Tips
On a budget: Frozen vegetables are often cheaper than fresh. Also,
olive oil is a lot cheaper than sesame oil.
In a hurry: Using frozen vegetables is fairly quick. Or if you like to
use fresh vegetables, you can use that pre-slice and freeze method I
mentioned in the broccoli cheddar soup recipe.
With minimal cooking experience: You can microwave your stir fry if
you like. Just be aware that you will get much soggier vegetables.
And you wont need the olive oil if you use a microwave. Just
combine the vegetables and flavorings in a microwave safe bowl
and heat it up.

42

OATMEAL
Ingredients
1/2 cup oats
3/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp brown sugar
Directions
1. Combine all ingredients into a microwave safe bowl.
2. Microwave on high for 1 minute or until it reaches desired
consistency. Stir and eat.
3. Note: oatmeal can also be made on the stove, but I find it much
quicker and easier to use the microwave.
Tips
On a budget: Making oatmeal from scratch like this is the most costeffective way to go. If you dont have cinnamon, you can easily go
without, and you can always replace milk with water.
In a hurry: It takes very little time to make homemade oatmeal like
this. However, you can always buy oatmeal packets from the
grocery store.
With minimal cooking experience: If you dont want to make your
own oatmeal, you can simply buy pre-made oatmeal packets at the
store.

43

BEAN BURRITO
Ingredients (Note: this recipe makes 2 burritos. You will eat one today and
freeze the second for a later date.)
1 cup refried beans
1/2 cup ground turkey
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup tomatoes, diced
2 8 flour tortillas
Directions
1. Warm up the refried beans in the microwave and cook the ground
turkey in a small skillet. Add the cheese to the ground turkey and
cook just until melted.
2. Split the ingredients into two equal portions, then fill both tortillas
and wrap them up burrito style. Eat one for lunch and save the
other for lunch at a later date.
Tips
On a budget: Refried beans have a good amount of protein, so you
could easily take out the ground turkey and just use a little more
beans.
In a hurry: Wrap your second burrito in plastic wrap and put it in the
freezer. Then, tomorrow for lunch, you can grab the burrito out of
the freezer in the morning, and it should still be fairly cold by lunch
time, so it wont require continued refrigeration. Then you can
reheat it in the microwave if you have access to one.
With minimal cooking experience: You can microwave both the
refried beans and the ground turkey for simplicity. Just make sure
you cook the meat all the way through and dont leave any pink.

44

CROCKPOT BBQ CHICKEN

Ingredients
1 chicken breast
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
Directions
1. Pour BBQ sauce on top of the chicken breast in a small crockpot and
cook it on low for 3-4 hours, or until inside of chicken is no longer
pink when cut with a knife.
2. Shred the chicken with a fork and eat.
3. Note: You can eat the chicken by itself, but I like to break my wheat
roll in half and stuff it with the chicken.

CHEF SALAD
Ingredients
1 hard-boiled egg
2 slices deli meat, cut into small pieces
1 cup chopped lettuce
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
2 tbsp low-fat ranch dressing (or dressing of choice)
Directions
1. Chop hard-boiled egg and vegetables as necessary.
2. Put all ingredients into a bowl, including dressing, and toss to
combine.

45

CRUSTLESS CHICKEN POT PIE

Ingredients
1/2 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp pepper
Directions
1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat
for 10-15 minutes or until frozen vegetables are thawed and warm
and liquid is reduced to a thick consistency.
2. Pour over biscuit and eat.

FRUIT SMOOTHIE
Ingredients
1 cup of your favorite fruits, frozen
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
http://www.fanfeed.me/?product=smoothie

1/2 cup water

Directions

1. Blend all ingredients together until smooth and eat.

46

CROCKPOT CHILI
Ingredients
1/2 cup ground turkey
1/2 cup black beans
1/4 cup pinto beans
1/4 cup lima beans
1/2 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tsp chili powder
1 garlic clove, minced
Directions
1. Pour all ingredients into a crockpot and mix.
2. Turn crockpot on low and cook for 5-6 hours or until hot and turkey
is cooked through.
3. Note: If you dont have a crockpot, you can also make this recipe in
a pot on the stove.
Tips
On a budget: You can easily make this recipe without the ground
turkey. Buy all the other ingredients canned and this is a very lowcost recipe.
In a hurry: Luckily, using a crockpot is very time-efficient. It does all
the cooking while you are away at school or work, so dinner is ready
by the time you get home.
With minimal cooking experience: This is a very simple recipe to
make. If you want to do without the ground turkey you can. Simply
crack open all the cans and pour them into your slow cooker.

