Eating a healthy diet in college can be a real challenge. Make these easy college dinner meals and have fun cooking easy dishes that will keep you healthy.
With Easy College Dinners, you’re not wasting time in the kitchen. And you’re eating healthy home-cooked meals.
So it’s a win-win situation.
Today I’m sharing 27 Easy College Dinners. Not only are they good for beginner cooks, but they taste amazing too.
So what are you waiting for? Let’s start cooking!
1. Honey Chicken Wings
Credit: allnutritious.com
For these Honey Chicken Wings, all you need are 3 simple ingredients.
Mix your chicken wings with Italian seasoning. Next, put them on a foil-lined baking sheet.
This baking sheet here should be able to handle all your wings. Then bake for around 45 minutes.
Finish your wings by drizzling them with honey.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 527
- Fats: 37g
- Protein: 26g
- Carbs: 23g
- Fiber: 2g
- Sugar: 6.2g
2. One Pan Mexican Quinoa
Credit: veganhuggs.com
This One Pan Mexican Quinoa is vibrant and colorful.
You’ve got the spiciness of the poblano peppers and the acidity from the fire-roasted tomatoes. You’ve also got the sweetness of the corn and the creaminess of the avocados.
And the beans make it so filling.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 482g
- Fats: 13g
- Protein: 20g
- Carbs: 63g
- Sugar: 5g
3. Ginger Spinach Soup
Credit: recipesfromapantry.com
This Ginger Spinach Soup is creamy, silky, and packed with antioxidants.
Ginger has many medicinal properties. It is anti-inflammatory.
To give the soup its silkiness, blend your hot soup using an immersion blender.
You can use this immersion blender here for soups, shakes, and even yummy smoothies.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 201
- Fats: 13g
- Protein: 7g
- Carbs: 19g
- Fiber: 5g
- Sugar: 10g
4. Brussel Sprouts with Bacon
Credit: allnutritious.com
Brussels Sprouts are chock-full of Vitamin C.
Just ½ a cup of cooked Brussels Sprouts provides 80% of your daily needs.
Brussels Sprouts can be pretty bitter. And no one likes bitter food.
That’s where my Brussels Sprouts with Bacon fit in.
Check out more 200 calorie recipes.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 251
- Fats: 18g
- Protein: 7.6g
- Carbs: 17g
- Fiber: 5g
- Sugar: 8.6g
5. Instant Pot Chicken Stir Fry
Credit: mondayismeatloaf.com
Studies show that college students are eating enough fruits and veggies.
This Instant Pot Chicken Stir Fry contains not just one but 3 different veggies: broccoli, cucumbers, and red bell peppers.
To make this Stir Fry, you’ll be using an Instant Pot.
You can get a high-quality Instant Pot at a reasonable price here.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 426
- Fats: 11g
- Protein: 35g
- Carbs: 48g
- Fiber: 7g
- Sugar: 11g
6. Chicken and Chorizo Tray Bake
Credit: healthylittlefoodies.com
Can’t decide whether to have sausages or chicken tonight? With this Tray Bake, you can have both.
What I love most about this dish is how nutritious it is. It provides more than 300% of your daily Vitamin A needs.
And it provides more than 80% of your daily Vitamin C needs.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 613
- Fats: 39g
- Protein: 36g
- Carbs: 29g
- Fiber: 5g
- Sugar: 8g
7. Spinach Tomato Salad with Feta Cheese
Credit: allnutritious.com
My Spinach Tomato Salad with Feta Cheese is a great Meatless Monday dinner idea.
It’s refreshing, vibrant, and full of Mediterranean flavors. You’ve got feta cheese, red onions, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach, and pumpkin seeds.
And they’re all tossed in my sweet and tangy homemade dressing. Check out more 300 calorie recipes.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 315
- Fats: 27g
- Protein: 5.8g
- Carbs: 10.3g
- Fiber: 2.7g
- Sugar: 7.9g
8. Instant Pot Mexican Rice and Chicken
Credit: flavormosaic.com
This Chicken and Rice dish makes 8 servings. So, you have plenty of leftovers for the week.
To keep your food fresh and prevent food waste, make sure you store it in quality food storage containers.
Glass food storage containers like this are my top choice.
These BPA-free plastic containers work well too.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 324
- Fats: 9g
- Protein: 29g
- Carbs: 30g
- Fiber: 1g
- Sugar: 1g
9. Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli
Credit: flavormosaic.com
Are you missing Chinese takeout? Have this Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli instead.
