College life is crazy. One of the easiest ways to make it a little less hectic? Meal prep.

Preparing your food ahead of time means less stress over what you’ll eat and where you’ll get your food during the busy school week. Check out these ten hacks to make meal prep a breeze.

Cook on the weekends

Getting your cooking done on the weekend means food all week long. It’s easier, quicker, and more cost-efficient to grocery shop and cook for an entire week at a time.

Divide it up

Meal prep is easier when you use specific containers for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Storing your meals separately helps you grab-and-go when you need it most.

Use your freezer

After you’ve prepared your food, freeze whatever is left over to use next week. Freezing meals instead of just throwing them out saves money and time.

Plan it out

Keep a planner to forecast the week's meals. This is a great way to stay on top of your meal prep. Write a grocery list of what foods you need for each meal. Looking for some tips on the most efficient and affordable ways to grocery shop? We’ve got them here. 

Set reminders

A little forgetful? Use the reminders app on your phone to help you remember to grocery shop and cook on the weekends. Maybe grab a roommate or friend to shop and cook with you, keeping you accountable and making it social! 

Try out new recipes

Apps like Pinterest are great for finding new recipes, and there are lots of food and health blogs out there to give you meal prep inspiration! Here are a few of my favorites:

This blog gives clear, easy-to-follow recipes that are both healthy and delicious!

If you’re looking for a blog with recipes listed by meal, this is the blog for you. Not to mention that it features extra categories like desserts, breads, and holiday dishes.

With estimations for cost per meal and per serving with each recipe, this food blog is super helpful for the broke college kid (@me).

Overestimate

Overestimate. Overestimate. Overestimate. It’s always better to have leftovers that you can freeze for later than to not have enough food during the week. Going through the day without enough food to fuel your body and mind isn’t healthy or fun.

Mix up your sauces

Grilled shrimp can get a little boring if you eat it with the same sauce every day, so change it up! Try substituting your usual sauce for a zestier version.

Consider how long foods last

Foods like salads and certain fruits are better prepped the night before. Here’s a helpful list of some foods storage guidelines. 

When in doubt, throw in an egg

Eggs are a great source of protein and pair well with many foods. Maybe you prepped chicken stir fry but didn’t quite make enough. Throw a scrambled egg on it. It’ll taste delicious and give you an extra boost of energy. 

Meal prepping is fun, easy, and can even save you money and stress. We hope you try out some of these tips — and remember — meal prepping is most fun when you get creative with it!

Be well, Auburn.

Photography: Zoe L.