Quick and Healthy Meal Prep for Busy College Students: Easy Recipes to Fuel Your Week

At the start of an early morning or the end of a busy day, the last thing on a student’s mind is what they are going to eat. We are all guilty of choosing convenience over nutrition. Whether that be stopping by our favorite fast-food restaurant or settling for a coffee for breakfast instead of eating a meal, we neglect properly fueling our bodies for the day ahead. The dietitians at Baptist Health Community Outreach have compiled easy, quick and healthy meal recipes that are sure to set you up for the week ahead so you can grab-and-go and get to your day!
Breakfast
Egg Muffins
What You Need:
1 carton of Egg Beaters
2 big handfuls of spinach or broccoli
3 frozen breakfast sausages
Other additions could include cherry tomatoes, bell peppers or turkey bacon
What You Do:
- Pre-heat oven to 325ºF.
- Line a 12 cup muffin tin with silicone cupcake liners.
- Heat up frozen sausage in the microwave, according to package directions. Crumble and set aside.
- Tear spinach leaves or cut up broccoli and divide evenly between muffin cups.
- Add crumbled sausage and other ingredients if desired.
- Pour Egg Beaters over spinach and sausage to fill up each muffin cup.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until set.
Tropical Smoothie
What You Need:
1 cup of frozen tropical fruit mix or ½ a cup of frozen pineapple and ½ a cup of frozen mango
½ of a sliced banana
1 tablespoon of chia seeds (optional)
1 tablespoon of sweetener of your choice (maple syrup, honey, agave, etc.)
For blending: 1- ½ cup milk of your choice
What You Do:
- Add all of the ingredients into a blender, top with liquid and blend until smooth.
For a quicker morning, prep a smoothie pack using resealable bags. Put all of the ingredients into a plastic bag and store in the freezer until ready to use.
Freezer Breakfast Sammies
What You Need:
6 large eggs
½ cup milk
½ tsp salt
Freshly cracked pepper
½ lb. frozen cut leaf spinach
½ 12 oz. jar roasted red peppers, chopped
6 whole grain English muffins
6 slices cheese
6 damp paper towels
Parchment paper
What You Do:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper.
- Thaw the spinach using a microwave, then squeeze out the excess moisture. Stir the spinach and chopped peppers into the egg mixture.
- Coat an 8 x 9 or 8 x 12 inch casserole dish with nonstick spray. Pour the egg and vegetable mixture into the dish. Bake the eggs for about 30 minutes, or until the center is set and the outer edges are slightly browned. Allow the eggs to cool, then slice into six pieces.
- Build the sandwiches by adding one piece of the baked eggs and one slice of cheese to each English muffin. Wrap each sandwich in a damp paper towel and parchment paper, then place all the sandwiches in a gallon sized freezer bag. Freeze for up to 1 month.
- To reheat, unwrap the parchment paper from the sandwich (leave the paper towel), place on a microwave safe plate, then microwave on the defrost setting for one minute (if frozen). Following the defrost, heat on high for 30 seconds at a time until heated through. If your sammies have been in the fridge, simply re-heat in the microwave for 2 minutes.
Lunch and Dinner
Garlic Chicken and Veggie Pasta
What You Need:
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 lb chicken breast, diced
2 carrots, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced
4 cups fresh kale, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups whole grain whole wheat rotini pasta, cooked al dente according to package instructions
2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
2 teaspoons salt, divided
2 teaspoons pepper, divided
What You Do:
- Heat a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high heat.
- Add in diced chicken breast, followed by 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and 1 teaspoon oregano. Cook until no longer pink. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
- Add carrots to skillet and sauté for 2-3 minutes until tender.
- Add in zucchini and yellow squash, and sauté for an additional minute until they become slightly translucent.
- Add in the kale, followed by 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Sauté until kale begins to wilt.
- Move veggies aside with spatula and add in garlic. Sauté for about 30 seconds and then combine with the veggies. (This works best if you add garlic to the center of the skillet where there is more heat.)
- Add in the cooked rotini pasta and chicken, followed by 1 teaspoon oregano and mix until evenly incorporated. Remove skillet from heat.
Buddha Bowl
What You Need:
- Yogurt Dressing
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup orange juice
2 tablespoons honey, can sub maple syrup or agave
½ tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt and pepper
- Buddha Bowl Fillings
2 handfuls leafy greens spinach, kale or lettuce
1 cup cooked grains quinoa, couscous, bulgur, brown rice OR package of frozen riced cauliflower
1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup blueberries
1 small can mandarin oranges, rinsed and drained
1 avocado sliced
¼ red onion about ½ cup, sliced
2 carrots peeled and shredded
What You Do
- Dressing: Whisk all dressing ingredients together and set aside.
- Filling: Divide greens into 4 serving bowls, then top each with equal portions of cooked grains, chickpeas, blueberries, oranges, avocado, onion, and carrot.
- Serve: Drizzle with dressing and serve immediately.
Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
What You Need
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
2 bell peppers, thinly sliced
½ red onion, thinly sliced
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
Lettuce or tortillas, for wrapping
Avocados, salsa, sour cream, limes, cilantro, etc, for topping
- Seasoning Blend (You will use half of this)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons paprika
1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
What You Do
- Heat your oven to 425ºF.
- Add the chicken, peppers, and onion to a sheet pan that is lined with parchment paper.
- Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with ½ of the seasoning blend; mix well to combine. Spread into an even layer.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender
- Top with your favorite toppings