Written by Olivia Longoria. Graphic by Sofia Ritz.
If the title of this article already scares you, don’t worry. This page will not mention a cutting board, a multiple-pan meal or anything of the like. There is nothing worse than seeing a TikTok captioned “lazy girl dinner” and the first step is cutting an onion. Nothing about that is lazy. What’s actually lazy is “chopping” a carrot by biting it with my teeth because I don’t want to dirty a knife. This article is for those types of people.
It’s hard to be a student, have a social life and take care of your body. No shame! But it is important, especially during finals, to fuel yourself with good food. Here is the absolute laziest way to do so:
- Canned soup: An absolute tried and true. My personal go-to is minestrone or Italian three bean. If you can, grab one with protein.
- Emergency burrito: Spend some time in the frozen aisle of your preferred grocery store and stock up on a variety.
- Bagged salads: Kroger has a variety of pre-prepared salads that are delicious! I got to know Sunflower Crunch and Sesame Asian very well last quarter, when I did not have time to have a personality, much less cook a meal. Both are reliable, nutritious and did not make me chop anything.
- Granola: Brighter Day Natural Foods Market has a granola that will bewitch you, body and soul. Look for the maple flavor, you won’t regret it. This is perfect for when you wake up late and need to eat something while walking to class.
- Meal Deals: Fresh Market has meal deals on Thursday! You can get two meals (each with an entrée and two sides) for 6 bucks.
- Everything but the Kitchen Sink Roast: This works especially well with the fall produce that I know you have going bad in your fridge. Pre-chopped brussels sprouts, half a bell pepper that I took a bite of, some carrots and a can of chickpeas. Put them all on a baking sheet with olive oil and whatever seasoning you want. Roast, and eat (probably directly off the baking sheet, no need to dirty a plate at a time like this).
- Honorable Mention – Liquid IV: Most students have an emotional support water bottle. Take it a step further by tossing some electrolytes in there- can’t hurt!
Once finals have finished, when you’re due for some bed-rotting and your body is begging you for a more substantial meal, I highly recommend splurging on the Chicken Claypot from The Vault. This meal has brought me back to life in more ways than one, several times.
