Between the dining hall having the same boring food day after day and trying not to spend too much of your money on outside restaurants, it seems impossible to eat well while living in a dorm room. It’s super easy to come home from class and want to snack — trust me I do it every day. Below is my list of recommendations for how to keep your mini-fridge and shelves stocked with food that isn’t complete junk.
- Johnny Pops
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I found these at the supermarket by campus and was pleasantly surprised. While I love ice cream, I know it’s not the healthiest choice when I crave it at 10pm. These popsicle are made with real fruit and taste just like a smoothie. These are a bit pricey, but totally worth it. Trader Joe’s also has a similar item “Raspberry and Cream Bars” that are similar but a smaller portion (which is great compared to just eating out of a pint of ice cream).
- Granola Bars
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While I try my hardest to eat breakfast every morning before class, this rarely happens. My go-to bars are Nature Valley Oats ‘N Honey; they are extremely filling and if broken up serve as a great granola on top of yogurt. My other go-to is a LUNA bar, especially the chocolate peppermint flavor. Granola bars are also really great to throw in your backpack to eat between classes or as a study snack.
- Rice Cakes
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Rice cakes are my all time favorite food. I love them because they go great with pretty much anything. They are also a perfect replacement for bread. I usually eat rice cakes topped with Nutella or peanut butter and granola. Rice cakes can get pretty messy, so I strongly suggest you eat them over a plate to minimize crumbs in your dorm room.
- Cereal
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Now this seems pretty obvious, and while it is something you can get in the dining hall, it’s important to keep a box in your room. Since high school, I have (or rather, my dad has) packed a bag of cereal for breakfast the night before. This is a great meal to eat on the go and you can bring a small milk if you’re into that. My go-to cereal is Mini Wheats Blueberry. There’s just something about the flavor that I love and it definitely doesn’t need milk (I guess I might be a bit biased as I never liked milk in my cereal).
- Instant Oatmeal
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While I personally have never been an oatmeal person, a lot of my friends SWEAR by it. Again, this is a quick meal that can be made easily in a dorm room. If you have a Keurig, instant tea kettle or microwave, you can easily get hot water and heat up your oatmeal. There are tons of varieties of Oatmeal and literally hundreds of brands. I’m sure everyone, probably even me, could find a flavor that suits then.
- Cold Brew Coffee
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Okay this is SO important. I’m six weeks into college and it’s official, I am a coffee addict. I have a Keurig in my dorm room, and I’m sure when it’s cold outside this hot drink maker will be a blessing. However, right now I am really into cold brew and iced coffee. If you have a lot of time and can prepare things, brew yourself some coffee then put it in the fridge overnight. Pour over ice the next morning and you’re ready to go! If you’re lazy (like me), buy a bottle of premade cold brew coffee. My roommate swears by STŌK and I have to say it’s pretty good. Also this is a great alternative to buying something from a coffee shop because those are typically very expensive and often contain a lot of extra ingredients.
- Yogurt
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I am not a huge yogurt person (always been a weird texture thing) but I know it’s good for you. Yogurt is great because you can easily eat it on the go if need be. This can be eaten day or night and you can easily top it with granola or fruit to make a larger meal. There are yogurt options for everyone out there and hundreds of flavors, I swear. From dairy free to greek, you can always find a yogurt that works for you.
- Grapes
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I lied earlier. Grapes are actually my favorite food. I love eating grapes with breakfast or as an after class snack. While grapes usually come in HUGE packages and sometimes it can be hard to eat the whole thing on your own before they get too squishy, the best part about grapes is that it doesn’t matter. Just put the rest of the bag or a small plastic bag full of grapes in the freezer and you have a delicious frozen treat. These are a great alternative for ice cream or if you just need a treat that will cool you down. They are so refreshing and honestly grapes might taste even better frozen.
- Apples
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Apples have been a part of my breakfast go-tos since forever. Literally the easiest food to eat — you just bite into them! Apples are a great snack to pack on the go (but don’t eat them in the library, because that crunch can get pretty loud). My favorite type of apples are Honey Crisp; I love a good crispy apple. I also love spreading peanut butter on my apple for a bit of added protein. It’s super important to buy apples in moderation because it sucks when you have to throw them out. Figure out how many you realistically need a week before heading to the supermarket and accidentally buying ten.
- Popcorn
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Boom Chicka Pop or Skinny Pop are amazing alternatives for chips or microwaveable popcorn. I often eat these while doing homework or watching Netflix. The great thing about these brands is they make individually sized bags. This is great for portion control, as we all know it’s super easy to open a huge bag and look down an hour later and it’s EMPTY. These brands also have various flavors. My personal favorite is Boom Chicka Pop Sweet and Salty Kettle corn.
I am in no way trying to claim that these are healthy foods, however they are healthier alternatives to many other options. As a college student, it can be extremely healthy to eat well in college; at the end of the day, eating in college is all about convenience. As a college student, you are always on the run to your next class or meeting so it’s important to keep some healthier snacks in your dorm. This will save you time, money and calories.