If you are heading to college, you’ve probably heard of the Freshman 15– a term commonly used to describe the weight gain that many young adults experience as they learn to adjust to the challenges that campus life presents.
The good news is that – with a little planning – you can avoid becoming a member of that infamous club!
Living away from home presents you with the unique opportunity to hone your cooking skills at an early age and develop good nutritious habits that will help you stay healthy for life!
To help make your transition to campus life easier, we wanted to share a few of our favorite Vegetarian Recipes that you can easily make in your dorm whenever the munchies strike!
The best news?
These recipes are also perfect for apartment dwellers and anyone who wants to whip up a quick and tasty meal!
Recipe – Twice Baked Southwestern Sweet Potato
If you are like most Americans, you probably enjoy potatoes – the average person eats 142 pounds of potatoes a year! However, not every potato recipe gets a passing grade when it comes to good nutrition and health!
We transformed the ever popular Stuffed Potato – a tasty dish that is often laden with unhealthy, caloric toppings – into an healthy, A+ meal by substituting the standard Russet Potato with a Sweet Potato because of its high Vitamin A content – 18,869 IU compared to 6 IU in the white potato – to improve your vision, immune system, and skin health.
We then added some healthy fillings and infused it with savory Southwestern flavors to make this a dish that you can’t resist!
Ingredients
1 Large Sweet Potato
1/4 Cup Low Sodium Black Beans
1/4 Cup Frozen Sweet Corn
1/8 Teaspoon Cumin
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
1/2 Teaspoon Paprika
1/4 Teaspoon Chili Powder
2 Tablespoons Low Fat Mozzarella Cheese
1 Pat Butter
Instructions
1. Wash the exterior of the sweet potato and puncture it in several places with a fork.
2. Place the sweet potato in a microwave-safe dish.
3. Microwave the sweet potato until it’s soft – approximately 10 minutes. The exact time will vary depending on the size of your sweet potato and the power of your microwave.
4. Remove the sweet potato from the microwave and cut a lengthwise slit into the potato.
5. Scoop out the inside of the sweet potato, leaving the shell intact.
6. In a small bowl, mix the scooped-out portion of the sweet potato with the butter and spices, adjusting the seasoning according to your desired flavor palate.
7. Drain the black beans and sweet corn as needed and add them to the sweet potato mixture.
8. Scoop the sweet potato and vegetable mixture back into the potato shell.
9. Microwave the sweet potato for two minutes.
10. Remove the sweet potato mixture from the microwave and sprinkle with low-fat cheese.
11. Microwave for an additional 45 seconds.
Remove the Twice Baked Southwestern Sweet Potato from the microwave and enjoy!
Recipe – Flavorful Vegetable Quesadillas
Once upon a time, Quesadillas were considered primarily a Mexican food staple. Now, Quesadillas are in such demand in so many parts of the country – particularly in the Southwestern United States – that they rival the grilled cheese sandwich in popularity!
Our Flavorful Vegetable Quesadillas are brimming with vegetables and nutrients and bursting with flavor! Once you try them – you’ll find it hard to go back to regular grilled cheese on toast!
Ingredients
1 Tortilla*
1/4 Cup Red Peppers
1/4 Cup Green Peppers
1/4 Cup Red Onions
1/4 Cup Sweet Corn
1/3 Cup Low Fat Mexican Blend Cheese
*We used Mission Wraps Garden Spinach Herb Tortilla for extra goodness – but feel free to choose the healthiest tortilla available to you!
Instructions
1. Place the vegetables on a microwave safe dish and cover it.
2. Cook in microwave on high for 2 minutes until the onions begin to turn translucent.
3. Lay out the tortilla and place half of the cheese on one half of the tortilla.
4. Place the vegetables over the cheese and cover the vegetables with the remainder of the cheese.
5. Fold the tortilla in half and cover it with a damp paper towel to keep the tortilla moist.
6. Microwave for 2 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted.
Enjoy your Veggie Quesadillas!
A Few Extra Tips
1. Top with Salsa or Pico De Gallo for extra flavor.
2. If you have access to a hot plate, you can toast your Quesadillas to make them even more delicious!
For more great ideas about college living, visit the College Life section of the ForRent.Com blog!
