As a college student, your life is busy. You are fitting in lectures, tutorials, study sessions, assignment writing alongside any extracurricular activities. But that doesn’t mean that you don’t want to eat healthy meals. They might just come further down the list of priorities for you. And when the pile of nachos and sour cream at the local restaurant look so good, it can be tempting to just head out to eat.

The move from high school, where you’re in your own home with (potentially) your parents cooking for you, to college can be a bumpy ride. You might be living in a dorm room, and now need to be making breakfast, lunch and dinner yourself. As well as working out what healthy snacks to add to your day. You might have access to a dining hall, but it’s hard to know which are the healthy foods there. You may not be used to even heading to the grocery store for yourself!

So what do you do? Do you head out for takeaways, stick to simple but non-nutritious meals or spend more time in the kitchen? Sure there are some options that don’t require a lot of cooking, like pre-cooked brown rice. But you don’t have to compromise to be a healthy college student! You can make healthy, nutritious food that doesn’t require hours in the kitchen and is slightly more exciting than a chicken salad. I want to show you a range of quick and easy meals that you can make that don’t require any cooking. Don’t worry, I’ve included some dessert recipes as well as some mason jar salads to take with you! Feel free to use these recipes for college students to build out a meal plan for yourself and take the stress out of eating healthy food.

Healthy No Cook Meals For College Students

Tortilla Chips With Guac & Veggies

242 calories

Ingredients:

• ½ Bell pepper, green – 13.5 calories
• 1 oz Tortilla chips – 123 calories
• ¼ cup Guacamole – 105 calories

Instructions:

1. Slice bell pepper.
2. Dip chips & pepper (sliced) in guac.

Single-Serving Cookie Dough

405 calories

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp Flour (Tbsp) – 84 calories
• 1 Tbsp Chocolate chips – 70 calories
• 1½ Tbsp Butter (Tbsp) – 154.5 calories
• ¼ tsp Vanilla – 0 calories
• ½ tsp Water (tsp) – 0 calories
• 6 tsp Sugar – 96 calories

Instructions:

1. Add butter to microwave safe bowl.
2. Melt butter in microwave 15 seconds.
3. Add all ingredients (besides chocolate chips) into bowl, stir.
4. Fold in chocolate chips once mixture has cooled.

Stuffed Dates Cheese Board

388 calories

Ingredients:

• 2 Dates (or other dried fruit) – 120 calories
• 1 oz Cheese, Brie – 80 calories
• 1 Basil – 0 calories
• 1 Tbsp Peanut butter – 94 calories
• ⅛ cup Pecans (cups) – 94 calories

Instructions:

1. Slice dates in halves (but don’t cut through), remove pits.
2. Fill with: a) brie and basil; b) brie and pecans; c) peanut butter and pecans.
3. If there’s extra cheese, nuts, or peanut butter, have them on the side.
4. No dairy? Use extra nut butter. No nuts? Use seeds, e.g. sunflower seed butter.

Avocado Salad Lunch

399 calories

Ingredients:

• ½ Avocado, small
• ⅓ cup Cheese, crumbled, feta
• 2 servings Leafy greens, lettuce, raw
• 1 Tomato, medium
• ⅛ cup Nuts
• 1 Tbsp Vinaigrette, light (less than 50 calories per 2 Tbsp)
• 1 serving Garlic salt, dash

Instructions:

1. Mix avocado (cubed), tomato (chopped), feta, lettuce, vinaigrette, and garlic salt for the salad
2. Have nuts as a side dish – or you could mix them into the salad if you like!
3. No nuts? Use seeds. Roasted & salted nuts/ seeds are fine!
4. No dairy? Use extra avocado or crumbled bacon.
5. Note: I like Trader Joe’s fat free vinaigrette – but Paul Newman, Whole Foods, etc. all have good light dressings

Bell Pepper Sandwiches With Tomato Mozzarella Salad

421.25 calories

Ingredients:

• 1 serving Bell pepper, green
• 1 cup Tomatoes, grape
• ¼ Red onion
• ½ Avocado, small
• 1 Cucumber, small
• 1 oz Mozzarella balls, mini
• 1 Tbsp Olive oil

Instructions:

