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The Dorm Life: Easy, Quick, and Healthy Food Ideas

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Jamilah Basharahil
Danielle Pransky
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Montclair chapter.

The dorm life can have it’s pros and cons; living right in the middle of the social life, being on campus means closer to the gym or the food court, free laundry from the school are just some positives. As for cons, aside from your roommate leaving her socks everywhere, you can only do so much with a small refrigerator and microwave.

Here are some simple and healthy mini meals to keep you feeling rejuvenated.

Homemade Popcorn 

Throwing this together is just too simple. Throw the kernels in the bag, let it pop, and add any season you are currently craving (my go-to is Cajun)! A simple go to when you need a last minute snack to eat while studying or binge watching your new favorite show on Netflix .

What you’ll need:

  • A plain brown bag – NOTHING ON IT, or else it will burn or catch on fire
  • Plain, uncooked popcorn kernels
  • Seasoning of your choice!

What to do:

  1. Place about 1/4 cup of plain, uncooked popcorn kernels into the bag.
  2. Fold the top of the bag down about half an inch to close it.
  3. Put it in the microwave on High for 2-3 minutes, or until it’s stops popping.
  4. When finished, take out the bag and add your toppings – my favorite is melted butter and Cajun seasoning. Close the bag and shake thoroughly, and then enjoy!
Overnight Oats

Need an easy, instant, and fiber-full meal to wake up to the morning? These overnight oats settle perfectly and are only a spoonful away from filling up on your daily dose of breakfast. 

What you’ll need:

  • Mason Jar
  • ½ cup of Rolled Oats
  • ½ cup of vanilla-flavored almond milk (or any nondairy/dairy alternative)
  • Toppings or fruit of your choice
  • 1 tablespoon of Honey or Agave
  • Optional: a pinch of cinnamon

What to do:

  1. Add all the ingredients, except the desired toppings, in the Mason jar and shake it up very well.
  2. When thoroughly combined and refrigerate over night, or for at least five hours.
  3. When ready to eat, top the major jar with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Mason Jar Salads

This easy recipe is fast and convenient. The key thing of making mason jars salads is to always put the wet ingredients at the bottom and work your way up. Stuff them in your backpack or eat them on your way to class, regardless it is a most definite easy set-up and clean up too!

What you’ll need:

  • Mason Jar
  • Lettuce of your choice
  • Toppings of your choice
  • Dressing of your choice

 What you do:

  1. At the bottom, put the dressing as the first layer.
  2. Layer wet ingredients first (such as a corn salsa, onions, tomatoes, or cucumbers).
  3. For the third layer, add the protein or carbohydrates (quinoa, rice, chicken, or even tofu).
  4. As for the fourth layer, place all the greens, grains, and crunchy bits!
  5. Keep layered and refrigerated until eaten.
  6. When desired, just shake the Mason jar up and enjoy!
Mug Meals: Quiche

Aside from providing you all those ounces of caffeine from your Keurig, mugs provide 5 minutes meals that need only an arms length of space to throw together. Just pop this meal in the microwave and it’ll be ready before you can finish brushing your teeth.

What you’ll need:

  • A large mug
  • 1 large egg
  • 1.5 tablespoons of dairy of your choice (you can even use unsweetened or unflavored almond milk)
  • 1 teaspoon of regular, or grass fed, butter
  • Pinch of salt
  • Pinch of pepper
  • Add-in ingredients of your choice

What you do:

  1. Put the teaspoon on butter in the mug and set it in the microwave to melt for 10 seconds.
  2. Once that is finished, add the egg to then whisk it with a fork until it the yolk is evenly distributed with the butter.
  3. Add the 1.5 teaspoons of the dairy of your choice, add a pinch of salt, add a pinch of pepper, and then whisk again.
  4. Chop your desired ingredients into small pieces and add in the mug, but DO Not mix, they will set themselves.
  5. Place the mug in the middle of the microwave and put on HIGH for one minute. Enjoy!
Mug Meals: Black Bean Chocolate Cake

Aside from the standard meals we must eat, everyone gets a sweet tooth! I know what you are thinking, black beans in a cake?  Black beans are a great substitute for plain flour when it comes to baking, and the cocoa powder is so pungent that once you take a bite of this cake, you forget that the beans are even in it! This recipe is quick, it takes no more than 5 minutes to make; which is great to satisfy that craving but doesn’t contain a lot of sugar.

What you’ll need:

  • 1 egg
  • A large mug
  • ÂĽ cup of black beans, rinsed and cooked
  • Âľ tablespoon of cocoa powder
  • Âľ tablespoons of oats (grinded up – I use my Magic Bullet Blender to grind everything)
  • Âľ tablespoon of agave, or honey
  • 1 tablespoon of almond milk
  • ½ teaspoon of vanilla
  • A pinch of baking soda
  • Optional: chocolate chips, if you want to throw them on the top of the finished product

What you do:

  1. Take the oats, if not already grinded, and put then in the magic bullet blender, grind until fine.
  2. Take that out and set side, then add the beans to be grinded until fine.
  3. Once the beans are smooth, add back the grinded oats. Add the cocoa powder, agave, almond milk, vanilla, and pinch of baking soda and blend until smooth.
  4. Pour final smooth mix into the large mug, and sprinkle the optional chocolate chips on top.
  5. Put in the microwave on MEDIUM for 2-3 minutes.
  6. Let it cook for a minute and enjoy!

 

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

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Oh, when she’s angry, she is keen and shrewd. She was a vixen when she went to school; and though she be but little, she is fierce.
Danielle has held various positions at Her Campus Montclair. Starting as a Contributing Writer during her sophomore year at MSU in 2015, she later became President & Editor-in-Chief during her senior year in 2017. She completed her B.A. in Communication & Media Arts with a minor in Leadership Development at Montclair State University in January 2018. Besides writing, she's a lover of cozy cafés, good lyrics, inspiring speeches, mountainous retreats, and sunsets on the skyline. She enjoys capturing the moment and has a passion for travel and discovery. You can often find her exploring NYC or venturing to one of her favorite East Coast spots.