This article was originally published at ForRent.Com.
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Twitter: Xmasdolly
says:
Where do you get all these yummies? This one looks really tasty. Thanks for sharing girlfriend! 🙂 HUGS
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
My pleasure Marie – thanks for hanging out in my kitchen!
A great collection of recipes! Thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with Full Plate Thursday and have a great weekend!
Hope to see you again real soon,
Miz Helen
Twitter: DishofDailyLife
says:
These look great! I have one that will be off to college next year! And I could eat quesadillas almost every day…love them! Thanks for linking up with us at Foodie Fridays!
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
My pleasure – thanks for stopping by! I enjoy quesadillas too and adding veggies is a good way to boost your family’s health!
Stopped by from SITS. Pinned your vegetarian recipe to our Bloggers Favorite Recipes board. Yum!
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Thanks for pinning Norine!
These recipes look good. I like cheese quesadillas and now I’m hankering for a stuffed baked potato.
Whoo these look yummy, making me hungry lol :0)
Thanks for sharing …
Thanks for sharing the sweet potato recipe. Can’t wait to try it. I’m always trying to find a way to get veggies into my husband’s diet. Stopping in from SITS. Have a great day!
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
SO know what you mean! Hope he enjoys it – here’s to good health#
Twitter: Xmasdolly
says:
I have so got to try this sounds like it would be really good. 🙂 I have a recipe linky today and a social media boost too, but mine is for Pinterest today. Won’t you come and join us and bring one of your recipes??? have a great weekend.
I enjoyed my visit to your site…thank you for the recipes, they look and bring in new possibilities for cooking. Thank you so much!
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Thanks Dante – so nice to meet you – look forward to connecting with you again!
Thanks for sharing these. I have a daughter starting college next month and she’ll be glad to have these recipes!
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Best of luck to your daughter Lynn as she starts her college journey – I hope she enjoys these recipes!
Twitter: momsvictories
says:
Yum, I wish I knew how to cook when I was in college. But if I’m wishing for things, wish I still had my college metabolism! Thanks for sharing with Small Victories Sunday linkup. Pinned to our linkup board
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
College metabolism – that makes two of us Tanya!
Thanks for pinning!
I am certainly familiar with freshman 15. We lived off pizza for breakfast, lunch and dinner the whole first semester! Your recipes are inviting and easy! Great ideas for healthy college life!
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Thanks Eva for stopping by – feel free to share and hope to see you again soon! 🙂
I love vegetarian meals and these recipes sound delicious! What a great way to avoid putting on weight in the cooler months – and of course, The Freshman 15! Thank you for sharing this post at Hearth and Soul. I’ll be featuring it at next week’s hop!
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Thank you so much April – glad you enjoyed the article and recipes and thrilled to hear that you’ll be featuring it this week at Hearth and Soul! 🙂
Yum! That sweet potato meal looks really good!
Yummy, I love baked sweet potatoes and the toppings sound wonderful! The quesadillas sound good, too. Thanks for sharing these recipes! Blessings, Janet
Great recipes!! We’ve been eating a lot less meat because it’s gotten so expensive – these will be great. Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party. Hope we see you every week!! Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Truly crazy prices – going to be a lot more Meatless Mondays in the days to come!
These look yummy and smart for anyone trying not to pack on extra pounds and who isn’t?!
I can’t wait to try both of these recipes. Pinned!
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Thanks so much for the pin, Catherine – hope you enjoy the recipes! 🙂
Great vegan recipes Ramona. Thanks bunches for sharing these with Sweet Tea & Friends this month sweet friend.
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Thanks Paula – perfect for the Meatless Monday crowd too! 🙂
Such a great collection of recipes! Thanks for sharing on SSPS, hope to see you again next week.
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Thanks Estelle – have a wonderful weekend and I’m so glad you stopped by!
Amazing, lovely dishes you have here. Thank you for sharing your links with us at #274 SSPS Linky. See you again next week.
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Thanks Esme – always appreciate you stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment! 🙂