Being a college student or a busy adult can make it incredibly difficult to figure out what to cook or eat for dinner. With a hectic schedule filled with classes, work and other responsibilities, finding the time and energy to plan and prepare a meal can seem like a daunting task.
It is easy to fall into the trap of reaching for unhealthy fast food options or relying on pre-packaged meals, but with a little bit of creativity and planning, it is possible to eat well-balanced and delicious meals even when your schedule is packed.
One of the most difficult aspects of cooking for oneself as a college student or adult is determining what to prepare. With so many recipes and food alternatives available, it might be difficult to select just one.
Should you go with a classic spaghetti meal, a fresh stir-fry recipe or a simple and filling salad? The alternatives are limitless, making it tough to narrow down your options and decide on a meal that you’ll truly like.
Another, more discouraging, hurdle that college students and adults often face when it comes to cooking dinner is finding the motivation to start cooking. After a long day of classes or work, the last thing you may feel like doing is spending even more time in the kitchen prepping and cooking a meal.
It’s many times easier to sit in the Wendy’s or Chick-fil-A drive through for 10 minutes, engulfed in your favorite playlist while trying to distract from everyday stresses and ultimately receive a guilty-pleasure meal.
What’s more is the top eating establishments in Oxford make it no easier to stick to cooking. This is not an arts and culture article meant to highlight the dozens of restaurants Oxford offers. Just know that everybody has a favorite. And their favorite is likely much better than the meal they’ll throw together following a vague recipe they found on TikTok.
It can be tempting to just order takeout or heat a frozen meal, but putting in the effort to cook a homemade meal can be so rewarding both in terms of taste and overall health.
In addition to the challenges of deciding what to cook and finding the motivation to cook, there are also practical obstacles that can make preparing dinner as a college student or adult difficult. Limited kitchen space, a lack of cooking tools and utensils and a tight budget can all make it challenging to whip up a satisfying meal at home. I mean, a lot of students share a kitchen with 2 or more other students who could very well want to cook their own meals.
This dilemma becomes a straight-up deterrent for students who live in dorms. Nobody wants to be the person to set off the smoke alarm or, even worse, taint the air in the hall if their cooking attempt goes south.
As far as price and budgeting is concerned, a quick evaluation will reveal that eating out everyday is consistently more expensive than the grocery shopping alternative. Even if you’re the type to chase deals at restaurants, you’re still likely to spend more than you would shopping in bulk at a grocery store.
I can admit, though, the daunting lump sum payment due at the cash register when you’re done shopping looks a lot worse than the $15 bill from B-Dubs on Tuesday.
A bit of creativity and resourcefulness make it possible to work around these limitations and still enjoy delicious and nutritious meals, though. It’s important to remember that with a little bit of planning and effort, it is possible to eat well, even when you’re short on time.
And who knows, you may even discover a new passion for cooking along the way!
A’Davion Bush is an opinion contributor. He is a sophomore public policy major from Indianola, Miss.
