On a Budget: Healthy Alternatives to Fast Food

Eating healthy in college is hard, especially with temptation always knocking at your door. All the eating at buffet-style cafeterias and the midnight snack runs start to really add up fast. I’m not suggesting you stop eating this way entirely; we are college students and that’s not very likely to happen. Just remember the small things, like not always eating fast food so late into the night.

Fast food restaurants do so well because they are quick, convenient and because they seem like they would be cheaper than cooking. If your campus is anything like mine, there is a fast food restaurant taunting you at every turn (even in the gym). It just seems that everything a fast food restaurant makes is so good, but haven’t you ever realized that some of the foods are so easy that you could make them at home? Making some of your favorite fast food choices at home is not only healthier, but your wallet will also thank you.

You can save so much money (and a lot of calories) if you make your food instead of always buying it. Plus, if you cook it there is no mystery meat involved.

On that note, here are some alternatives to the fast food craze:

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Sandwich

What you need:

• 1-2 strips of turkey bacon
• 1 egg white
• 1 whole wheat English muffin
• 1 slice fat free cheese
• Olive oil spray

1. Cook the bacon on a frying pan for two to three minutes, or until it reaches the perfect crispiness.
2. Spray the frying pan and cook the egg white for a few minutes on each side.
3. Toast the English muffin
4. Now to assemble: start with the bottom of the English muffin and top with the cheese, egg, bacon and other half of the bread. Now enjoy, without the guilt from eating fast food!

Burritos

What you need:

• 1 pound ground turkey or chicken
• ¼ cup instant brown rice (and water to boil it in)
• 1 can (15 ounces) low-sodium black beans
• ½ cup low-fat shredded cheese
• Whole wheat tortillas
• Olive oil spray
• Optional: guacamole, lettuce, salsa or any other healthy topping

1. Cook the instant rice in a small sauce pan (according to directions on package)
2. Bring the black beans to a boil in a small sauce pan
3. Spray a frying pan and cook meat for 10-15 minutes, or until fully cooked
4. Invite some friends over and have all components on the table (just like at some fast food restaurants), and assemble your burrito according to how you like it. And if you don’t want to share, leftovers are never a bad thing…

Pizza

What you need:

• 1 store-bought crust (or if you’re feeling really healthy you can make it yourself)
• ¾ – 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1-2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 1 cup reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
• Olive oil spray
• Extra flour
• Pizza pan
• Optional: turkey pepperoni, olives, mushrooms or any healthy topping

1. Set the oven to 425 degrees
2. An easy way to get vegetables in a pizza is to hide them in the sauce. Sautee the onion and garlic, until tender, and stir in the tomato sauce until combined.
3. Prepare the pizza pan: lightly spray with olive oil and lightly flour
4. This is going to be really sticky and a little hard at first, but lightly cover your hands in flour and spread the dough out on the pan (be patient, the dough senses your weakness).
5. Now to assemble the pizza: add your prepared tomato sauce, cover with desired amount of cheese and any toppings you may want.
6. Put pizza on the top rack and cook for 20-25 or until desired crispiness is reached. Next time, don’t be afraid to get creative and try something new designs.

Cooking may not be something you are good at, but just like everything else,  you can improve with practice. Unless you’re a cooking prodigy, no one is good at cooking from the start. Trust me, when I started cooking the only thing I could consistently count on was the fire alarm going off. The only way to get better is to keep trying, and what better way than to start off with some healthy alternatives to fast food?

Want more cooking advice? Check out the TCC Kitchen. It’s loaded with tips, tricks and easy recipes that make cooking easy for even the most novice of chefs. 

Tags: cheese sandwich, egg bacon, english muffin, fast food restaurant, fast food restaurants, food, free cheese, health, midnight snack, olive oil spray, saving, turkey bacon, wheat tortillas

Category: Cooking, Eating Right, Health