Managing cooking in college

Anna Ligorio

Staff Writer

Tis semester, don’t let the small space of a dorm or an apartment limit you from creating big things in the kitchen.

While college dorms and apartments are notoriously small, students can still manage to eat healthy and diverse meals without the luxury of a fully equipped cooking space — they just need to learn how.

According to Laura Kleiber, a Pittsburghbased registered dietician and 2019 Pitt alumna, some students struggle with making good meals in college because of the stark adjustment from home life to dorm life.

“College is the frst time that a lot of people are out on their own and in charge of making meals for themselves for the frst time,” Kleiber said. “A lot of kids that age can struggle with going out and buying groceries and fguring out what they should have for dinner every day.”

Although it can be an overwhelming transition at frst, Kleiber said students can still manage to cook healthy meals in a small apartment or dorm kitchen.

While college dorms and apartments are notoriously small, students can still manage to eat healthy and diverse meals without the luxury of a fully equipped cooking space. Kaycee Orwig AssistAnt VisuAl Editor

“As a college student, you’re probably living in a dorm with a shared kitchen or a small kitchenette,” Kleiber said. “Tere’s defnitely limited options, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to be unhealthy.”

For any student, the frst step for efcient cooking is getting the right appliances. Besides the standard minifridge and microwave, Kleiber also recommended a miniblender. Depending on where you live, she also recommended investing in a slow cooker, a toaster oven and a meat thermometer for more advanced meals.

But before cooking, you’re going to need ingredients. Kleiber recommends going to the store with a grocery list to save both time and money.

“Go grocery shopping with a list and stick to it,” Kleiber said. “If you are doing meal planning, you will know exactly what you need to grab, so it will be helpful for your wallet and also be helpful with your food waste.”

When it comes to cooking meals, planning your meals in advance is the best way to go in college, according to Kleiber. See Cooking on page 30