Cooking in college can be a challenge. Limited or no kitchen space and often just preparing food for one, makes cooking in college to be more trouble than it's worth.
"It is just so cheap and convenient to pick up Sonic or Taco Bell, I couldn't make something that tastes that good for $2," said Mike Ellingson, a sophomore in finance.
However, most food made at home will have a higher nutritional value and will actually cost less in the long run.
According to USA TODAY, people consume 50 percent more calories, fat and sodium eating out than when they cook at home. Additionally, most restaurant meals lack fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and vitamin rich foods.
Frank Newell, a graduate student in nutrition, thinks eating at home has benefits other than just nutrition.
"It gets you involved with the food you are eating. You know all the ingredients and even if it's burnt you can say, 'I made that,'" Newell said.
Kelley Zalopany, a junior in accounting often cooks at home to have higher quality food for less.
"I use a lot of the Bertolli products, I love their tortellini," Zalopany said. "You can make a bunch of sauce and divide everything up and keep it in the freezer. It makes so many
servings that it really only costs a dollar or so per meal."
Planning meals with friends, such as potlucks also uses meals to create community. When there is some spare time, it helps to cook several things in advance.
"When I bake chicken, I'll make enough to have left over for sandwiches or salads. I'll do them in different sauces like barbecue and Shake n' Bake to change it up," Zalopany said.
Newell recommends packing lunches and snacks for class.
"It will save a ton of money and you'll be able to eat every three or four hours which will regulate your appetite," Newell said. Newell recommended looking up recipes online or investing in a basic cookbook for the culinary clueless.
Some good recipe Web sites are recipezaar.com and epicurious.com.
Amazon.com lists "The Starving Students Cookbook," "All Grown Up and Nothing to Eat" and "Easy Cooking for Students and Beginner Cooks," among others to help students get started.
Zalopany said she often calls her mom for recipes she remembers from home, or uses recipe Web sites
when she finds herself with a random assortment of ingredients.
"You can search for recipes by ingredient so I don't have to go shopping specifically for one meal," Zalopany said.
Auburn University also offers cooking classes several times a semester, so college cooking does not have to cause confusion anymore.
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