Cheap Vegan Recipes For College Students
Modified: Dec 1, 2020 by TheDiabetesCouncil Team · This post may contain affiliate links ·
Living in a dorm room is limiting enough when it comes to preparing inexpensive and nutritious food, but living in a dorm room on a vegan diet can be even more challenging. While everyone else is heating up microwave pizza and mac and cheese, youre stuck living off vegan snacks that dont fill you up as much as a hearty meal would. However, with just a few pantry ingredients and access to a stove, you can whip up some seriously delicious vegan dishes that dont cost much but will keep you satisfied hours after the microwave pizza eaters are scrounging for their next meal.
If youre struggling to find vegan-friendly breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and even desserts, use our guide for 16 cheap vegan recipes for college students to find your favorite dorm room dishes, all of which can be ready to go in less than 30 minutes.
Contents
Being Vegan In College Is Easy
Eating vegan in college is never difficult. In fact, its in college that many vegans learn to eat better than ever before.
Youll have so many opportunities in college to discover new food and to elevate your cooking abilities. And if you join or start a vegan club, youll gain the ability to dramatically improve campus dining options, while exposing your fellow students to compassionate eating.
Recommended Reading: Plant Based Meal Plan Recipes
Quesadillas In The Oven
Want to make quesadillas for a crowd, but dont want to hover over the stove while making them to order? Enter: quesadillas in the oven! This recipe makes the humble solo meal into a delicious dinner, resulting in a big batch all at once on a sheet pan. All the quesadillas are done at the same time, and they come out with a beautifully crispy exterior. In fact, it feels like a whole new version of this classic: like Quesadillas 2.0.
Don’t Miss: Kale Green Smoothie Recipe Weight Loss
Harvest Vegetable Instant Pot Minestrone
Going to school in a city with intense winters? This Instant Pot minestrone will warm you up from the inside out. A medley of fresh veggies and whole wheat pasta soak up a savory broth thats positively slurpable. Keep your brain sharp and body well-fed with this easy dorm-room recipe, which tastes like a classic dish prepared by an Italian nonna.
Cauliflower & Chickpea Stew With Couscous
This easy stew only has a couple of ingredients which you might not have in your cupboards, so its perfect to throw together and impress your mates. Its the perfect recipe for trying something outside of your comfort zone, without having to learn a hundred new cooking techniques.
Taking just 15 minutes to prepare, this stew can cook away while you get on with your uni work. .
Check out the recipe by Jamie Oliver here.
Don’t Miss: Taco Bell Chicken Burrito Recipe
Vegetarian Lasagna With Ricotta
Meet the best vegetarian lasagna! The tomato sauce has just the right zing and garlic nuance, and the spinach ricotta cheese filling is classic and creamy. Its scented with fresh thyme and a little lemon zest, which takes it to over the top status. Theres no one who will turn down a piece! At least, who weve met.
Black Bean Corn And Roasted Red Pepper Lettuce Cups
These no-cook lettuce cups draw inspiration from Asian and Mexican cuisines. A hearty filling of sweet corn, black beans, mango, jalapeño, and tomatoes is seasoned with smoky chili powder and lime zest to really serve some Southwestern flair. In a nod to Chinese lettuce wraps, crisp romaine leaves take the place of tortillas, so you get the best of both worlds in this fan-favorite fusion recipe.
You May Like: Recipes For People With Crohns
Read Also: Oatmeal Stout All Grain Recipe
Health Benefits Banana Egg Pancakes
One banana and two eggs will knock up a brilliant breakfast for one person and one thats full of vitamin b6 which is normally found in fish and meat.
It helps to stop skin rashes, fatigue and mood swings and is used with over 100 different enzymes in the body .
Theyre also full of manganese which is used for bone production, skin integrity and for blood sugar control.
It also protects against free radicals and skin issues, and can even alleviate asthma .
Want more? Well on top of they even contain high amounts of fiber, potassium and protein. What are you waiting for?
Affordable Recipes For Breakfast
Bonus: just needs a frying pan, perfect for lunch
Make the best scrambled eggs youve ever had with our quick & easy but simple to follow recipe so good youll never look elsewhere again!
Bonus: quick to make, cheap ingredients, needs only one pot, the perfect start to a students day
A hearty way to start the day. Simple coffee and oatmeal breakfast to fill you full of fuel ready to take on the day. Tastes great too.
Bonus: simple ingredients, quick to make, perfect for a students budget, amazingly healthy
This worlds simplest pancakes recipe contains just two ingredients and is super quick just minutes from bowl to plate! Simple and tasty.
Bonus: a high protein meal, quick to make, few ingredients
There is a trick to making the perfect omelette and its weirdly easy. Well show you how. Youre gonna love this one!
Bonus: perfect as a students breakfast, a high protein meal, can be stored for a while in the fridge
Vegan Breakfast Potatoes the best way to start the day. Animal-friendly, high in protein and even higher in taste. Yes please!
