<p>I NEVER thought this would be a problem, but my school doesn't have a meal plan that will last both semesters, and everything in the area is really expensive. I also don't have my own kitchen...nor do I really want to spend time cooking. So keeping that in mind, what are some good, cheap grocery store foods (or even just snack foods) that won't break the budget? Also, keep in mind that I won't be able to go to said grocery store frequently! Any personal tips on how you're getting by?</p>
<p>Oh...and I'm looking for something healthy, so none of those free food suggestions. ;P Healthy food is expensive. :(</p>
<p>EDIT: And one more thing...I tend to eat on-the-go often, as well, particularly breakfast and lunch.</p>
<p>Breakfast: Apples, bananas, berries, cereal, oatmeal, boiled eggs, yogurt.</p>
<p>Snacks: Mixed Nuts, trail mix, dried fruit, pretzels, carrots/hummus/celery sticks/pita bread.</p>
<p>Lunch/Dinner: Frozen meals (like lasagna), spaghetti is easy to make. Chicken, vegetables tossed together and roasted, stir fry (you could toss in whatever you like, beef, chicken, veggies…)</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>I bought a rival 6 cup rice cooker for like $15 and you can boil water in it, so I can cook hot dogs in soup and that or make pasta. It was simpler than buying a hot plate and pots and pans. XD I’ve also been eating bagels, pretzels, cereal, and lots of fruits and veggies.</p>
<p>Just budget how much $$ you spend / day on food.<br>
I try to spend $15/day give or take a few dollars.</p>
<p>Thanks so far, everyone, although unfortunately rice cookers aren’t allowed in the dorms. :(</p>
<p>My meal plan budget comes out to be around $5/day, which is technically $35/week…and that’s a lot of money for a single person. But the prices here are very steep, so that’s basically one dinner a day. That’s why I’m trying to find cheap healthy foods for breakfast, lunch, snacks, and occasionally late dinner when I have evening classes. There were a lot of great healthy suggestions, but I’m just worried about the cost. 
</p>
<p>Since I can’t go to the grocery store even as much as once a week (it’s far away, and the bus takes an hour to just get there), I was thinking of maybe stocking up on frozen fruit and/or vegetables? But unfortunately my freezer is tiny…and my roommate is using practically all of it. Thanks for the ideas so far!</p>
<p>What about local cafes and stuff for lunch and dinner? There are places around here that sell turkey wraps and sandwiches for pretty cheap that’d do for breakfast or lunch. Could you get a job to earn some extra money? It’s crazy that your schools meal plan doesn’t cover both semesters, what are you expected to do?</p>
<p>Well, it’s not that it doesn’t cover both semesters, but most people run out of money way before the year ends. Our meal plan is basically just “dollars” we can spend on overpriced cafeteria food. To last me the whole year, I’d have to budget $5/day on food. The price of a tiny bowl of fruit is $2.50!! A sandwich is $4.90! :(</p>
<p>Although the local cafes are cheaper, they’re still a bit too expensive. I would rather save up any work money for better housing next year or a laptop, as opposed to spending it on eating out. That probably sounds very odd coming from a college student. :D</p>
<p>I have eaten out twice in three years as a junior, so not to me. XD But food is food, you gotta eat. Healthy food is not cheap. You’re going to be eating lots of granola and peanut butter.</p>
<p>Actually, forgoing essentials to buy a new laptop sounds quite like a college student! :P</p>
<p>Hahaha, maybe it does. :D</p>
<p>I realize healthy food is not cheap, but I was hoping someone might know of cheaper options…like frozen fruit as opposed to fresh fruit, and things of that nature. Then of course I could also freeze fresh bread to keep it around longer and make sandwiches with that. Obviously I’m not exactly able to scout around Whole Foods right now, but I’m still trying to stay relatively healthy and fresh. ;P</p>
<p>Healthy foods that are cheap and last long:</p>
<p>Top 3:
Eggs
Beans
Frozen Vegetables/Fruit</p>
<p>Raw Nuts
Oats
Canned Tuna
Canned Chicken (add it to soup for extra protein)
Natural Peanut Butter
Cottage Cheese
Yogurt
Protein/Meal replacement shake or bar (occasionally)
Olive Oil (healthy fat)</p>
<p>Alcohol (cheaper at costco)</p>
<p>I recommend taking a trip to costco to stock up.</p>
<p>I’ve been keeping bagels in the fridge for breakfast. I’d freeze them if my hot dog buns weren’t in there.</p>
<p>There are some great recipes out there to make stuff in bulk for cheap. Some granola recipes make about 1-2 weeks’ worth for $.50 per serving, and I’ve made some ratatouille for extremely cheap that lasted about a week. Sorry I don’t have the exact recipes on me, but my suggestion is to find a food you like, make it Sunday, and eat the leftovers for a while.</p>
<p>Get a crock pot. You can make soups, casseroles, stews, pulled pork, whatever in that thing. Google some recipes. You just chop up the ingredients, leave it in the pot before you head out for the day, and voila!, you get a couple meals by the time you get home.</p>
<p>Cheap, healthy, or convenient. You only get to pick two out of the three options.</p>
<p>One really cheap and inexpensive option is to go vegetarian. Meat is much more expensive than vegetarian dishes.</p>