another thing that works well for college kids is if you send him with frozen marinated meat, portioned out so he can just fry up a batch easily.

I think I ate ramen and canned soup in college, when I wasn't eating in the dining hall or ordering pizza.

Your kid is way ahead of the game I guess, but I would keep it EXTREMELY simple.

I think the burritos and omelet ideas and stellar. Similar, quesadillas, bagel pizzas, basic how to make pasta stuff. Teach him how to cook a basic burger in the skillet, and how to fry bacon.

I'll echo pp's suggestions of writing down some family recipes.

Also, you may suggest to him a dinner club...well, that's what we called it during my college summer programs. Monday through Thursday a group of my friends took turns cooking dinner. There were 10 of us, so you only had to cook once every 10 days, and once you are cooking for one, it's often just as easy to cook for a group. We ate at the apartment of whomever was cooking, and it was optional to show up unless it was your night to cook. We all tended to make family recipes, which with a diverse group of friends meant that I got to try all sorts of different types of food.

When I left for college many many years ago, mom gave me a book called "Where's mom now that I need her" It had a section of easy to make recipies, a section of cleaning (ways to get out stains, ect) and some other things.

I would also recommend that you write down some of his favorites that you make. Nothing is better than Mom's cooking when you are first away from home, even if mom isn't there to make it.

Get him a good chili recipe, and a couple good pasta recipes (baked ziti, lasagna). All are super easy, filling, and will make several meals at once.

Anonymous wrote:am i the only one really surprised a college kid will do that much cooking on his own???

even as a college kid who loved cooking, I almost never had the time or energy to do it. plus, with so many friends around, eating was a social time to meet up and go out.

I lived off campus my senior year and cooked dinner most days but I was not making chicken soup or meatballs. I think I lived on pasta, omelets and hot pockets! And candy and beer. This was way before healthy eating!

Try "The Healthy College Cookbook".