I've never been a big cook, but I'm realizing that if I want to eat healthy and on a budget it's time to start cooking for myself. I'm really liking the idea of whole foods. My biggest problem is that I have no clue what to make. I looked through a few of the Superfoods books, but I didn't see many recipes that I would use.

I'm a working college student, so I need things that are fairly quick to make or can be stored for a few days. I'm also looking for recipes that can easily be cut down to one or two servers. Can anyone point me in the direction of something like a good book of recipes or a website?

I don't have book to suggest, but I can tell you some of the things I make and I'm feeding two people.

I do lasagna with whole wheat noodles, low fat ricotta, organic extra lean ground beef, organic part skim mozerella cheese and spinach (on my half, in with the cheese). Cook the noodles, steam the spinach, layer it up with some pasta sauce and into the over at about 350 for 45 minutes. I do one in a 8x8 pan so it does four big slices.

Also just did chicken nuggets - chicken breast, cut up, dipped in egg white, little bit of garlic powder, then breadcrumbs and cook in olive oil for a few moments just to get the skin to stay on and then bake the rest of the way. 300 degrees for 12-15 minutes (my oven is also really hot). I used organic honey as a dipping sauce.

And whenever I have leftover meat from making meat (can use turkey, ground beef) with whole wheat pasta I make burgers (onions, green pepper, egg white and breadcrumbs) to freeze. Same combination also makes meatballs.

Tonight is homemade pizza on a small whole wheat pita for the crust. Top it up with veggies, pizza sauce and cheese and toss it in the oven. It won't take too long.

As you tell, we eat meat for dinner pretty much nightly but I do try and switch it up. Throw tons of veggies with a little of any of the above and it does a pretty good supper.

Some of others in the forum who eat less or no meat should be able to suggest some other options.

I can come up with some specific recipes/ideas soon, but I'm about to go work out so I'll make this quick...

If you want quick and easy, and for one person, you could try cooking family-sized batches of things that can be frozen and re-heated. Look up web sites online for "once a month cooking" - even if you only have a small freezer and would never cook for a whole month in advance, it will give you a good idea of what things freeze well. You can do it with many casseroles, baked pasta dishes, soups... you can save single servings of cooked taco-seasoned meat, meatballs, burgers... you can freeze single servings of meat (like 1 chicken breast) in a freezer bag with marinade so that it marinates as it thaws.

No particular recipes, but if you got together with several friends and split the cost of groceries, freezer bags/containers, etc. You could take a day all of you helping out make several dishes and split between you so that you all have a variety of foods but nobody uses their entire freezer, etc. so that rather than reduce the size of a recipe you just split it up between all of you.

My daughter and I have done this several times and it's been a lifesaver when I just don't feel like cooking.