It’s spicy, saucy, umami, sweet, and savory. Crunchy broccoli melds with tender, saucy beef.
It’s definitely restaurant-quality eats.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 471
- Fats: 21g
- Protein: 27g
- Carbs: 45g
- Fiber: 3g
- Sugar: 12g
10. Hummus Flatbread with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Pesto
Credit: theroastedroot.net
This Hummus Flatbread has a ton of pleasant Mediterranean flavors. You’ve got toasted flatbread smeared with hummus.
Then it’s topped with sauteed spinach, pine nuts, and sundried tomatoes. And it’s all drizzled with a creamy, nutty pesto sauce.
An entire flatbread contains less than 400 calories – much less than a small pizza.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 397
- Fats: 22g
- Protein: 12g
- Carbs: 40g
- Fiber: 5g
- Sugar: 4g
11. Herb Crusted Salmon
Credit: allnutritious.com
To relieve stress, it’s essential to exercise.
Exercise produces endorphins which reduces your stress levels.
But post-workout, you just want to relax and perhaps catch some Netflix.
My Herb Crusted Salmon takes only 10 minutes to prepare, then you pop it in the oven.
Twenty minutes later, dinner is served. It’s juicy, herby, and garlicky.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 333
- Fats: 20g
- Protein: 27g
- Carbs: 8.3g
- Fiber: 2.7g
- Sugar: 6.2g
12. Honey Mustard Salmon
Credit: inthekitch.net
Are you looking for a super quick dinner? This Honey Mustard Salmon is an excellent option
It takes only 15 minutes to make.
The combination of honey and Dijon mustard adds heat, as well as sweet notes to the savory of the salmon.
Check out more low calorie recipes.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 236
- Fats: 11g
- Protein: 23g
- Carbs: 10g
- Fiber: 1g
- Sugar: 9g
13. Asian Beef Bowl
Credit: eatbeautiful.net
Craving Chinese food? Try this Asian Beef Bowl.
To keep things simple, feel free to use pre-packaged cauliflower rice like this. Or, you can make yours from scratch.
All you need to do is chop some cauliflower then, pulse in a food processer until rice-like. This food processor has a pretty large capacity.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 426
- Fats: 36g
- Protein: 21g
- Carbs: 3g
- Fiber: 1g
- Sugar: 1g
14. Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowl
Credit: plantprosperous.com
This Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowl makes plant-based eating so much easier.
And it tastes good too. It’s a concoction of quinoa, chickpeas, spinach, sweet potatoes, and broccoli.
It’s all topped with a homemade jalapeno avocado sauce for extra flavor.
Besides being high in protein, this Bowl is rich in fiber.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 589
- Fats: 33g
- Protein: 18g
- Carbs: 64g
- Fiber: 19g
- Sugar: 18g
15. Mexican Bean Salad
Credit: allnutritious.com
Black beans, corn, red onions, cherry tomatoes, and bell peppers are tossed in a Mexican-inspired vinaigrette.
To make this salad, you will need beans cooked from dry. However, you can also use canned beans too.
Just make sure you rinse them first. Or use No Salt Added Black Beans like this instead.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 287
- Fats: 10g
- Protein: 12g
- Carbs: 39g
- Fiber: 13g
- Sugar: 4.7g
16. Vegan Miso Soup
Credit: namelymarly.com
This Vegan Miso Soup is perfect for cold nights. It’s flavorful, nourishing, and soothing.
The addition of the nori adds a pleasant umami flavor. Nori is packed with vitamins too.
If you need to stock up on some nori, you can get some here.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 139
- Fats: 6g
- Protein: 13g
- Carbs: 9g
- Fiber: 2g
- Sugar: 3g
17. Tofu Panzanella Salad
Credit: fitmealideas.com
Panzanella Salad is typically made with tomatoes, onions, and soaked stale bread.
With this Panzanella Salad, you’re using tofu in place of the soaked stale bread. By using tofu, you make this salad rich in protein.
To get the tofu crispy, just use a tofu press. This one here is BPA-free.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 277
- Fats: 9g
- Protein: 23g
- Carbs: 26g
- Fiber: 5g
- Sugar: 14g
18. Cold Cucumber Soup
Credit: fitmealideas.com
This Cold Cucumber Soup is refreshing, creamy, and delicious.
It’s effortless to cook too.
All you have to do is place your ingredients in a high-speed blender. Then blend until it becomes creamy.
