Voices Of The Chesapeake Bay

Eating out every night is something that most college students seem to prefer. It offers a nice break from the pressures from school, requires no work to get an amazing meal, and is a great social experience. However, it can be quite costly and over time it can really do damage to your credit cards. There are alternatives that will allow you to eat better while also saving some money. We understand how expensive higher education can be, your meals is somewhere you can save a little. Here are some ways to limit your expenses without starving yourself.

College Meal Plans

If you live in a dorm you this may be a requirement. If you are currently on a meal plan make sure that you get the absolute most out of it.There are usually some options on the type of plan to choose depending on how many meals you anticipate eating. Give this some thought. If you are not a breakfast eater or you only need two meals a day then don’t go for the largest option.

Don’t skip any meals if you can avoid it. If you are on a plan that gives you two meals a day you can also try and sneak some food out to snack on later. It is probably against the rules, but taking a plastic ziplock bag with you can be a doable option. Make sure to read the rules however as you don’t want to put your meal plan in any sort of jeopardy.

Learn How To Cook

This is the perfect opportunity to sharpen your cooking skills. We all have to start somewhere, and being out on our own for the first time is a terrific place to start. This is the time when most young adults learn to fend for themselves and go grocery shopping. Making homemade meals is almost always going to be less expensive than eating out, plus you get to choose the ingredients that you like.

If you do not live somewhere with a full kitchen then getting a toaster oven is a must. If you think these are just for toast then you are missing out on this small kitchen appliance. With a countertop oven you will be able to cook amazing meals for one or two people. Roasted chicken, barbecue ribs, casseroles, baked pasta, and of course the college staple of pizza. They are a sound investment with a long list of advantages for students looking for an easy way to get home cooking.

Online Toaster Oven Reviews

Here are a few sites that can help you find the best countertop oven option for your budget.

• GoodHouseKeeping.com
• KindGreenPlanet.org
• TheWireCutter.com

If you have a stove top then it is time to also get some pots and pans. You can usually find these pretty cheap at Walmart. Now it is time to find your appreciation for pasta. This is one of the simplest meals to make. A jar of ready made pasta sauce and a box of pasta will probably set you back around $4 and you should be able to squeeze two or three meals out of this. You may think that you will get bored of this but there are plenty of different sauces and pasta recipes to choose from to keep things interesting for awhile. When I was in college we used to live on Ramen noodles, but that was until I discovered a pasta sauce that I truly loved. To this day this is one of my go to meals when I want something easy and cheap to make.

Finding recipes is also a lot easier these days as Youtube is full of guides that will teach you how to make some nutritious and cheap meals. Don’t overlook this as a resource. Find something you are interested in trying and make a shopping list from the ingredients. Do this for a few recipes so that you can get all of the items you will need from the store in one trip.

Drink Water And Snack More

In between meals there is nothing as healthy as drinking some water and snacking on non-junk food. This will not only give you energy but it will also fill you up and take the edge off of your hunger. Granola bars, salad, fruits and vegetables are your best options as far as nutrition, but they do sound a little boring. Avoid the temptation of salty and sugary foods.

Drinking water is just as important. Staying hydrated will not only help your mind stay focused but it is a great way to curb your appetite. There is almost nothing better for you than water and it should not be hard to find a water fountain on campus. Fill up some spare water bottles and take them back to the dorm. Easy and cheap alternative to soda and other sugary drinks.

Student Functions

Keep an eye out of the bulletin boards on campus. There are a number of student functions throughout the year that provide some sort of free meal. Always take advantage of a free dinner, barbecue or breakfast when you can.

Avoid Temptation

It is real easy to give in to the temptation of hopping into your favorite local grill and splurging on a meal that you do not have to make for yourself. Making a monthly budget and sticking to it is going to be its own reward. Putting in the extra effort to cook for yourself and get free meals when you can will pay off in the long run. Stick to your guns and remember that you can still eat well with some forward planning and a little extra effort. Just remember to eat healthy.

Your diet can have a great impact on your cognitive function. Eating your fruits and vegetables raw is always preferred as cooking at high temperatures slightly decreases the overall nutritional value of your food. But eating your daily allowance of fresh produce is not all that practical for a lot of people. This is where having a juicer can really make an impact. But does juicing really work or is it a fad that will soon go away?

For many years juicing was something that was only popular with healthy “nuts”. However, as more people have realized the convenience it offers as a means to get the purest forms of vitamins and minerals from nature, the more traction it has gained. Instead of eating a few pounds of food that most people would rather skip, juicing allows you to condense it all down to just one glass. Spending a few minutes per day with a juicer is a lot more time efficient than snacking for hours a day like a grazing farm animal. So in this regard, juicing offers tremendous benefits.

The brain is a complex organ that requires a lot from your diet to keep it functioning properly. Vitamin deficiency can have profound effects on its chemical make up. This is why proper nutrition is so vital. Improving your diet will not fix clinical, serious psychiatric problems, but it should be a secondary area that should be addressed for better overall well being. Juicing is a terrific option to tackle this.

Balance Is Key

While using a juice extractor may lead you to increase your overall intake of nutrients from fruits and vegetables, it is also important to eat some of these foods as well. The main reason for this is that your digestive system will also benefit from the fiber intake. A good rule of thumb is to eat your fruits and juice your vegetables. This will help give your system a healthier balance and will be better for your colon. Fruits are also high in sugar, so juicing a lot of these types of foods can lead to other problems such as diabetes, and weight gain. Moderation is always the best practice as it is important to not over do things.

Juicer Recommendations

Centrifugal and masticating are the two main types of juicing machines being sold today. They are two totally different methods of juicing that each have their advantages and disadvantages. To maximize your nutrient intake, we suggest using a masticating juice extractor as these will produce the highest juice yield. You will get more out of every bit of the produce that you drop into the juicer with very little going to waste.

Leafy greens deliver a vast amount of important vitamins that will not only help you improve your mental health, but they also will help you minimize your risk for other illnesses such as heart disease and cancer. If you stick to the eat your fruits and juice your vegetables plan, a masticating machine is going to be your best option. This Veg Country juicer review is one such example of a high quality extractor that is perfect for veggies.

While these machines tend to be slightly more expensive than centrifugal juicers, they do have significant advantages that make them worth the investment. If you can afford a couple of hundred of dollars then this is the direction you should go. With that being said, centrifugal juicers will still deliver substantial improvements to your diet and you should not feel slighted if you get one of these machines.

Does Juicing It Work?

Giving your body what it needs to survive and thrive can have an impact on your general feeling of well-being. Juicing can also reverse any vitamin deficiencies that an extremely poor diet can produce. Before you start making any huge changes to your diet it is always advisable to consult with our physician for approval. Big change is often made up of many tiny alterations, and getting into a habit of juicing everyday can be one of those. You never know until you try.