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Good for your health and wallet.
Every Sunday, like clockwork, I walk through the sliding glass doors of my local convenience store and stroll over to an aisle I know all too well — one stocked with row after row of instant ramen.
As a kid, I begged my parents to buy Lunchables or microwavable mac and cheese. Despite my whines and attempts to drag the cart to the aisle of my dreams, my parents would always refuse. Now, as a college student with no money or cookware, the food I was never allowed to have become my entire diet. Meanwhile, the balanced, fresh meals I used to dread are now the ones I long for.
I returned to my dorm and begrudgingly began making my ramen. After a few minutes, the microwave beeped, and I felt a surge of rage. There had to be some way I could enjoy a fresh home-cooked meal with the limited cash in my wallet and no oven. Channeling that rage, I set a challenge for myself: make a nutritious meal under $4 a serving with no cooking required.
With a worn-out tote bag and a mission, I hopped on the T to visit the Daily Table, a nonprofit grocery store, for ingredients. As I looked out the trolly window, I started to think about what meal I could make. Growing up, I learned that sandwiches are quick, filling, and nutritious — if done right. Since they don’t require an oven either, they became the obvious choice for my challenge.
When I reached the Daily Table, I was greeted by an unfamiliar warmth.
“You better pay for that,” a sassy worker said to a toddler munching on a banana, running between other customer’s legs and filling the store with giggles.
A bin full of avocados, priced at $1.19 each, caught my eye, and an idea struck me: an avocado ranch chicken salad sandwich. Just the thought it had me longing for its freshness.
Curious about how healthy this meal would be, I pulled my phone out and began researching. I learned that avocados provide vitamins, monounsaturated fats, and fiber, all of which can improve heart health, vision, bone density, and digestion. Meanwhile, a chicken salad provides 17 grams of lean protein per 8 ounces.
As I was scanning through the information, the toddler from before started hugging my legs. Looking at the child, I couldn’t help but wonder why I hadn’t been treating my body the way my parents had back then.
Strolling around the store, I gathered the six ingredients I needed to make my avocado ranch chicken salad sandwich: Stonefire naan, lite ranch dressing, chicken salad, pepper jack cheese, a large tomato, and an avocado.
I walked to the checkout line, unsure of what the total would be. The cashier began ringing my items:
- Stonefire garlic naan – $2.79
- Lite ranch dressing – $2.89
- Chicken salad – $3.99
- Pack of pepper jack cheese – $3.79
- A large tomato – $1.49
- An avocado – $1.19.
I squinted at the total: $15.42. A smile spread across my face as I realized that, divided by the number of servings, it came out to $3.86 per serving, keeping me under budget.
Grocery prices in Massachusetts increased by 6.6% from 2023 to 2024, 1.6% more than the national average, according to a Datasembly report. Finding sustainable, healthy food on a small budget is difficult, but it's not impossible — something I learned while waiting at the Daily Table’s register.
Days later, my stomach growled as I walked in the brisk Boston air back to my dorm after an exhausting day of classes. The dining hall was closed, and I was left craving a fulfilling fresh meal. It was the perfect time to try out my recipe.
At home, I rushed to the kitchen, laid out my ingredients, and got to work. I had four goals: the meal needed to be sustainable, nutritious, satiating, and quick to make.
Equipped with a plate, a knife, and the ingredients, I began. I placed a piece of garlic naan on my plate as my base. Instantly, the smell of charred bread filled the room. Using a fork, I scooped out around half a container of the chicken salad and spread it across the naan.
Next, I added two slices of pepper jack cheese on top of the chicken salad.
I grabbed a small kitchen knife and diced half of the avocado and tomato. Looking at my messy cuts I reminded myself that beauty was not something my stomach cared about. I placed the avocado and tomato on top of the cheese to add a fresh flavor to the sandwich. For the finishing touch, I drizzled some lite ranch dressing.
I attempted to fold the sandwich, but the mountain of ingredients made it pretty difficult to hold together. After some effort, I managed to hold it together and immediately take a bite — my stomach jumped with joy. I began scarfing down the meal I just made. The smokiness of the naan bread complemented the freshness of the avocado, tomato, and ranch dressing. The pepper jack cheese added a spicy kick that tied everything together.
After only a few bites I was already full. Half the sandwich still sat on the table. Seeing it, my roommate, Angie, asked for a bite. She took one and looked at me: “Can I have the rest?”
