91k shares SHARE TWEET SMS SEND EMAIL (Photo by Katherine Baker, Spoon University) Cooking under time constraints is hard. That’s why competitors get so sweaty and frazzled during cooking competition shows. In real life, when you’re a student or busy working adult, or just not feelin’ up to spending hours in the kitchen, assembling a healthy meal in a short amount of time can be a challenge. Luckily, shortcuts exist. Like pre-cut, pre-bagged vegetables and squash, quick-cooking grains, and frozen pre-cooked grains (thanks, ). Here are 7 healthy, meals, all of which take less than 15 minutes start to finish, are budget-friendly (less than $30 total), and most importantly, delicious! You can customize these to your liking (such as by picking your favorite vegetables and beans). Make one trip to the grocery store, and for the price of 2 cocktails in Manhattan, you can have an entire week’s worth of fast, nourishing meals at your fingertips (assuming you have cooking oil and salt andpepper at home already). But if you’re not vegan, you can . #SpoonTip: All of these meals are gluten free friendly if you use corn tortillas and swap quinoa for farro. Grocery List: 1 package cut and cubed butternut squash or sweet potatoes, can substitute 3 large sweet potatoes ($2.29) 1 package kale or romaine ($1.99; $2.29 for organic) 1 package arugula or spinach ($1.99; $2.29 for organic) 1 tomato ($0.29) 1 apple ($0.69-$0.79; $0.99 for organic) 1 avocado ($0.99) 1 lemon ($0.49) 1 lime, optional ($0.29) 1 bag Vegetable Medley with broccoli, cauliflower and carrots, can substitute broccoli-cauliflower blend, Healthy 8 Chopped Veggie Mix, or Stir-Fry Vegetables ($2.29) 1 large cucumber ($1.49) 1 package firm tofu ($1.69) 1 package Organic 3 Grain Tempeh ($1.99) 1 box frozen Microwaveable Brown Rice, can substitute frozen quinoa, Rice Blend, jasmine rice, or frozen Organic Cauliflower Rice ($2.99; $3.49 organic) 1 can black beans ($0.89; $0.99 for organic) 1 can chickpeas ($0.89;$0.99 for organic) 1 jar salsa of choice ($1.99-2.29) 1 package 10-Minute Farro, barley, or quinoa ($1.79) 1 package Taco Seasoning ($0.79) 1 package seaweed snacks ($0.99) 1 package corn tortillas can substitute whole wheat or white flour ($0.99) 1 bag cilantro, optional ($1.79) 1 bag frozen edamame, optional ($1.79) Total: $30.00 (+ tax), Organic Total: $31.50 (+ tax) Day 1: (Photo by Katherine Baker, Spoon University) Beans and squash make for a filling, delicious twist on conventional tacos. . Day 2: (Photo by Katherine Baker, Spoon University) Skip the lines at Chipotle, and make a sofrita bowl with tofu at home. . Day 3: (Photo by Katherine Baker, Spoon University) Haven’t you heard? #Grainz are the new #gains. . Day 4: (Photo by Katherine Baker, Spoon University) Kale salad with a protein punch. Chickpeas and tempeh give this salad major staying power. Add whatever nuts and dried fruit you have in your pantry for extra yums. . Day 5: (Photo by Katherine Baker, Spoon University)Way tastier, faster, and healthier than take-out? Triple win. . Day 6: (Photo by Katherine Baker, Spoon University) It’s like sushi you can justify eating with a fork. . Day 7: (Photo by Katherine Baker, Spoon University) As the week ends, use up all your leftover veggies, beans, and grains and make this delicious soup. Extra tortillas can make tortilla chips for dipping in 3 minutes flat. . For more Trader Joe’s and vegan goodness: This article originally appeared on and was written by Spoon University is a food network for our generation, where all the content is produced by college students. They cover everything from simple recipes and local restaurants to dining hall hacks and healthy living tips. F or more, check out the , or This article comes from The USA TODAY College partner network. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of USA TODAY. You understand that we have no obligation to monitor any discussion forums, blogs, photo- orvideo-sharing pages, or other areas of the Site through which users can supply information or material. However, we reserve the right at all times, in our sole discretion, to screen content submitted by users and to edit, move, delete, and/or refuse to accept any content that in our judgment violates these or is otherwise unacceptable or inappropriate, whether for legal or other reasons. , , , , , , 91k shares SHARE TWEET SMS SEND EMAIL Related Stories Comments
