10 Essential Cookbooks for College Students

If you never learned how to crack an egg or boil noodles, prepare to get schooled by food writer and mom of three, Katie Sullivan Morford. In her latest book, Prep: The Essential College Cookbook, Morford shares all the wisdom she'd impart unto her own college-bound kids, like the meanings of basic cooking terms, the proper way to hold a knife, ingredients you should always keep stocked in the fridge, etc. And, of course, she offers easy-to-follow recipes for everything from omelets to loaded nachos.

What foods should you eat while cramming for a test? What about after an intramural game (or a weekend spent partying)? You'll find the answers to these questions and more in The 5-Ingredient College Cookbook, which is basically like a manual for navigating your college years and surviving adulthood. Prepare to learn practical skills like how to pick produce and save money in the process, how to hold a knife and dice onions, etc.

There are two sure-fire ways to make friends in college: one, let everyone know that Chrissy Teigen is your idol, and two, make something to share from her cookbook Cravings: Recipes for All the Food You Want to Eat. With a 4.8-star rating and nearly 2,000 reviews on Amazon, this book comes highly recommended for its authenticity, simple and accessible ingredients, and comfort-food recipes that will keep you from feeling homesick.

A plant-based diet is more than doable, even on a tight budget and with limited tools; all you need is a copy of The College Vegan Cookbook. We love this one because almost all of the recipes take less than 30 minutes to prep and cook, use only budget-friendly ingredients, contain plenty of healthy proteins and include directions for various cooking methods, so you don't even need a full kitchen!