Recipe by: HurryTheFoodUpBonus: easy meal anytime, just 5 minutes prep
The new vegan burrito is here, paving the way and setting the standard. Mega quick and perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
Bonus: a speedy and filling recipe that makes a beautiful breakfast
Recommended Reading: Canned Apple Pie Filling Recipe
Best Damn Lentil Soup
Are you on the lentil train? Lentils are low in calories, high in nutrition, and budget friendly. And, they make 40 times less greenhouse gases than a burger. Impressive, right? So heres our favorite new way to eat them: our Best Damn Lentil Soup. Yes, we’re pulling out the expletives because this one is so delicious, youll feel like youre wrapped in a cozy hug. This vegetarian lentil soup is ready to amaze you.
Spinach Sweet Potato & Lentil Dhal
If you’re craving a curry, you cant go wrong with this spectacular spinach, sweet potato & lentil dhal that counts as three of your five-a-day. This well-spiced healthy one-pot means minimal washing up and maximum flavour. As with any curry, the flavours intensify the longer theyre left, so it’ll taste even better for lunch the next day. Think about making a double batch, as this simple midweek meal will disappear in a flash. From a madras and a masala to dhals and dopiazas, we have all the veggie curries your heart desires.
Even more veggie curries:
Also Check: Four Roses Old Fashioned Recipe
Vegan Lentil Stew Health Benefits
An increase in fiber is linked to so many positive actions for the body and eating more legumes has been shown in studies to reduce heart disease riskThats amazing.
Brown rice is also a nutrient-rich powerhouse, and provides much needed fuel for your body.
It can help to control your blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol, promote cardiovascular health and a whole lot more. You can find out more about the health benefits of brown rice here.
Easy Vegan College Recipes
Published: Jul 16, 2022 by Sherri Hall · This post may contain affiliate links.
Here are 20 amazing, delicious, and easy vegan college recipes. Whether you’re headed off to college yourself, or know someone who is, this list of vegan recipes is perfect to share with any group of vegan college students so they can learn how to prepare tasty meals in their dorm room, without a full kitchen and without needing to rely on the dining hall.
We all know that college kids need those simple, fast, and easy meals. Right?!? College life is busy because of alllll that studying they have to do! They need something nutritious and filling so they can get back to their work.
Well, when you’re following a vegan diet, it’s not always easy to have fast and simple meals ready to go. Most of the meals you find on campus are convenience foods which are often not vegan friendly.
So, for this post, I’ve rounded up a bunch of vegan recipes that can all be made using just the refrigerator, microwave, stovetop or a hot plate.
These kinds of recipes are a great way to make sure that you’re getting quality, affordable vegan meals and snacks without sacrificing your vegan way of life while in college.
Without waiting any longer, let’s get down to the list of amazing vegan college recipes, kind of like a virtual college vegan cookbook all on one page!
Recommended Reading: Recipes For Wisdom Teeth Removal
Loaded Baked Potato & Toppings
It can be hard to find a vegetarian dinner idea that works for everyone, and heres one we fall back on time and time again: the Loaded Baked Potato! Mix and match any variety of baked potato toppings and youve got a delicious dinner that works for almost any diet. We recently did this when we were feeding a crowd and everyone loved it! There are endless ideas for customizing the meal and it lets every eater get creative.
Bringing Public Speakers To Campus
All universities maintain an annual budget for guest lectures and musical performances. Your campus group can get in on the action by applying for funds to bring in a speaker. Hosting an event offers a fantastic opportunity to expose your schools student body to topics related to veganism and factory farming.
Try to invite someone who is expert at talking about veganism in ways that appeal to non-vegetarians. Ideally, this can will be someone able to attract and inspire a mostly non-vegetarian audience. At all costs, avoid inviting someone from the fringes of the animal rights movement who comes across as an angry radical.
Ideally you want somebody who can make a strong case for going vegan, and who can also convey how easy it is to start eating more plant-based foods. Most potential speakers have videos on YouTube. So be sure to watch some of these videos to help you decide who to invite.
Once youve invited somebody, ask them which talk titles seem to draw the biggest crowds. Also see if you can offer free vegan food at the event. Perhaps some club members can bake cookies or you could get a food donation of chips, sliced vegetables, and hummus. Publicizing that there will be free vegan food can dramatically increase the events audience, since college students love free food.
Don’t Miss: Family Friendly Weight Loss Recipes
Grilled Cheese And Tomato Soup
Whats more homey than a bright bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese? This vegetarian classic hits the spot in any season. Make up a steaming bowl of homemade tomato soup flavored with tangy fire-roasted tomatoes, and a gooey gourmet grilled cheese with a hint of smoked gouda. Plus, we’ve got a few tips for making it for a crowd .
Quick & Spicy Nasi Goreng
Save on the washing up with this speedy supper for one, with wholesome ingredients like Chinese cabbage and brown rice, finished with a fried egg
This quick, budget take on classic spinach and egg ‘florentine’ pizza uses flatbreads instead of traditional dough
Don’t Miss: Best Juice Recipe For Immune System
What Makes A Recipe College
- Quick – lots of these recipes can be made in 30 minutes or less
- Easy – created with beginners in mind
- Budget-friendly – minimal ingredients, plus creative food waste solutions
- Made for small spaces – Most recipes don’t require specialty appliances
- Simple ingredients – I find everything at my local, small-town grocery store
- Emphasis on make-ahead and one-pot meals for a busy lifestyle
If you’re in school right now, I hope these meals will help keep you going.
