The last thing college students want to do is to cook after a long day of classes. 

It is understandable why we gravitate towards simple options, like macaroni and cheese or pizza, to satisfy our hunger. 

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But quick eating does not mean you need to spend money on takeout or roll a Kraft American cheese single in a cold tortilla and call it a night.

Here are some of my favorite cheap and easy meals that I have been surviving off of lately. 

Smoothies

I had a phase last semester where my morning smoothie was the highlight of my day. Take it as a low point, but I see it as the power of a truly good smoothie.   

The best part about smoothies is they are entirely customizable with minimal dishes and ingredients. 

All you need is your favorite frozen fruits, plain greek yogurt, water or milk and a sugar packet. You can even add a cup of protein powder. 

Amounts for ingredients can vary. There is no wrong answer–find your preference. 

For thicker consistencies add more yogurt, for thinner add more water or milk. 

Although not everybody may have access to a blender they can be as cheap as $15, a good investment for future meals. I suggest looking into ones with portable cups so you can blend and drink on-the-go.

Bowls

Bowls are truly the perfect lazy meal with ingredients that allow for a lot of variety. A favorite one I’ve been making is a spicy chicken rice bowl. 

The most time consuming factor is cooking a cup of rice, so I like to put it on the stove as the first step. It only takes 20 minutes and while you are waiting it allows time to prepare the other ingredients. 

Use a meat to base your bowl around. I just use chicken nuggets. From this step is where you can add whatever you’d like. 

Once the rice and nuggets are done, I add diced red pepper, pieces of lettuce and shredded cheese. Then, I add a bit of ranch and sriracha to make a sauce and mix it all together.

There may be some leftover rice you can save in your fridge to make the bowl again during the week.

I love this meal as it is filling, tasty and low effort.

Bagel Sandwiches

Sandwiches are another nice customizable meal. With so many options, sometimes all you need is a recipe to point you in the right direction. 

For this recipe you only have to buy four ingredients and have a pan. I use everything bagels, eggs, bacon and deli cheese. 

Make the eggs as the first step. I prefer scrambled but you can make them to your own liking. After the eggs are done, I throw the bacon in the microwave and put the bagel in the toaster.

When all ingredients are finished cooking, it is time for assembly. 

Related: USF students, your favorite meal could be off campus

To assure everything is warm and the cheese is melted, I pop it in the microwave for another 15 seconds. For a final touch, I add Cholula hot sauce. It’s a great meal to have for any time of the day.

Even with these easy meals it is tempting to grab something from the many restaurants on campus for convenience.

I highly encourage picking up the kitchen utensils every now and then and making something yourself.