Meal plan for college students
Eat better than ramen without spending more than ramen. Joeys plans your week around a tiny kitchen and a tighter budget.
The problem
- You have $60 for the week and no idea what to buy
- Your kitchen is a microwave, a hot plate, and a sad pan
- Cooking for one means half the food goes bad
- You eat the same instant noodles four nights in a row
- Meal plans online assume you have a Whole Foods and a Vitamix
Your 3-day sample plan
Mon
Breakfast: Microwave egg-and-cheese muffin
Lunch: Rice + canned black beans + salsa + cheese ($1.80)
Dinner: One-pan pasta with tuna and frozen peas ($2.50)
Wed
Breakfast: Peanut butter banana toast
Lunch: Tortilla quesadilla with leftover beans
Dinner: Stir-fried frozen veg with eggs and soy sauce over rice ($2)
Fri
Breakfast: Oatmeal with frozen berries
Lunch: Tuna mayo sandwich with carrots
Dinner: Loaded ramen — egg, frozen veg, sriracha (treat tier)
Questions
- Will this fit in a dorm fridge?
- Yes. Tell Joeys your fridge size and it won't plan around 5 lbs of fresh produce you can't store.
- What if I only have a microwave?
- Set 'microwave only' in preferences and every meal is microwave-doable. No oven required.
- Is this really cheaper than the meal plan?
- Usually. The dining hall pays for itself if you eat there three times a day. If you skip meals or hate the food, cooking comes out ahead.
- What about Friday night pizza?
- Tell Joeys you eat out twice a week and it'll plan five dinners instead of seven. No guilt baked in.
- Can I cook for a roommate too?
- Yes. Set servings to two and Joeys doubles the plan and grocery list automatically.