fast/wellrounded meals

I'm in college and having the hardest time eating a balanced diet. I have zero cooking skills and don't want to rely on lean cuisine to get a balanced meal because they are so full of sodium and only some of them taste good. I like fresh ingredients whenever possible, it's easy for me to go to the market after school. I would love any suggestions/recipes/cookbooks that have low-cal, healthy, well-rounded meals I could make for dinner.

Thanks so much!

Hey, Im in college too and live by stir-frys!

Little bit of oil, all the veg you like, some kind of meat (i usually have chicken or bacon) and some stir-fry noodles, I sonetimes have a warm wholemeal roll with it too. Mmmmmmmmm!

Cheap, for the college budget, simple, and done in about 10 minutes!

I'm in college too-  I do cook- but one of my favorite on-the-go foods are wraps.  Usually chicken or turkey.  I use an 8inch whole wheat wrap (or tortilla) spread it with one tablesppon of LiteHouse light Ranch dressing, and pack it with lettuce, tomato, onion, green pepper and either 4oz of grilled chicken tenders or 3 slices thick sliced lean deli turkey.  Just wrap it up like a barrito and eat it while you walk to class.  I usually add in an apple, orange, or banana on the side, or a Dannon Light & Fit fruit smoothie drink.  I eat this meal of these for lunch almost every day of the week.

If you use chicken, you get more for your money in my opinion.  I buy a bag of frozen chicken tenders and oven bake them all on the weekend- store them in a tupperware and eat off of it for a week.  All you do is preheat the oven to 400 degrees, place the chicken tenders in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake them for about 15 minutes (or until you can cut the fatest one open and see that the inside is white and not pink.)

Another little tip I've found that I like to share with other college students- is to eat a couple bites of fruit before tests.  The natural sugar in fruit gives you an instant energy boost and a clear mind.

I make huge pots of soup on sundays. That's my dinner for the week. It's so simple because i can just pop it in the microwave and heat it up.

I pack this for my lunch on occassion.  Make several cups of instant brown rice over the weekend (or buy it) to go along if you want.
I keep bags of frozen stir fry vegetables in the freezer.  Put 2-3 cups in a dish, top off with frozen chicken strips, add a little soy sauce and a dash of cajun seasoning (or other spicy seasoning).  Throw in the micro for a few minutes.  Instant stir fry.  You can also use stir fry sauce.  Yummy, simple, low fat!  It works on the go.
I take this to work with me and it makes for an easy lunch.

Thanks so much for the great ideas!

microwaved baked potatoes can be topped in all sorts of ways.  I had one with kidney beans, a little cheddar, salsa, steamed broccoli and plain yogurt