My freshman year of college, I lived in a dorm and not one of the nice, new dorms. We're talking community showers, a tiny kitchen that my whole floor shared and always looked dirty, and only really a mini fridge, microwave, and some sort of blender to work with. I was really dedicated to eating healthy, especially my first semester of college, but I wasn't sure how I was going to make it work without a stove or oven. Let me tell you, it's not always easy to think of creative ideas, but it is most definitely possible to eat healthy, yummy meals straight out of your dorm. You don't have to eat ramen and microwave mac n cheese every night! Here's some of my tricks and hacks that I learned my freshman year of college.
The Grocery List- My Dorm Must-Haves
This is a list of some of my staples that I always kept in my dorm room. This is not a complete list but you should get an idea of foods that are easy to keep, prepare, and eat straight out of your dorm.
Canned or pre-cooked chicken
Tuna
Low sodium deli meat
Frozen, canned, or fresh vegetables and fruit
Protein powder
Nut Butters
Rice Cakes
Whole wheat bread or wraps
Low fat cheeses
Oats/oatmeal
Eggs/egg whites
Milk of your choice
Canned beans (with no added salt)
Sweet/white potatoes
Salsa
Hummus
Popcorn
Mixed nuts
Greek yogurt
Instant rice/quinoa
Microwavable noodles
So I'm sure your saying okay cool but what did you make with this stuff? Below I listed some ideas that I used to make freshman year in my dorm that are super easy and all of these meals can be easily made in the microwave or require no cooking at all! Perfect for dorm room life!
Breakfast Ideas: oatmeal, yogurt parfaits, omelet, a serving of fruit and granola bar, rice cakes with nut butter and berries, avocado toast, breakfast sandwich/burrito, smoothies (using yogurt, fruit, protein powder, and even spinach! Don't judge it until you try it!)
Lunch Ideas: sandwiches or wraps, chicken or tuna salad, leafy green salads, microwaved quesadillas, burrito bowls with rice, chicken, beans, and veggies,
Dinner Ideas: southwest stuffed sweet potatoes (recipe to come!); broccoli, cheese, chicken, and rice casserole (another recipe to come!); microwavable pasta with chicken, broccoli, tomatoes, and sauce of your choice; or check out this link for some dorm room dinner inspo! https://bysophialee.com/healthy-college-meals/
Smart snacking: rice cakes with nut butter; yogurt and fruit; hummus and veggies; smoothies; popcorn; cereal; banana, peanut butter, and chocolate chips (or try with an apple instead!); granola or protein bars
I looked at Pinterest quite a bit when I was living in a dorm (honestly I still do even now) for recipe ideas that were easy to make with whatever tools I had available. Always try to make a list before going to the store so you know exactly what you need and don't spend money on things you don't need/won't use. You do NOT have to eat every meal in your dorm to be healthy in college (I'll talk about this in the next post!). If you have a meal plan, utilize it in a healthy way! There are so many ways to cook yummy and healthy food even in a dorm. Get creative and find your own favorites!
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