For people who do not have the luxury of having a meal plan, cooking can be a confusing and expensive task. Some students find recipes too complicated, while others claim that purchasing the ingredients for “real” meals is beyond their means.
Deb Canter, department head in the department of hospitality, management and dietetics, said there are recipes available that might not overwhelm a new cook and shared a few to get students started. The recipes listed use chicken breasts, making it easy for students to buy in bulk then freeze anything not eaten right away.
Canter said grocery stores have boneless, skinless chicken breasts with four to five in a package in the refrigerated section of the meat area, or students can buy bags of frozen chicken breasts in the freezer section.
“The main thing would be for people to have some basic seasonings on hand,” Canter said.
April Mason, K-State provost and senior vice president, said she gave both her children basic cookbooks like “Joy of Cooking” and “Good Housekeeping” when they moved into apartments.
“Mac and cheese, frozen vegetables, canned fruit, prepared pasta sauces — all these items are quick and easy for students on the go,” she said.
Of course, when all else fails, ramen noodles are always an option.