As we restart the school year and no longer have the easy option of homecooked meals made by mom and dad, it’s time to reevaluate everything we know about feeding ourselves.  

Is it worth it to wake up and make yourself eggs before class? How many days and nights in a row are you willing to eat ground beef and rice? Should you skip the stress and order food instead?  

For the students that aren’t on a meal plan this year, and even for a few that are, these questions probably sound familiar. 

Part of college is learning how to live independently, and that comes with the task of navigating a kitchen, buying groceries and reading recipes. As someone who grew up learning how to cook and is very comfortable in a kitchen, I’ve spent the past few weeks helping my friends navigate the inevitable “what’s for dinner?” question. 

 While most of us are capable of boiling water for noodles, making toast without burning it and heating up takeout, sometimes variety is needed.  

And here’s the truth: it’s way easier to cook than you’d think. 

TikTok, Instagram and good old-fashioned Google search can actually help inspire shopping lists and meal-prep ideas. It’s not hard to search for a grocery list.  You can even specify “no reheating needed” and have lunch anywhere on campus. Trader Joe’s is an excellent example of a store that provides easy short-cuts to meals that don’t require as much prep work, just a little bit of creativity. 

There’s an old saying, “if you can read, you can cook.” A recipe is just a set of instructions. But these days it’s even easier than reading.  

Creators on social media have seen the need for instructional cooking content and responded with fun recipe videos, easy one-pan dinners and ways to reuse your leftovers that save you from food boredom. It’s as easy as picking up a new sauce at the store or adding a different spice than usual; and honestly, it’ll be a more satisfying meal if you are proud of making it. 

 Of course, it’s important to make sure your chicken is cooked all the way through, and that you know how to turn the oven off before you start making cookies, but part of learning is trial and error. After enough practice, you might even make something good enough to share.  

As the school year progresses, start buying groceries with a plan in mind and avoid takeout and easy DoorDash alternatives. You’ll find that it’s rather fun to cook with your roommates and there’s a definite sense of satisfaction when you nail that cool recipe. Anyone can cook, it’s just a matter of taking the initiative and doing it.