Meal plans in college make it seem so easy to eat. All you have to do is pay the semesterly price, walk into a dining hall, and chow down, but is this reality sustainable?
As a freshman who didn’t purchase a meal plan at FSU, I’ve learned quite a few things over the semester on how to cook well in my dorm room shoebox. So, here are six tips for mastering cooking in a dorm room:
- Invest in Appliances (That Are Allowed)
-
A microwave is on every college student’s packing list, so I know many of you have gone at least that far. However, the microwave isn’t the only electric cooking appliance you should invest in.
Electric pots, rice cookers, George Foreman grills, and small hot plates with a coil-covering surface are great additions to a dorm packing list. I use a small pancake maker for its intended use and also as a pan surface alternative.
Just be sure to read the rules on what appliances you’re allowed to have in a dorm room. FSU has a rule against small appliances that are over 700 watts and have exposed coils!
- Don’t Skip Out on Spices
-
When I say spices in a dorm room, I’m not saying you need to have an entire spice rack at your fingertips, but you’d be surprised what a jar of minced garlic can do to a jarred pasta sauce.
Oregano, rosemary, garlic powder, pepper, red pepper flakes, and a few fresh add-ins like jarred minced garlic are all great to have on hand. In my opinion, there’s nothing worse than eating a dish and thinking, “Maybe that cayenne pepper should’ve come along.”
- Be Creative With Simple Ingredients
-
I was shocked to find just how little I could store in my dorm room’s mini fridge as a full-time college cooker. What do you mean I can’t have a carton of milk because of room constraints?
You may not have space for a lot in your dorm room because there aren’t numerous combinations you can make with sauces in your fridge, canned chicken, and a couple of spices. Despite this, you can find ways to get creative with simple staples like rice and tortillas. You can also store a shelf-stable parmesan shaker that’ll last longer than a bag of shredded parmesan cheese.
For milk lovers, a half-gallon may not seem like a lot to store in your dorm room until it’s two weeks in and it’s already spoiling, but oat and almond alternatives are great for tastes similar to cow milk.
- Prepare All of Your Ingredients Before Use
-
I’ve found there’s nothing worse than wanting a burger while in my dorm room and realizing I’d need to separate a tube of ground beef that I froze. So, when I go back home after buying my groceries, I split everything into single servings.
Think about how you usually eat ingredients. Have you ever eaten a carrot whole, or do you usually cook it when it’s chopped? I prepare my items in whichever way I use them, then store them (depending on if they belong in my fridge or not)! Personally, my garlic stays minced, and I split my ground beef into quarter-pound patties before storing them in freezer bags.
- Meal Prepping Is Your Friend
-
You may not want to cook every day of the week. If you do, it may not be consistently healthy. “Meal prep” was a concept thrown at me a lot before I came to college, but no one ever really explained what it was.
With meal prepping, you prepare meals ahead of time for either the short-term or long-term. This means that you can cook an amount of chicken, rice, and broccoli that’ll last in your fridge for a while or a meal that only lasts you a week.
I tend to go for short-term meals when prepping, with salads and pasta that may not last as long as other meals, but taste a lot better than a rice-based meal would to me.
- Don’t Forget About Food Cleanliness and Safety
-
This tip sounds easy to remember, but life gets busy for many in college. Don’t let your cookware sit with gross, old food remains in it; wash everything after you’ve had your meal!
When I cook, I make sure to stay aware of cross-contamination. While it may be quicker to use the same cutting board I chopped raw chicken on for my vegetables, that could lead to illness. I also wash my hands and put my hair up before cooking my meals. Sure, I may just be cooking for myself, but I deserve a clean meal, too.
Maybe these tips can help you get into the dorm cooking spirit! While I do cook in my dorm room, I also remind myself that it’s okay if I eat out sometimes or just have a few snacks instead of a meal. I do as much as I’m capable of doing right now, and that’s enough for me.
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Pinterest!