<prompt> Human: I live in America, and its very easy to just choose to eat out while spending my days at school, because it seems much easier than to 1 pack a lunch, and 2 pack a lunch that will stay taste good hours after packing.But, this is such a money waste that I would appreciate any ideas that you have or did while in college to conserve money and eat well.  <response>: What do you have access to? A microwave, an oven, a cooler, a thermos? The more ways you can heat food, or keep it warm, the better youll be. First thing to keep in mind is that there are a few ugly truths about American food economics.1. Its always cheaper to cook and buy in bulk. So, cook a casserole that would feed 8, and freeze 12 of it. Eat it for 4 meals one week, and 4 the next.2. Grains are the cheapest way to get calories, followed by meat. Veggies and nuts are very expensive on a per calorie basis. 3. Processed food is usually cheaper per calorie than whole foods. So, the take away from those two items is that if you want to eat fresh, healthy food, its going to cost you. If you want to eat as cheaply as possible, youre going to have to sacrifice healthiness, freshness, and or both. Now, food ideas that taste decent at a reasonable cost.1. Pasta pasta and sauce is cheap2. Canned Soup. Some sucks, some is decent3. 1950s 1960s style casseroles. Usually combines canned soups with pasta coincidentally but can be very tasty.4. Pizza, especially home made.5. Home made soup Freeze and reheat6. Rice based dishes Dont freeze well7. Anything with hamburger meat or chicken cheaper meats. 