3 Healthy Meal-Prep Meals that Take Less Than 30 Minutes for Busy College Students

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College is an especially busy time, but I learned early on that cooking not only saves me money, but also allows me to make healthier and tastier meals. Here are three meals I make on a regular basis (I make 2/3 of these every single week) that reheat amazingly well.

1. Chicken Stir Fry

Chicken Asparagus Stir Fry

A healthy and easy 30 minute meal that tastes great and reheats well.

Marinade

  • 1.5 lb Chicken Breast (Cubed)
  • 1 Optional – Hot Red Pepper WITH seeds (I use Fresno) (Minced)
  • 4 cloves Garlic (Minced)
  • 1 2" gnob Fresh Ginger (Minced)
  • 2 tbspn Honey
  • ¼ cup Soy Sauce
  • 1 tbspn Sesame Oil

Vegetables

  • 1 bunch Asparagus (chopped)
  • 1 Red Pepper (chopped)

Rice

  • 2.5 cup Jasmine Rice
  • 3.75 cup Water

  1. Wash rice in water three times.

  2. Turn rice on rice cooker

  3. Prep and combine marinade ingredients and chicken in a large bowl (chicken, spring onions, hot red pepper, garlic, ginger, honey, soy sauce, and sesame oil).

  4. Fry vegetables (asparagus and red pepper) at medium high heat until beginning to brown.

  5. Remove vegetables from pan.

  6. Turn heat to high, wait until pan is smoking, and add chicken.

  7. Cook ~8 minutes until chicken is cooked.

  8. Add vegetables.

  9. Serve with rice!

Feel free to add whatever vegetables you want! This recipe is a little bit spicy if you include the hot red pepper.

This is the most made meal I make, it makes one hefty dinner for me and two big leftovers for lunch for the next two days.

It heats up very well in the microwave which is one of the main reasons it has stayed in my weekly meals.

2. Vegetarian Curry

Vegetarian Curry

An amazingly flavorful vegetarian curry that reheats very well.

Base

  • Olive Oil
  • 1 Onion (Diced)
  • 1 Optional – Hot Red Pepper (With seeds, I use Fresno) (Minced)
  • 6 clove Garlic (Minced)
  • 1 2" gnob Ginger (Minced)
  • 1 tbsp Curry Powder
  • 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • 1 tsp Coriander
  • 1 tsp Garam Masala
  • 2 tsp Salt

Vegetables

  • 1 Large Eggplant (Diced)
  • 1 Large Sweet Potato (Diced)
  • 4-8 oz Green Beans (Diced)
  • 1.5 cup Vegetable Stock

Finishing

  • ½ cup coconut milk
  • ½ cup Optional – Cilantro (chopped)

Rice

  • 2.5 cup Basmati Rice
  • 3.75 cup Water

  1. Prepare all ingredients: base in one bowl and vegetables in another

  2. Heat 2 tbspn of olive oil on medium heat

  3. Add all base ingredients (onion, spices, tomato paste, garlic, hot pepper, ginger)

  4. Sweat ingredients for 5 minutes, DON'T Brown

  5. Add vegetables (eggplant, sweet potato, green beans) and cover pan, cook 10 mins stirring occasionally, if it starts to brown add more oil

  6. At this point I turn on the rice, so wash the rice, add to rice cooker with water, and turn on the rice cooker

  7. Add 1.5 cups of any stock (I use vegetable Stock)

  8. Cover and put on low/medium for 10 minutes

  9. Add coconut milk

  10. Turn off heat and add cilantro

  11. Serve with rice

I love this meal, behind the stir fry this is my second most made meal. I make it every week. Again it reheats amazingly well.

I usually have a piece of chicken or something with it as I love chicken.

3. Turkey Meat Sauce Spaghetti

The above two recipes I have crafted mostly on my own. This recipe is straight from budget bytes with a few changes (more turkey, olive oil, and garlic, less sauce and seasoning).

Spaghetti with Turkey Meat Sauce (and hidden vegetables)

A protein packed spaghetti and meat sauce with no beef and added vegetables

  • 3 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 lb Ground Turkey
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 Yellow Onion (Diced)
  • 6 cloves Garlic (Minced)
  • 1 Zucchini (Grated)
  • 2 Carrots (Grated)
  • 12 oz Spaghetti
  • 6 oz Pasta Sauce (Rao's Basil is best)

  1. Using a cheese grater grate the zucchini and carrots into a bowl (peel the carrots and zucchini)

  2. Dice the onion, mince the garlic

  3. Turn pan to medium-high heat, let it heat up for a couple of minutes, add olive oil, ground turkey, salt, and pepper

  4. Break up and brown the turkey (about 5 minutes)

  5. While turkey is browning bring a pot of salted water to a boil

  6. Turn heat down to medium low and add the onion and cook for another 5 minutes (don't brown the onion, just make it translucent)

  7. Add garlic and cook for one minute

  8. Add zucchini and carrots and cook for 5 minutes

  9. Add pasta sauce to pan and mix together

  10. Cook the spaghetti, drain it, then serve with the sauce

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