Speaker 1: With nearly three million freshmen expected to attend college this fall, many students will live on their own for the very first time. A fresh taste of freedom served with a full plate of new responsibilities. Gail Koreshi, a registered dietitian at Cleveland Clinic Children's, says as first-year students adapt to college life, some may struggle to maintain a healthy diet. A time I remember all too well. It was a lot of pizza, it was a lot of cookies, it was a lot of eating late at night. And a lot of contributing factors to the so-called freshman 15. Where are some areas that calories like to hide and sneak into

Speaker 2: a first-year student's diet? We find hidden calories in things like alcohol. Another area is with coffee. You may get some of those extra syrup flavorings and whipped cream that's on those coffees. We see a lot of extra calories with fast food. What are three things you might advise a first-year student when it comes to eating healthy? Avoid eating late at night if at all possible and you're going to be hungry during the day, so have some healthy snacks available that are quick grab-and-go's. Another thing is to make sure you're drinking

Speaker 1: adequate water. Koreshi also recommends eating 20 to 30 grams of protein at each meal, which equals about three ounces of chicken breast or lean beef. This is where you live when you're in college. We've called on chef, TV personality, and senior food editor for Budget Bites, Monty Carlo. Monty, class is in session. Clearly we got the assignment. You're at Kale University. Okay, School of Hard Knocks. Yes, I'm representing University of San Francisco. So you say that when kids are off on their own for the first time, often cooking on a budget,

Speaker 3: you got to start with an A-plus grocery list. You have to start with an A-plus grocery list and the best part is it's a really cheesy, easy one. Let's go. Let's start with fresh fruits and vegetables. It's important to eat nutritiously, but this stuff is expensive and it doesn't always last a long time. No, it doesn't. This has the life of like a Disney star. What, like 24 hours? But the best deal for you when you want berries in your life is to go frozen. These fresh blueberries cost about five

Speaker 1: bucks a pound, but for the same price, you can buy three times that amount frozen, adding them to oatmeal, yogurt, or smoothies. Let's talk about packaged produce. What's your tip here?

Speaker 3: Do not do it. It's a no-no? No, come on. You're gonna pay like $5 for four little pieces of corn when you could buy this for 59 cents a pop, right? Just peel it, bro. It's not that hard and if you have a microwave, you have

Speaker 1: fabulous fresh corn. Carlo, who teaches college cooking classes, says when it comes to appliances, every dorm room or apartment also needs a

Speaker 3: coffee pot. You can use it to make soups. You can use it to make eggs. Anything that you would stew or heat up in a pot, you can make in a coffee pot.

Speaker 1: The next part of our lesson, a study of pot deals on

Speaker 3: frozen meals. A staple of college life is pizza, but you don't want to be dialing that pizza delivery company. One pepperoni pizza is $17. You can get three for $10. Carlo suggests stocking up on a

Speaker 1: variety of store brand frozen vegetables to use as pizza toppings. Is it starting to feel kind of gourmet? Okay. Or as a way to help another college

Speaker 3: classic earn some extra credit. Are you ready for the pop quiz? I guess so. Which country consumes the most ramen per person per year? USA? No. Vietnam. Yeah. We love our ramen. Costing three bucks for

Speaker 1: six servings, Carlo partially cooks the noodles and divides them into mason jars with the veggies.

Speaker 3: When you're ready to eat, you add a little water, a little broth, you put it in the microwave, and you're set.

Speaker 1: So you just pre-make these ramen jars? Yes. Using your noodle to find a cart full of savings. Winning. Class dismissed. Other budget-friendly tips? Make a list and stick to it. Consider shopping store brands and always download the store's app which can provide additional savings. When it comes to meat, shop the less popular cuts like chicken thighs or sirloin tip steaks and add beans to meat dishes. More bulk and protein. And if you have enough room in your freezer, stock up when you spot those deals. You can freeze all kinds of things like milk, bread, and eggs after you scramble them. Guys? All right. Good advice. We're strolling down memory lane.

Speaker 3: I bought noodles and pasta sauce. I don't know if I ever bought a single vegetable

Speaker 4: when I was in college. At NYU, my cafeteria lady was the Adam Sandler lunch lady from the Adam Sandler song. So I just wanted to spend time in the cafeteria all day long.

Speaker 5: I'll be there after the show. I love that.