One of the most impor­tant parts of my col­lege expe­ri­ence has been the food co-op that I cooked and ate in for three years. The chal­lenge of prepar­ing a healthy meal for 30 peo­ple based on the some­times lim­ited ingre­di­ents that were avail­able, while also pro­vid­ing for the veg­ans, the lac­tose intol­er­ants and a host of other spe­cific dietary needs, brought out a cer­tain kind of focus and drive that I was sel­dom capa­ble of out­side of that kitchen.

Here’s a few pieces of advice, and maybe some good anec­dotes too, for plan­ning and prepar­ing meals for a large group.