It’s oh so typical for college students to feel crunched for time. Between classes, clubs, a part-time job and socializing with friends, it can be extremely difficult to find time to cook.

It is one of the many responsibilities that adults have on a daily basis. Not only is meal prepping healthier, but it saves the typical student lots of money. Cooking on a Sunday — or any other day of the week — allows students to buy just enough food to get them through the week, and it doesn’t leave them guessing how much they need when they are standing in the grocery store.

It is easy to create healthy and well-balanced meals by prepping. Simply create a list of how much protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats, vegetables and fruits will last a week and how much of each is a healthy amount. Then simply take each food item and think about how it would fit into each meal.

It is guaranteed that each meal will be jam-packed with the perfect amount of nutrients. According to Loved by Linz, a personal blog, these items are necessary for any grocery list:

Carbohydrates

• Brown rice
• Oatmeal
• Potatoes

Proteins

• Eggs
• Greek yogurt
• Fish
• Chicken

Fruits

• Bananas
• Avocados
• Apples
• Grapes

Vegetables

• Lettuce
• Broccoli or cauliflower
• Tomatoes
• Spinach

Meal prepping also goes hand-in-hand with time management. Look at a calendar and figure out the next week. Students can pick a day of the week that works the best for them and the day where they know they can set aside a few hours of their time to cook. This will also help plan out the rest of the week for homework, clubs and free time.

One of the smartest things to do when considering meal prepping is to buy some cheap, Tupperware from Wal-Mart or Target. This way, food won’t spoil as easily. Meals can even be pre-packaged.

One of the most common arguments against meal prepping is that college students, especially those living in the dorms, don’t have enough space or the right appliances to cook. However, a microwave is really all that is needed for many meals. And there is usually a community kitchen on each floor of residence halls at Iowa State.

When creating a personal meal plan, it is important for college students to focus on their individual fitness and nutritional needs, including how many calories they should be eating each day and how often they are going to the gym and burning those calories. Also, keep in mind that a meal plan may change from time to time, which is perfectly normal.