With this blender here, you won’t need to stir or shake your soup.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 96
- Fats: 1g
- Protein: 14g
- Carbs: 9g
- Fiber: 1g
- Sugar: 6g
19. Taco Soup
Credit: spendwithpennies.com
Are you tired of tacos for Taco night? Have some Taco Soup instead.
You’ve got taco-seasoned beef, pinto beans, corn, green chile peppers in a tomato-based beef broth.
Oone batch makes 8 servings. So, it’s perfect for meal prep.
Want even more Mexican flavor? Add toppings like jalapeno, salsa, or guacamole.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 202
- Fats: 3g
- Protein: 19g
- Carbs: 24g
- Fiber: 7g
- Sugar: 3g
20. Zucchini Pasta
Credit: lowcarbquick.com
This Zucchini Pasta is bursting with Italian flavors.
Making zucchini noodles is easier than you think. Simply chop off the end of your zucchini.
Then put the zucchini in a spiralizer, and spiralize away. This spiralizer is made with cutlery grade stainless steel, which makes it very strong.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 111
- Fats: 5g
- Protein: 6g
- Carbs: 13g
- Fiber: 3g
- Sugar: 8g
21. Curried Chickpeas with Spinach
Credit: budgetbytes.com
These Curried Chickpeas are not only affordable, but it’s also good for you too.
The mixture of spices is on point. You’ve got some savory from the onions and garlic.
And the ginger adds a pleasant heat. Meanwhile, the tomato sauce adds acidity.
The spinach adds freshness. And the chickpeas make the curry so filling.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 439
- Fats: 14.8g
- Protein: 21.3g
- Carbs: 62.03g
- Fiber: 21.55g
- Sugar:
22. Black Bean Chilli
Credit: budgetbytes.com
When you come back, you deserve something warm. This Black Bean Chili is precisely what the doctor ordered.
It’s meaty, chunky, and spicy. And it’s so comforting too – you’ll definitely be glad that you made it.
To make it even yummier, top it with crispy tortilla strips. Yum!
Per Serving:
- Calories: 414
- Fats: 8.3
- Protein: 27
- Carbs: 61.3
- Fiber: 23.25
- Sugar:
23. Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad
Credit: joyfulhealthyeats.com
Need dinner on the table in 1, 2, 3? Make this Salad.
It’s vibrant, refreshing, and full of Lebanese flavors. The bell peppers add a pleasant crunch that complements the fluffiness of the quinoa.
And the fresh parsley and mint put this salad over the top.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 136
- Fats: 5g
- Protein: 3g
- Carbs: 19g
- Fiber: 2g
- Sugar: 3g
24. Veggie Fried Rice
Credit: cookieandkate.com
Looking for a tasty way to get your veggies in? Make this Veggie Fried Rice.
It looks and tastes terrific. And it has a ton of veggies: carrots, snow peas, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, bell peppers, and peas.
You’d make your mom proud.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 400
- Fats: 16.9g
- Protein: 11.5g
- Carbs: 54.4g
- Fiber: 11.6g
- Sugar: 24.9g
25. Instant Pot 3 Cup Chicken
Credit: cookinginchinglish.com
This 3 Cup Chicken offers a Chinese spin on your traditional chicken dinner.
The chicken is saucy, savory, and had lots of umami flavors. And the ginger adds a touch of heat.
So, to lower the sodium level, simply use low sodium soy sauce like this instead.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 412
- Fats: 28g
- Protein: 29g
- Carbs: 8g
- Fiber: 1g
- Sugar: 4g
26. Stir Fry Beef Ramen Noodles
Credit: saltandlavender.com
Ramen noodles are a college student’s best friend. They’re tasty and easy to make.
And best of all, they’re cheap too.
These Stir Fry Beef Ramen Noodles are a definite upgrade. They’re creamy, saucy, nutty, spicy, and savory.
And the ground beef makes it so filling.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 470
- Fats: 16g
- Protein: 32g
- Carbs: 47g
- Fiber: 2g
- Sugar: 4g
27. Sweet Potato Kale Frittata
Credit: eatingbirdfood.com
This Sweet Potato Kale Frittata is not only great for dinner but for breakfast too. You can even have it for lunch too.
It’s fluffy, moist, and cheesy. And the combination of kale, red onions, and sweet potatoes make it savory yet sweet.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 285
- Fats: 14g
- Protein: 15g
- Carbs: 19g
- Fiber: 3g
- Sugar: 5g