Most college students don’t have the space or money to have a fully stocked spice rack. So to make the most of your limited space and funds, here are some versatile seasonings that you should have to keep your meals tasting good.

Salt and Pepper

spices

Photo by Daniel Schuleman

Essential to cooking anything. If you don’t have these in your kitchen already, you probably don’t do any cooking.

Mrs Dash

spices

Courtesy of ThriftyTexan

One of my favorite seasonings. They are salt free and come in a variety of blends. Some of my favorites are original, extra spicy and garlic and herb. It’s not too pricy and it eliminates the need for getting 10 different spices while keeping your meals well seasoned and interesting. McCormick’s has a similar line of salt free spice blends as well.

Curry Powder

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Courtesy of David Van Horn

I personally love curry flavor so this is a staple in my spice cabinet. I like to mix this in with stir fry or rice to add some different flavor to otherwise plain dishes. They come in different types of curry flavors so try a few and find your favorite! Try adding a sprinkle to rice for a unique and tasty boost of flavor.

Old Bay Seasoning

old bay seasoning

Courtesy of Jody Bart

Labeled as a seasoning mainly used for meats, I like to season any type of meal with it. Also try sprinkling some on french fries for a little twist on standard fries. Wanna add some flair to tuna salad or mayo for your sandwich? Mix in some Old Bay to upgrade a plain tasting dish or spread.

Adobo Seasoning

Goya Adobo

Courtesy of Oscar Rohena

Adobo seasoning is something I recently discovered and is up there with my Mrs Dash as must have spices in my kitchen. I literally put this seasoning on anything savory that I cook so I buy the extra large container that lasts a few months. This has a good amount of sodium in it so don’t sprinkle on too much and you may want to go light on the salt.

Another thing you can do is to share the cost of spices among roommates so you can have a better collection of spices while saving you and your roommates a few dollars. What are some of your essential spices and blends that you have in your college kitchen?