The perfect college meal needs to fulfill four basic requirements: easy, cheap, tasty, and healthy.

Easy meals are fast to cook, don’t have overly complicated steps, and don’t need fancy equipment—after all, students don’t have time or space for 11-step feasts.

On the other hand, inexpensive meals utilize basic ingredients that can be found at affordable prices and can be reused for multiple preparations, making your money last.

Finally, healthy meals may not seem necessary for students planning to subsist on ramen, pizza, and energy drinks, but they can make you more productive throughout your studies without sacrificing flavor.

Seems hard? Think again—the following recipes hit the spot on all four areas, making them a must-try for fulfilling meals during these busy college days.

Top Easy College Meals

Shakshuka

Ingredients: Tomatoes, garlic, onion, and eggs. Herbs, vegetables, and spices to taste.

Extra Equipment: Steel pan.

Shakshuka is a simple yet delicious traditional North African and Middle Eastern dish. Each country, region, and even family has its version, but at its core, it is a dish of poached eggs in a sauce made from tomatoes, onions, and garlic.

Shakshuka can be made in under 30 minutes in a single pan, making it an easy college meal and simplifying cleanup. Likewise, you can also add extra herbs, vegetables, and spices according to what you have in your fridge.

Burrito Bowl

Ingredients: Anything you have at hand. White rice, avocado, salsa, jalapeño, black beans, seasonings, and your protein of choice for the genuine burrito experience.

Extra Equipment: Pot.

A burrito bowl has all the flavorful guts of a burrito but without the extra gluten and carbs of a tortilla. This means you can eat it in the comfort of your favorite bowl without extra gluten and carbs.

The ingredients can be anything you have in the fridge, including leftovers from previous meals or budget-friendly options, and you can cook it all in just one pot. However, don’t forget the salsa, jalapeños, or black beans if you want that extra Mexican flavor.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken

Ingredients: Chicken breasts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, seasoning, oil, breadcrumbs (optional), cream (optional).

Extra Equipment: Oven, air fryer, or a regular skillet.

Few recipes are as simple and delightfully flavorful as garlic parmesan chicken, making it a must-try, easy college meal for students. The delicious combination of these three ingredients is quick to prepare and has numerous variations, which adds variety to your diet with minimal effort.

The easiest variant is pan-seared or creamy garlic parmesan chicken. Alternatively, you can choose a crispy, breaded option if you have an air fryer or oven.

Fried Rice

Ingredients: Rice, eggs, green onions, soy sauce, frozen vegetables, and anything else you have at hand.

Extra Equipment: Regular pot and/or skillet. A rice cooker, pressure cooker, or Instant Pot can make things even easier.

Fried rice is one of the easiest meals to make, as well as one of the most customizable and delicious. It’s filling, tasty, and requires minimal effort and cleanup.

After cooking the rice, the possibilities are endless. For a quick and easy college meal, you can cook scrambled eggs and bacon, then stir-fry them with soy sauce, rice, and a bag of frozen vegetables and chopped green onions. If you want to be a bit fancier, you can add extra seasonings, prepare a fried rice sauce, and add additional protein, such as pork or chicken.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients: Bell peppers, anything you can find.

Extra Equipment: Oven, air fryer, or microwave.

There is a reason why you can find countless stuffed bell pepper recipes online: you can essentially prepare any flavor combination you want. All you need is bell peppers and food to stuff them with—whatever you’d like can work.

Best part? It’s the perfect vegan recipe to customize to your taste. For example, Isa Chandra Moskowitz has a fantastic mushroom quinoa stuffed pepper recipe that you can find in I Can Cook Vegan, one of the best vegan cookbooks available.​​​

Healthy Mac and Cheese

Ingredients: pasta, broth, cheese, milk, seasoning, and any vegetables you want.

Extra Equipment: Pot, oven, or microwave.

Few foods scream student meals as loudly as the ever-reliable mac n’ cheese. It’s easy, comforting, and affordable—but is it healthy?

Turns out any meal can be healthy if you add enough veggies, even mac n’ cheese. A serving of broccoli, green peas, corn, or beans is a perfect complement to elevate your mac and cheese game with minimal effort and expense.

Lifesaver Prep for College Students

The trick to eating easy college meals without spending too much money lies in the prep work you do beforehand. There are three steps you need to consider.

🍏 Prepare a Grocery List (And Work Around It)

Work on a standard grocery list you can rely on. Consider factors such as the most common foods and ingredients you can use, seasonal availability, and the types of flavors you prefer.

Ideally, you will purchase affordable yet versatile ingredients that can be used in multiple recipes to maximize efficiency. For extra tips, check out the guide to cheap food to buy when broke.

🍏 Meal Prep Strategically

If you have space on your fridge—or even better, a freezer—consider being strategic about your meal prep.

Rather than cooking full meals ahead of time, make your life easier by choosing strategic options that suit your needs. For example, consider cooking rice or pasta ahead of time and freezing it immediately. Not only is it healthier, but it’s also a versatile side dish that you can turn into countless different meals when in a rush.

🍏 Learn From Experts

Luckily, the internet has made it much easier to learn from the best.

You can find countless recipes online tailored to your specific circumstances, including tips on where to buy cheaper ingredients or how to make the most of what you already have in your pantry. You can also purchase used cookbooks on BookScouter, as it allows you to get advice from certified experts that can help you maximize your efficiency while minimizing your costs.

Learning how to cook as a college student can be intimidating, but it’s an essential skill that will save you time, money, and medical scares in the long run—invest in it and reap the delicious benefits sooner than you think.

For more college lifestyle tips, consider learning about the common money mistakes college students make or the top 10 best side hustles for college students.