Healthy Students on a Budget: Student Cooking on a Budget

So you're looking to cook most of your meals, right? But you can't seem to figure out how you are going to make it work? I have some ideas for you.

First would be set up an Excel Spreadsheet with all of your expenses for the year. This is an example of mine. I did it recently so I didn't put in January or February but I would recommend that. I laid out my living expenses, this could include rent, phone bills, what you spend on eating out each month and anything else you think could fit into there. I then added Christmas, birthdays,  Mother's Day and Father's Day to see what I can allocate for that. Of course there is Christmas in there as well. That made me go negative but I think that is a norm for most people around that time. I then put in vacations that my family is planning to go on and clothes, because I buy a lot...I'm a girl, what do you expect? I put money into two savings accounts so I have that and whatever is leftover goes into my chequing. Then I have a spot for university costs. You can make many different changes to this, it is just a start. If you want this Excel file, leave your e-mail in a comment, or e-mail healthystudentonabudget@gmail.com and I will send it back to you.

So, now you have how much you can spend and will have after, you have to decide what you want to spend on groceries each time you go. At this point it would be a good idea to decide if you want to go once a week, bi-weekly or even less. This will depend on how much you eat, if you have a freezer and if you're up for leftovers. Which as a student is a brilliant idea. If you're like me and you won't touch leftovers with a 10 foot pole I suggest a lot of frozen if its possible. 

Okay, you have how much and when, now it is about what. You want to make a list when you go shopping, otherwise you venture off to other aisles and pick up stuff you don't need or want. Avoid the candy aisle and areas like that. If you know your regular grocery store, plan your list out like the store is organized. Usually you start with produce and end with dairy. 

Remember: with your list make sure you buy all the ingredients you will need for the week.

Recipe for The Day

Beef & Bean Chile Verde from Eating Well

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef

1 large red bell pepper, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped (you can find this done in a jar and just measure it out)

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

1 16-ounce jar green salsa, green enchilada sauce or taco sauce

1/4 cup water

1 15-ounce can pinto or kidney beans, rinsed

Preparation:

Cook beef, bell pepper and onion in a large saucepan over medium heat, crumbling the meat with a wooden spoon, until the meat is browned, 8-10 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin and cayenne; cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Stir in salsa (or sauce) and water; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in beans and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.

Tips:

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat just before serving.

Freeze Portions: After you eat it, freeze whatever is left for later.

Make it Vegetarian: Leave out the meat and add some more veggies and you have a vegetarian chili. You can use tomatoes to replace the meat for the same consistency. 

Nutrition:

Per serving: 307 calories; 8 g fat (3 g saturated, 3 g mono); 64 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 27 g protein; 6 g fiber; 516 mg sodium; 641 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (100% daily value), Vitamin A & Zinc (40% daily value); Folate (20% daily value), Potassium (18% daily value).

Enjoy and happy Tuesday!

-Robyn