No-Cook Meals for College Students: Easy Ideas for Athletes
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With busy school, practice, and competition schedules, it can be helpful for college student athletes to have a variety of easy no-cook meal ideas. Having a plan for quick meals they can prepare and eat on the go can set college athletes up for sports nutrition success.
Let’s explore a variety of no-cook meals that college student athletes can enjoy to support their sports nutrition needs.
Planning Healthy Meals for College Student Athletes
When planning meals, I recommend that college athletes ensure they include foods providing a good source or carbohydrates as well as protein-rich food items.
Carbohydrates provide athletes with the energy needed to train and perform at their best. Protein has many important roles in the body, including supporting athletes with building and maintaining muscles.
In addition, college student athletes should aim to include fruits and veggies in their meals, which provide fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
College student athletes should also include a healthy beverage with their meals to support their daily hydration needs. Great options include: water, sparkling water, low-fat milk, 100% fruit or vegetable juice.
Easy No-Cook Meals for College Students: Breakfast Ideas
Starting the day with a healthy breakfast is important for college student athletes. A high-carb breakfast can help athletes refill their glycogen (carbohydrate) stores and provide them with energy for the day ahead (1).
Below are a variety of easy no-cook breakfast ideas for college student athletes.
- Protein overnight oats
- Bagel with nut butter, banana slices, and honey
- Greek yogurt with berries and granola
- Cottage cheese with pineapple and chia seeds
- High-protein milk, whole grain breakfast cereal, strawberries
- Greek yogurt drink, fig bars, apple slices with nut butter
- Hard-boiled eggs, grapes, breakfast bars
- Fruit smoothie
Athletes can purchase hard-boiled eggs at the store that come peeled and ready-to-eat. If athletes have a freezer available, I recommend they keep a variety of frozen fruits on hand.
The frozen fruit can be used to prepare a smoothie or added as an ingredient in overnight oats or a Greek yogurt parfait.
Pro Tip: Purchasing a high-quality, personal blender is one of my top recommendations for college student athletes. My favorite blender for making individual smoothies is the NutriBullet® PRO* (available on Amazon).Just make sure to double check your dorm’s rules on allowable appliances!
No-Cook Meals for College Students: Microwave and Toaster Friendly Breakfast Ideas
Most college students have easy access to a microwave and toaster within their dorm room or a community cooking area. There are numerous items that athletes can quickly prepare in the microwave or toaster for a quick breakfast on-the-go.
Some of my favorite microwave and toaster-friendly breakfast ideas for college student athletes include:
- Scrambled eggs
- Instant oatmeal with raisins and walnuts
- Protein oatmeal cups
- Protein pancakes
- Protein waffles with nut butter
- Whole wheat toast with avocado and sliced hard-boiled egg
- English muffin or bagel sandwich with ham, cheese, and scrambled eggs
Kodiak Cakes® (available on Amazon) has a variety of individual oatmeal, muffin, and flapjack cups that can easily be prepared in the microwave. These can be a convenient option for athletes to keep on hand for a breakfast that is ready in minutes.
Pro Tip: Create a complete meal by pairing the items above with whole grains, fruit, and a healthy beverage.
How to Cook Scrambled Eggs in the Microwave
College students can easily cook scrambled eggs in the microwave. Below are simple cooking instructions to share.
- Crack 2 eggs into a small microwave safe bowl or coffee mug.
- Add 1-2 Tbsp of milk and beat with eggs until well combined.
- Lightly cover the bowl/mug with a paper towel or microwave safe cover to prevent splatter.
- Microwave on high for ~2 minutes, stopping the microwave to stir the mixture every 30 seconds.
- Repeat until eggs are fully cooked.
- Season as desired with salt and pepper.
Pro Tip: Athletes can quickly make breakfast tacos by adding the scrambled eggs along with turkey sausage and salsa to whole wheat tortillas.
Easy No-Cook Meals for College Students: Lunch and Dinner Ideas
In addition to breakfast, there are a variety of healthy lunch and dinners that athletes can prepare without cooking.
Below are a variety of items that I recommend athletes keep on hand to prepare a quick meal when needed.
- Individual packages of tuna or salmon
- Deli meat: Turkey, chicken, ham, or roast beef
- Shredded rotisserie chicken
- Sliced low-fat cheese
- Nut butter and jelly
- Hummus
- Whole grain bread, wraps, pita pockets, crackers
- Individually packaged salads
- Fresh vegetables: Baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas, mini peppers
Pro Tip: Athletes can purchase shredded rotisserie chicken in the deli section of most grocery stores. The shredded chicken can be added to a wrap, used as a topping on a burrito bowl, or added to a salad for extra protein.
No-Cook Meals for College Students: Microwave Friendly Lunch and Dinner Ideas
- Microwave packets of quinoa or brown rice
- Frozen steam-in-a-bag vegetables
- Frozen fully cooked beef or chicken fajita meat
- Baked potatoes and sweet potatoes
- Canned chili with beans
- Canned soup (choose broth-based)
- Canned beans
When selecting soups, I recommend athletes choose a broth-based soup rather than a cheese or cream-based soup. Broth-based soups tend to be lower in saturated fat and a healthier option for athletes.
In addition, athletes should look for soups that contain beans, noodles, rice, or potatoes for added carbohydrates. Pairing the soup with a sandwich or Greek yogurt parfait can be a healthy dinner option for athletes.
Pro Tip: A fajita bowl made with brown rice, black beans, fajita chicken, and salsa is one of my go-to microwave meal options for college athletes. Athletes can toss all of this on top of an individually packaged salad and have a healthy meal ready in minutes.
How to Cook a Potato in the Microwave
I frequently remind college students that potatoes and sweet potatoes can easily be prepared in the microwave. They are a great way for athletes to add carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals to their meals.
Simple steps to prepare a medium-sized potato in the microwave include:
- Scrub the outer skin of the potato to remove the dirt.
- Use a fork to poke holes in the potato prior to cooking which allows steam to escape (otherwise it may explode in your microwave).
- Microwave the potato on high for 5 minutes.
- Using a hot pad, remove the potato from the microwave and gently squeeze. If tough, microwave on high for an additional minute.
- Repeat the process until tender and ready to eat.
Pro Tip: A sweet potato topped with canned chili with beans is a power-packed meal for athletes. This sweet and savory combination provides carbohydrates, protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals – definitely a fan favorite.
No Cook Meals for College Students: Stock Your Room
I encourage college athletes to make a grocery list and stock their college dorm with a variety of the items discussed above.
Having the right food on hand for quick meals throughout the week can be the key to sports nutrition success.
Pro Tip: For additional food ideas that I recommend college athletes purchase at the store, make sure to review my blog: 11 Healthy College Dorm Foods for Athletes.
No Cook Meals for College Students: Easy Ideas for Athletes
You are now set with a variety of no cook meals that college student athletes can add to their meal plans.
For additional sports nutrition tips for college students, check out my blog with ideas for the best college snacks.
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About the Author
Mandy Tyler is a Sports Dietitian Nutritionist in the San Antonio, TX area. She is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian, a Board-Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, a Licensed Athletic Trainer, and is a Certified Exercise Physiologist through the American College of Sports Medicine. Mandy has experience working with athletes at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. She believes the key to reaching one’s full potential, both in everyday life and in sports performance, relies on a healthy nutritional foundation.
If you are looking to take your performance to the next level, make sure to check out my new Sports Nutrition Game Day Guide. This downloadable guide is written to help athletes develop an individualized plan to achieve peak performance on game day.
