<p>Hey all, due to misuse of my meal plan (throwing dining swipes around like penny candy and using prodigious amounts of dining dollars for coffee/snacks etc) I need to cut back on my dining plan, and by cut back I really mean cut back. Right now I am looking at maybe making stuff for myself somehow (or fasting like two times a week klol). I am currently in possession of a microwave, a mini-fridge, and a hot water kettle. Is there anything I can make with what I have? Any good, hopefully healthy recipes?</p>
<p>You can make oatmeal, instant noodles, rice, mac&cheese, brownies, scrambled eggs, and sweet potatoes with a microwave. Those are all pretty cheap. You can also keep some vegetables in the fridge for making sandwiches (and microwaving the bread to make it nice and warm) or your own burritos (you can microwave the tortillas). There’s also the option of making your own salads… there are tons of awesome and healthy salad recipes online. Buying the ingredients and making the meals yourself is probably a lot cheaper than buying them pre-made.</p>
<p>I made anything that I would really need to boil/heat on a stove (pasta, rice, soup,etc) by buying a set of pyrex glass bowls… they allow everything to heat up great and come with tops to save the rest if you don’t eat it all…plus pasta/rice comes in bulk cheap, and you can easily pair that with canned veggies.</p>
<p>I assume you’ve already cut out the pricey coffee and started making it in your room? For what you would pay for a week’s worth of Starbucks, you could buy a coffee maker, a bag of coffee, sugar/sweetener, milk and a nice carry container you could bring to class.</p>
<p>Breakfast is pretty cheap to make in your room, and you could figure out whether lunch or dinner would be the best use of your remaining dining swipes. Check the school’s menus and plan to eat in the dining halls on the days when (a) they’re serving something you like and (b) they’re serving something that would be more expensive or too difficult to make at home.</p>
<p>One of my staples is microwaved potatoes. I put cheese and herbs and bacon and stuff on it, and it makes a very good meal.</p>
<p>I like my potatoes with salsa, cream cheese and hot sauce. Tip: poke holes into the potato before placing it in the microwave & wrap it with a wet napkin. Canned soup is also cheap and somewhat filling if you’re tired of noodles.</p>
<p>[Amazon.com:</a> Nordic Ware 64802 Microwave Egg Cooker: Kitchen & Dining](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-64802-Microwave-Cooker/dp/B0007M2BN0]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-64802-Microwave-Cooker/dp/B0007M2BN0)</p>
<p>Hard boiled eggs</p>
<p>Also, for a healthy option, you can get eggwhites (which contains no cholesterol), buy slices of cheddar cheese, sprinkle them in the egg white, microwave and you get scramble eggs with cheese.</p>
<p>Oatmeal is also a good option. Some low sugar/low cal ones can really fill you up because you can have more of them.</p>
<p>^Oh yes, Oatmeal was a life saver when I lived in a dorm hahaha sooo filling and so cheap to buy</p>
<p>Second the oatmeal: it’s a cheap, healthy filler that can function as a short-term meal replacement.</p>
<p>Also, in order to cut down on costs and make things more convenient, Clif Bars have basically become a staple of mines for breakfast / lunch.</p>