47

Selected unit price comparisons

Cost/oz

Size of measured container

Brand

milk, fresh

$0.18

1 gallon

Great Value

milk, powdered

$0.25

64 oz

Great Value

Peaches, fresh

$0.19

n/a

n/a

peaches, canned

$0.07

106 oz

Del Monte

peaches, plastic container

$0.15

4 oz, 4 ct

Del Monte

peaches, frozen

$0.16

16 oz

Great Value

strawberries, fresh

$0.21

32 oz

California Giant

strawberries, frozen

$0.16

16 oz

Great Value

corn, canned

$0.41

15.25 oz, 4ct

Del Monte

corn, frozen

$0.82

12 oz

Great Value

frozen veggie mix

$0.82

12 oz

Great Value

beans, black, canned

$0.41

15.25 oz, 4ct

Great Value

beans, black, dried

$0.96

16oz

Great Value

beans, pinto, canned

$0.46

15.5 oz

Great Value

beans, pinto, dried

$0.60

64 oz

potatoes, russet

$0.12

10 lb

Great Value
Basin Gold
Russet

yams, fresh

$0.04

n/a

n/a

yams, canned

$0.06

40 oz

Bruce's

Chicken, fresh

$0.12

3 lb

n/a

chicken, frozen

$0.14

5 lb bag

Great value

chicken, canned

$0.15

12.5 oz, 3 ct

Great value

beef, ground, 85% lean

$0.27

1 lb

n/a

beef, ground, 96% lean

$0.37

1 lb

n/a

turkey, ground

$0.19

1 lb

Jennie-O

salmon, fresh

$0.48

n/a

n/a

salmon, frozen

$0.31

2 lb

Alaskan Wild

salmon, canned

$0.16

14.75 oz

Great Value

canned tuna

$0.14

5 oz, 4 ct

Great Value

$0.06
$0.08
$0.06
$0.08

1 lb, 4 ct
13.25 oz
3 lb
13.25 oz

Great Value
Great Value
Great Value
Great Value

Dairy

Fruit

Vegetables
corn, on the cob, fresh

Meat

Pasta
spaghetti noodles, dried
spaghetti noodles, whole wheat, dried
macaroni noodles, dried
macaroni noodles, whole wheat, dried

48

rice, enriched, long grain, dried

rice, brown, dried
quinoa, dried

$0.04
$0.09
$0.28

10 lb
5 lb
1 lb

Great Value
Uncle Ben's
Village Harvest

$0.02
$0.25
$0.18
$0.05

25 lb
32 oz
51 oz
48 oz

Great Value
Great Value
Great Value
Great Value

Baking, miscellaneous
flour
honey
oil, olive
oil, vegetable

49

References
Mihalopoulos NL, Auinger P, Klein JD. (2008). The freshman 15: is it real? The Journal of
American College Health. 56(5), 531-3.
Cisse-Egbuonye N, Liles S, Schmitz KE, Kassem N, Irvin VL, Hovell MF. (2015). Availability of
vending machines and school stores in California schools. The Journal of School Health.
86(1), 48-53.
Merlo C, Brener N, Kann L, McManus T, Harris D, Mugavero K. (2015). School-level practices to
increase availability of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and reduce sodium in
school meals United States, 2000, 2006, and 2014. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
Report. 64(33), 905-8.
De Oliveira IJ, de Souza VV, Motta V, Da-Silva SL. (2015). Effects of oral vitamin C
supplementation on anxiety in students: a double-blind, randomized, placebocontrolled trial. Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences. 18(1), 11-8.

Image credits
Smoothie. (n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2015, from
http://www.fanfeed.me/?product=smoothie
Homemade Biscuit Recipe. (n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2015, from
http://www.momswhothink.com/bread-recipes/biscuit-recipe.html

50