1. Slice tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, and mozz balls into small pieces
2. Mix all ingredients (except bell peppers) in a bowl
3. Cut open bell pepper, scoop out seeds and remove stems. Fill with salad.
4. Note: You could also cut up the bell pepper into smaller pieces & mix iit n with the salad, if it’s easier for you to eat it that way
5. No dairy? Use bacon or chicken

Caprese Salad

343.5 calories

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Cheese, sliced, mozzarella, full fat/ regular
• ½ Avocado, small
• 1 Tomato, medium
• 2 cup leafy greens, lettuce, raw
• 2 Tbsp Vinaigrette, light (less than 50 calories per 2 Tbsp)
• 1 serving pepper
• 1 serving basil
• 1 serving oregano

Instructions:

1. Slice tomato & chop avocado into small chunks
2. Mix all ingredients together
3. No dairy? Use extra avocado
4. Vinaigrette: I like Trader Joe’s fat free vinaigrette – but Paul Newman, Whole Foods, etc. all have good light dressings

Deli-Turkey Lettuce-Less Salad

328 calories

Ingredients:

• 1 Cucumber, small
• ⅓ cup Cheese, crumbled, feta
• 4 oz Deli meat slices, turkey
• ½ cup Celery stalks, chopped in half
• 1 serving basil
• 1 serving oregano
• 2 Tbsp Vinaigrette, light (less than 50 calories per 2 Tbsp)

Instructions:

1. Cut deli turkey, celery, cucumber into small pieces.
2. Mix all ingredients.
3. No dairy? Use a dairy-free cheese, avocado, or olives. No turkey? Use canned tuna.
4. I like Trader Joe’s fat free vinaigrette – but Paul Newman, Whole Foods, etc. all have good light dressings

Greek Salad & Edamame Bento

407.5 calories

Ingredients:

• ⅔ cup Edamame, in shell
• 1 cup Grapes, red
• ½ Cucumber, small
• ½ Bell pepper, red
• 1 ½  oz Mozzarella balls, mini
• 2 Tbsp Vinaigrette, light (less than 50 calories per 2 Tbsp)
• 1 serving salt
• 1 serving basil
• 1 serving oregano
• 1 serving garlic salt

Instructions:

1. Defrost or boil edamame if cooking from frozen. Season with garlic salt when ready to eat.
2. Chop cucumber and bell pepper into small pieces.
3. Combine with mozz balls, and toss with dressing and seasonings to make salad.
4. Serve grapes and edamame on the side.
5. I like Trader Joe’s fat free vinaigrette – but Paul Newman, Whole Foods, etc. all have good light dressings

Greek Salad And Avocado

366 calories

Ingredients:

• 1 serving Cucumber, small
• 1 cup Tomatoes, grape
• ⅓ cup Cheese, crumbled, feta
• ½ Avocado, small
• 2 cups Leafy greens, arugula, raw
• ½ oz Olives, sliced
• 1 Tbsp Vinaigrette, light (less than 50 calories per 2 Tbsp)
• 1 serving salt
• 1 serving pepper
• 1 serving basil
• 1 serving oregano

Instructions:

1. Chop tomato, cucumber, and avocado into small pieces.
2. Mix all ingredients into a salad.
3. I like Trader Joe’s fat free vinaigrette – but Paul Newman, Whole Foods, etc. all have good light dressings.

Tuna & Turkey Lettuce Wraps

410 calories

Ingredients:

• 4 servings Lettuce leaves for lettuce wraps
• 1 oz Cheese, sliced, cheddar, full fat/ regular
• 1 can Tuna, canned
• 1 Tbsp Mayonnaise
• 1 serving salt
• 1 serving pepper
• 2 oz Deli slices, turkey
• 1 Tbsp Mustard, regular (brown, deli, etc.)

Instructions:

1. Combine mayo, tuna, salt & pepper, and place evenly in two lettuce leaves.
2. Fill other two lettuce leaves with cheese slices, turkey, and mustard.
3. No dairy? Use a dairy-free cheese, or avocado. No turkey? Use canned refried beans.

See also these no cook tuna wrap ideas.

