Tasty meals and snacks to eat on the go

Toni Rae Gardner, president of the Utah State University food science club, prepares almost every meal for herself and notices the difference when she eats out.

“It feels good to prepare meals from home,” she said. “I can cook lighter meals than I can when I eat out. I just don’t feel good eating fast food.”

Most students might prefer to eat home-cooked meals but just don’t know how to put all the ingredients together and come up with something that tastes good, Gardner said.

Utah State University Extension’s Food $ense program and the USU Student Cookbook offer healthy ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks that students can quickly and afford to prepare.

Breakfasts:

Yogurt: Mix in different cereals, granola, dried fruit, fresh fruit or nuts for a quick parfait.

Smoothies: Make a quick smoothie using yogurt, fruit and nut butters; or almond milk, fruit, ice and nut butters.

Egg sandwich: This meal is both quick and portable. Try a fried egg, cheese, avocado, tomato and spinach on a whole wheat bread.

Eggs and salsa: To make this even more filling, serve with whole wheat toast.

Baked oatmeal: Bake a pan of oatmeal plain or with fruit and honey and reheat through the week for quick breakfasts.

Whole grain pancakes: Make a full recipe of batter and use for up to two days to make a few pancakes at a time.

Muffins: Make a dozen (from scratch or a mix) and stick them in the freezer.

Lunch:

Nachos: Try with cheese, beans, peppers, corn and tomatoes on top.

Quesadilla: Try a with black beans and broccoli. You can also use chicken, spinach, tomato or re-fried beans with cheese and salsa.

Main course salads: Include lean protein (hard boiled eggs, grilled chicken, chickpeas, etc.), dried fruit, croutons and dressing.

English muffin/Bagel/French bread pizzas: Cook in a toaster oven to have pizza in just minutes.

Pasta salad: Include chickpeas, feta, tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, zucchini, red onion and balsamic vinaigrette.

Dinners:

(Always make enough dinner to have leftovers for lunch)

Stir-fry: Mix any lean protein with tons of veggies and a quick hoisin sauce made of soy sauce, ginger and garlic or even a bottled chili sauce. Serve with rice or noodles.

Tacos: Fish, chicken, vegetarian or beef tacos, switch up the protein to keep it interesting.

Pasta: Add veggies to your favorite pasta dish for extra nutrition.

Chili: Try vegetarian style or with meat, serve over rice, biscuits or cornbread.

Breakfast for dinner: Try eggs with toast or fruit, French toast, pancakes or waffles.

Baked potato bar: Try with cheese, broccoli and black beans.

Snacks:

• Granola bars, homemade or store-bought
• Fresh fruit
• Dried fruit with nuts for a homemade trail mix
• Tortilla chips with salsa or fruit salsa
• Apples or bananas with peanut butter
• Pretzels or veggies with hummus
• Smoothie
• Yogurt
• Dark chocolate with fruit
• Cereal with milk
• Muffins
• String cheese with whole grain crackers
• Crackers with hummus
• Pudding with fruit
• Popcorn with parmesan cheese
• Graham crackers with peanut butter and jelly