If you’re living on your own or with roommates for the first time and finding the whole “feeding yourself” part of “existence” to be a challenge, you’re not alone. In fact, you’re quickly learning what most card-carrying grown-ups have long known: it can be tough to eat well, period, let alone when busy! 

And while a dorm room or efficiency apartment probably won’t feature a restaurant-quality kitchen, we still have good news: no. It truly doesn’t take much besides a little patience to get halfway decent at feeding yourself – and quite possibly even enjoy the process of preparing your own meals.

The basics you do need

Okay, we lied. But only a little. You probably are also going to need a few supplies before you start cooking – at present time, we don’t know anyone capable of making a meal appear on the table (by the way: you might want to get a table, but a desk will suffice) just by thinking about it.

You’ll likely need:

• A can opener

• A pasta strainer/colander

• A kitchen knife large enough to cut through a variety of vegetables

• A wooden spoon

• A spatula

• A pot

• A pan

• A plate or two (microwave safe)

• A bowl or two (microwave safe)

• A silverware set

Of course there’s an entire industry out there pitching you specific-use kitchen gizmos and gadgets, and many of them really do make life easier or better for a brief moment. But the above listed items are the essentials, and realistically you can make most dishes without requiring much else.

No fridge? No problem!

Making do with the appliances you’ve got can take a bit of planning, but it’s entirely doable. 

Don’t have a fridge, or only have a little tiny shared one? Stock up on canned, jarred, or dehydrated foods. Generally, the nutritional profile of preserved fruits and veggies is similar to that of fresh, as long as you avoid buying products with added salts or sugars. kencko smoothies take up next to no space, come together in seconds, and each one packs 2.5 servings of fruits and veggies.

Keep pantry staples like rice, pasta, and beans on hand, and when you want to spruce up a meal with some fresh produce or meat, head to the store right before stirring up your pasta or fried rice dish.

No room for a proper oven? A toaster oven can do a lot of heavy lifting: 

Toaster oven avocado toast 

Ingredients:

2 slices whole grain bread

1 avocado

1/2 small lime (optional)

Pumpkin seeds

salt/pepper

Directions:

1. Toast bread to desired amount

2. In a separate bowl, smash avocado with the juice of 1/2 lime 

3. Spread avocado mixture on toast, garnish generously with pumpkin seeds

4. Salt/pepper to taste

And a standard hot plate – or even a microwave – is great if you want to put together a one-pot meal.

Ramen noodle-based Italian pasta and bean soup

Ingredients: ½ canned stewed tomatoes

1 pack ramen noodles

½  can great northern beans

1 tbsp Italian seasoning 

1 tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper 

Directions:

Microwave

1. In large microwavable safe bowl add 2 cups of water, ½ can of stewed tomatoes, ramen noodles (no seasoning), italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Microwave for 4 minutes or until noodles are tender, pausing every 2 minutes to stir 

2. Stir in ½ can of beans, let cool, add salt/pepper to taste

Hot Plate

1. In pot combine 2 cups of water and stewed tomatoes, italian seasoning, garlic powder, bring to boil

2. Add in ramen noodles and cook until tender

3. Reduce heat, stir in great northern beans, 

4. Let cool, salt and pepper to taste

Easy Grain Bowl 

Ingredients: 1 cup of pre-cooked rice (packaged rice - can be frozen or shelf stable varieties that only need to be heated in microwave)

½ cup fresh spinach

¼ shredded carrots 

1 cup or 5oz pre-cooked protein (examples: rotisserie chicken or pre-cooked tofu)

Salad dressing of choice

Directions: 1. Follow directions to prepare rice in microwave

2. Heat pre cooked protein in microwave or toaster often  to desired temperature

3. Add rice, protein, and veggies to a bowl and top with salad dressing of choice

Efficiency counts

And an added benefit of the one-pot meal is that it means way less cleanup after, too. (After all, if you don’t have an oven, chances are you don’t have a dishwasher either.) But the only thing that requires less cleanup than a one-pot meal is a zero-pot meal. 

We’re talking, of course, about a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Give it a nutritional bump by slicing up and plopping a banana between the two slices of bread. On the side, grab a handful of baby carrots. Enjoy! (And if you haven’t had a PB&J since childhood, you’ve been missing out!)

Fiber is your friend

We’re not gonna sit here and tell you it’s realistic to MacGuyver every meal, every day out of your packed schedule, using your piecemeal kitchen setup. There will be times that you wind up digging into a chip dinner or are just craving some fast food french fries. And there’s nothing wrong with that!

But we wouldn’t be doing our job as the disembodied voice behind a nutrition blog if we didn’t remind you to get enough fiber in your diet. Trust us – things will go a lot smoother if you do, even during the most hectic weeks.

 Here are some of our favorite tips for getting more fiber into your diet. Of course not all of these recs will be feasible given your meal prep parameters, but at the very least there are some strategies presented to make it a bit easier to tack on some fiber to your diet.

Burning the midnight oil

All of this cooking and cleaning, on top of everything else you’ve got scribbled in your calendar… whew! It sounds like a lot. And it is. And so it’s only natural to feel a bit worn out. Good nutrition can help with that! So you’ll be better off than most of your peers! But no amount of kale can make up for a late night followed by an early morning.

If you aren’t already a coffee drinker, you may very well succumb to the siren song of a double shot espresso as you head to class after an all-nighter. And again, that’s fine! Some studies even suggest that there is a correlation between regular coffee consumption and avoidance of some chronic diseases.

That’s great and all, but there is a limit – at a certain point “one more cup of coffee” becomes “way too much coffee.” But when you’re at your jittery breaking point but still feel like you need to focus, where can you turn without bringing about a low level panic attack?

As a general rule, think of carbs in two distinct categories: simple and complex. Simple carbs tend to be low in fiber and higher in sugar, so they give you a quick, easily digestible hit of energy. That might come in handy if you’re about to head to the gym and need a quick pick-me-up – in which case look for something like white bread toast with jam, a glass of fruit juice, or a bowl of kid-focused breakfast cereal.

Complex carbs are more rich in fiber and tend to be lower in sugar, for a slower, but more sustained supply of energy. Because of this, there’s less of a risk of “crashing” after eating something in this category, like a bowl of oatmeal, whole grain toast with peanut butter, or any sort of legumes (roasted chickpeas, for instance). Focus on this group of carbohydrates if you’re starting to feel a major brain or body slowdown coming on!

Make your own menu

Figure out what you like to cook and what you like to eat, and keep those in your rotation while occasionally trying something new. That’s one secret accomplished home chefs don’t often let on about: they make the same stuff a lot, and that’s why they get so good at it. 

Even having a three recipe rotation you cycle through – so long as the dishes incorporate a range of produce, grains, and sources of protein – is enough to take good care of yourself. Plus the techniques you’ll pick up perfecting those meals will help you feel more confident when you venture out into more adventurous recipes.