Tuna Feta Bowl

347 calories

Ingredients:

• ⅓ cup Cheese, crumbled, feta
• 1 Cucumber, small
• 1 Bell pepper, green
• 1 can Tuna, canned
• 1 serving salt
• 1 serving pepper
• 1 serving basil
• 1 serving oregano
• 2 Tbsp Vinaigrette, light (less than 50 calories per 2 Tbsp)

Instructions:

1. Chop cucumber and bell pepper.
2. Combine all ingredients.
3. Top with dressing and seasonings.
4. No dairy? Use a dairy-free version or avocado.
5. Note: I like Trader Joe’s fat free vinaigrette – but Paul Newman, Whole Foods, etc. all have good light dressings

Watermelon Feta Salad

414.75 calories

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Leafy greens, spinach, raw
• 1 Cucumber, small
• ¼ cup Cheese, crumbled, feta
• ¼ cup Pecans (cups)
• 1 cup Watermelon chunks
• 2 Tbsp Vinaigrette, light (less than 50 calories per 2 Tbsp)
• 1 serving salt

Instructions:

1. Chop cucumber into coin shapes.
2. Mix all ingredients.
3. Roasted & salted nuts are fine. No nuts? Use seeds. No dairy? Use extra nuts.
4. Note: I like Trader Joe’s fat free vinaigrette – but Paul Newman, Whole Foods, etc. all have good light dressings.

2 Tbsp PB & Chocolate Chip Apples

335 calories

Ingredients:

• 1 small Apple
• 1 Tbsp Chocolate chips
• 2 Tbsp Peanut butter

Instructions:

1. Slice apple
2. Top with peanut butter and chocolate chips
3. No peanut butter? Swap for your favorite nut butter.
4. No nuts? Use a seed butter e.g. sunflower seed butter
5. Note: slice apple the day of to preserve freshness

Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Bagel with Avocado

370 calories

Ingredients

• ½ Bagel, regular, whole wheat – 155 calories
• 1 Tbsp Cream cheese, whipped – 33 calories
• 3 oz Smoked salmon – 100 calories
• 2 cups Leafy greens, lettuce, raw – 10 calories
• 1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar – 14 calories
• ¼ Avocado, small – 58 calories

Instructions:

1. Toast bagel.
2. Top bagel with cream cheese, salmon, and avocado.
3. Mix lettuce and vinegar.
4. No dairy? Use a dairy-free cream cheese, or extra smoked salmon.
5. Gluten free? Use gluten free bagel or bread.

Fast Buffalo Chicken Dip with Veg

476 calories

Ingredients

• ¾ cup Cottage cheese, 2% – 135 calories
• 5 oz Rotisserie chicken – 250 calories
• 2 Tbsp Cheese, shredded, cheddar (Tbsp) – 60 calories
• ¼ tsp Ranch Seasoning – 2 calories
• 1 tsp Hot sauce (tsp) – 0 calories
• ½ cup Celery stalks, chopped in half – 8 calories
• ½ Cucumber, medium – 21 calories

Instructions:

1. Optional: blend cottage cheese in a blender
2. Mix together cottage cheese, rotisserie chicken, ranch seasoning, and hot sauce
3. Top with cheddar cheese, microwave for 1-2 minutes
4. Dip with veggies, enjoy!
5. No chicken? Use white beans, or swap this meal out for another

Lentil & Chickpea Salad

398 calories

Ingredients

• ½ cup Quinoa, cooked – 111 calories
• ¼ cup Beans & legumes, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), cooked – 67 calories
• ½ cup Lentils, cooked – 115 calories
• 2 cups Leafy greens, spinach, raw – 14 calories
• ½ cup Tomatoes, grape – 16 calories
• 1 Salt, dash – 0 calories
• 1 Pepper, dash – 0 calories
• 1 Basil, dash – 0 calories
• 1 Oregano, dash – 0 calories
• 1 Tbsp Vinaigrette, regular (more than 50 calories per 2 tbsp) – 75 calories

Instructions

1. Cook quinoa and lentils as instructed on packages. (Or buy quinoa or lentils that have been pre-cooked in order to make this a “no cook” meal).
2. Drain and rinse chickpeas.
3. Combine quinoa, chickpeas, lentils, spinach, and tomatoes (halved).
4. Mix with dressing and seasonings.

If you like these recipes, see also these healthy microwavable meals for college students.