• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Law School Toolbox®

All the tools you need for law school success

  • Tutoring
  • Courses
    • Start Law School Right
  • Job Help
  • Law School 101
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • About

Fast, Healthy, and Cheap Eating in Law School

October 15, 2015 By Ben Nelson Leave a Comment

Eating in Law School With a barrage of social events, adjusting to a new city, and the Socratic method to worry about, what to eat is usually one of the last things on law students’ minds when they get to law school. Most people I knew—myself included—lived on pizza, deli sandwiches, and Chinese food for at least the first few weeks.

Many of us continued this pattern for the first semester (and even all of law school), taking full advantage (Tupperware included) of the free pizza that was given out everyday at lunchtime lectures in the law school. There was an unwritten code that you couldn’t just come to the lecture for five minutes and leave with the pizza, but many people did just that. If you were really lucky, you might find a so-called “non-pizza lunch.” This was advertised prominently in the flier for the event in order to encourage people to attend.

Even though pizza is a vegetable, my choice to subsist on a diet primarily of pizza and croissants was a definite mistake. I needed all the energy I could get to figure out a new way of learning a completely new subject area (which felt like repeatedly attempting to dunk on a regulation basketball hoop and falling on my face each time). Plus, constantly eating out was a huge strain on my non-existent income.

The Appliance that Changed My Life

What I learned eventually was that my food needed to pass the fast, healthy, and cheap test so that I could spend more time studying. So what were my go-to options in law school? Given that I stopped eating meat in my second year, it really varied from beginning to end, but there was one appliance that completely changed my life: a Hamilton Beach 33565 Simplicity 6-Quart Slow Cooker.

If you haven’t cooked with a slow cooker, then law school is the time to get one because they really save a ton of time. Normally when you cook, you need to spend a fair amount of time preparing things and then there’s a long wait for the food to cook on a pan. A slow cooker may take five hours to produce food, but does all the actual cooking itself while you’re at class or studying in the library. The other great thing about a slow cooker is that it can make a ton of food at once. I would make a dish or two at the beginning of the week and then eat those dishes for the next week or so. Instant T.V. dinners!

Now, what do you put in your slow cooker? This depends on your personal preferences. I would often make a ton of cauliflower, broccoli, or cabbage. At first, I would take the time to season the vegetables and add onions, tomatoes, or garlic, but I quickly got lazy.

Soon, my food situation degenerated to where I would spend five minutes chopping up a cabbage and just throw it in there by itself. There’s a right way and a wrong way to use a slow cooker, and I certainly don’t suggest following my lead. My “dish” certainly passed the fast, healthy, and cheap test, but is not something that I would ever want to eat again.

But food made with a slow cooker can also be tasty. I’ve had friends make really tender meat dishes. If you use chicken, then those dishes can be healthy too. Since law school, I’ve continued to use the slow cooker to make hearty stews and vegetarian chili. These take about twenty minutes to prepare and then cook themselves in the slow cooker in a few hours.

If you’re in need of some other ideas, check out The Indian Slow Cooker: 50 Healthy, Easy, Authentic Recipes. The book and the slow cooker together will only run you about $53. What a steal!

— – —

Want more law school tips? Sign up for our free mailing list today.

Other helpful law school tips:

  • You Are What You Eat: Eating Well in Law School 
  • Want to Get Good Law School Grades – Become a Self-Starter
  • All The Supplies You Need to Start Law School Right
  • How to Think Like a Successful Law Student

Photo Credit: Shutterstock


 

Looking for some help to do your best in law school? Find out about our law school tutoring options.


About Ben Nelson

Ben Nelson was a law school and California bar exam tutor for Law School Toolbox and Bar Exam Toolbox. As the oldest child of two professors, he realized from an early age that he wanted to strike out on his own. He eventually settled on law school and graduated from Columbia in 2014 as a Kent Scholar and a Stone Scholar. While in school, Ben served as the Notes Editor for the Columbia Journal of Race & Law, helping eight 2Ls conceptualize and write law review notes. In 2016, he will be clerking for a federal district court judge.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

  • Podcast
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

About Us

If you find law school tough, you are not alone! The Law School Toolbox team is here to help you through it. Check out our helpful free content, podcasts, courses and one-on-one tutoring. Thanks for stopping by and drop us a line if you have any questions. We also invite you to join our weekly mailing list, for advice right to your inbox.

Recent Posts

How to Get Strong Law School Recommendations

How to Get Strong Law School Recommendations

Recommendation letters, in addition to your personal statement and resume, are a vital part of the qualitative portion of your law school application. … Read More about How to Get Strong Law School Recommendations

Podcast Microphone

Podcast Episode 353: Tips for a Successful Callback Interview (w/Sadie Jones)

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we have ex-BigLaw recruiter Sadie Jones with us to discuss how to prepare for the second round … Read More about Podcast Episode 353: Tips for a Successful Callback Interview (w/Sadie Jones)

Library Etiquette for 1Ls

Library Etiquette for 1Ls

For many law students, law school is one of the first times that you’re really forced to put a significant amount of effort into your studying. … Read More about Library Etiquette for 1Ls

Podcast Microphone

Podcast Episode 352: Listen and Learn — Best Evidence Rule

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're focusing on an important topic in Evidence – the Best Evidence Rule, which requires a … Read More about Podcast Episode 352: Listen and Learn — Best Evidence Rule

So You Want to go to Law School. What Should You Do Next?

So You Want to go to Law School. What Should You Do Next?

Deciding you want to go to law school, whether you’re still in college, a few years out, or well into your career, is a huge moment. Maybe you’ve … Read More about So You Want to go to Law School. What Should You Do Next?

Want Better Law School Grades?

Sign Up for Our Exam Tips!

Footer

  • Podcast
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Tutoring
  • Courses
  • Job Help
  • About
  • Contact
  • Login
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Refunds

Copyright 2022 Law School Toolbox®™