Many colleges and universities require freshman students to live on campus which typically means living in a dorm room and eating in the dining hall. If that is the case, then you won’t need much in the way of cooking equipment (which you won’t have room for anyway).
There is no reason for you to eat ramen noodles every night, to fill your pantry with boxes of fluorescent orange mac and cheese, or to be on a first-name-basis with the pizza delivery guy. With the right tools and trusted standbys, cooking on your own can be done quickly, cheaply and, most importantly, can be healthy (or at least healthier.)
This is the first post in a series geared specifically at high school seniors and college freshmen preparing for apartment living. Over the next weeks, we will cover the appliances, pots and pans, and utensils you will need to set up your college kitchen. We will expound upon how to stock your cupboards, explain some fundamental cooking techniques, and even give you a few simple recipes to get you started on your way to sustaining yourself in a healthy and economical way. In the meantime, we have assigned a homework assignment to get you thinking about learning to feed yourself.
Homework: Begin reading the food packaging of food items you frequently eat. Read the nutritional information and pay special attention to preparation instructions. Think about how you would prepare these dishes if you were on your own.