Sweet Potato And Chickpea Curry
Mmmmmm, theres nothing more warming than knowing youre coming in from uni to a curry!
Are you dreaming of it now? Cos we are too oops.
Anyways, an easy recipe for all you students is a sweet potato and chickpea curry.
Its packed full of nutrients and is great to keep you feeling cosy for the upcoming winter times!
Obvs there are so many different varieties of curries you can cook for veggies, but this one is our fave. Sohere you go!
Recommended Reading: Easy Recipes For Single Person
Vegan Double Chocolate Instant Pot Cake
Ready to satisfy all your death-by-chocolate cravings while taking your Instant Pot skills to the next level? With the help of a blender and cake-pan inserts for the Instant Pot, you can bake this rich cake without an oven. Feel free to top with fresh berries or dive into this heavenly treat as soon as its done!
Dont Miss: Basil Hayden Dark Rye Recipe
+ Delicious Vegetarian Recipes For Students
Here are more than 30 super tasty vegetarian student recipes that prove ditching meat doesnt mean for bland and boring meals.
From Mexican fajitas to pasta bakes, sweet potato jackets to stir frys, ratatouille to Casseroles and bolognese, these vegetarian recipes for students are all real easy to cook up, cheap and delicious.
Plus, theyre all very healthy so even if youre dont fancy giving up meat and becoming a full time vegetarian, why not try going veggie for just the week by trying some of these simple meals?
Browse through our collection of awesome student vegetarian recipes below
You May Like: Easy Red Beans And Rice Recipe
Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas
Heres an incredible vegetarian recipe thats impressive every time: these Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas! This fan favorite always gets top marks from readers. Tender sweet potatoes are the perfect contrast to savory black beans and tangy salsa verde. Top it off with Colby cheese, its the best gooey comfort food around. This one will please everyone: we guarantee it.
Easy Chickpea Salad Sandwich
Why is finding healthy and easy vegetarian lunch recipes so hard? Over here we like to eat extremely simple at breakfast and lunch, so that we can spend our time and energy on dinner recipes. So heres one of our favorite easy lunch tricks ever: is this chickpea salad sandwich! Its basically a vegetarian chicken salad sandwich, but uses chickpeas instead of chicken. Its so tasty, its become one of our most popular chickpea recipes.
Don’t Miss: Sidecar Drink Recipe With Grand Marnier
Tomato And Basil Soup
If youre fortunate to have a hand blender, smoothie maker etc then Tomato and Basil Soup should be a staple in your diet whilst at uni.
This delicious one-pot meal is perfect for the winter months, keeping you feeling warm whilst the winds bluster outside.
Obvs you can make tomato soup, but theres just something about adding basil which gives it that addictive taste.
Eggplant Casserole Vegan Greek Moussaka
Moussaka is the Greek version of casserole food, combining tasty minced meat with potatoes and tomato sauce. This time were making it vegan and budget-friendly by using eggplants, which are a great source of fibers and nutrients. Enjoy your special moussaka, share it with the family, or store it in the fridge for additional meals!
Don’t Miss: Non Chemical Weed Killer Recipe
Black Bean Corn & Avocado Salad Over Red Quinoa With Cilantro Dressing
Recipe courtesy of karmatarian.wordpress.com
- 1 cup red quinoa, cooked in vegetable broth
- 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen sweet corn kernels, thawed
- 1/2 avocado, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
- Olive oil- Anywhere from a drizzle to 1/8 Cup
- Zest of 1/2 Lime
- Optional: 1/2 bunch of Cilantro, chopped
- Sea Salt and Pepper
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- Squirt of agave nectar
Salad
Cilantro Dressing
Easy Vegan Meals Every College Student Can Make
Busy college students often have to cook creative meals in a pinch. Unfortunately, improper meal planning means were left desperately reaching for cereal, thawing frozen meals, or splurging on takeout. However, this doesnt have to be the case. In fact, now more than ever, eating vegan while living the dorm life requires nothing more than a microwave and a few simple ingredients. To show just how easy being vegan in college can be, were highlighting five simple plant-based meals that college students can make with limited equipment and time. The best part? These dishes taste as great as they are easy to make.
1. Banana-cinnamon oatmeal with granolaOatmeal is a simple, sweet, and healthy way to start the day. Even better for the college student with plenty of papers to write is the fact that it can be prepared ahead of time. All you have to do is microwave a half-cup of quick oats to one cup of water on high in two-minute increments until the oats have absorbed most of the liquid. Be careful, though, as microwaving for more than two minutes at a time may cause the oatmeal to bubble and spill. Your best bet is to keep an eye on the oatmeal, stirring after each round of microwaving. Once cooked, mash half a ripe banana into the mixture, topping generously with cinnamon and the granola of your choice. If you want to prepare the night before, cover the heated mixture, and place it in the fridge overnight. Reheat and add granola the next morning!
You May Like: Crohn’s Disease Flare Up Recipes