College students are often known as starving students and with good reason. Between tuition, books and living expenses, that leaves little room for other activities - and in some cases, that can include getting a decent meal. Many college students turn to bad eating habits, junk food, fast food or even little to no food. However, you don’t have to literally be a starving student. There are plenty of easy recipes that allow you to get a good meal on a reasonable budget.

When it comes to college life and cooking, you may not think there is enough time in the day to put together a good meal. Luckily, there are plenty of food items you can purchase at the grocery store that can be combined to make a great meal. Additionally, such food items are also very affordable. The next time you and your roomies go grocery shopping, you’ll want to have the following items in your shopping cart: bagels, loaf of bread (wheat is healthier than white), whole grain pasta, eggs, low-fat milk, cream cheese, tomatoes, cheese (sliced and/or shredded), flour tortillas, your favorite fruits and deli meat. There are a bunch of other items that can be added to the list but as you can see, these alone are more than enough to create some delicious meals and snacks.

Quick breakfasts are possible when you’ve got bagels and your favorite spread. Cream cheese on a bagel is one of the fastest on-the-go breakfasts you can have. If you’ve got a bit of time on your hands in the mornings, you can make a great homemade breakfast burrito. Simply take one flour tortilla and warm it in a medium sized pan. Place on your plate. Using the same pan, scramble some eggs and place on top of your tortilla. Add your shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream and you’ll be good to go. Need some meat on that breakfast burrito? Toss some bacon into the microwave and heat on high according to the instructions - make sure the type of bacon you buy is the microwaveable kind since it will save you time. Another recipe using some of the same ingredients is ideal for the perfect homemade cheese and meat quesadilla. Simply take your flour tortilla and heat in a pan. Add your slices of deli meat, making sure each slice lies flat on top of the tortilla. Next, add a layer of shredded cheese and top with another flour tortilla. Very carefully flip your quesadilla over to warm the other side of the second tortilla. Continue to flip the quesadilla over until the cheese inside is melted. Place onto the plate, slice and dip in sour cream or guacamole. This recipe is perfect for lunch or a light dinner.

A great dinner you can make at home involves using your whole grain pasta. From homemade macaroni and cheese to spaghetti and ravioli, you can create just about any pasta dish you can imagine. You can purchase sauce packets for under a dollar at the grocery store. From pesto pasta to meat sauce and alfredo, you and your roommates will be able to eat in luxury without the restaurant or the prices.

With a few scoops of ice cream and fresh fruit you can also create a delicious dessert with little no effort.

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