College is four years like no other. From lugging your laundry down to the dorm basement to balancing sleep and studying, there’s a lot to adjust to when dorming or living alone. Sometimes eating three square meals a day can drop down to the bottom of your to-do list, and you’re finding yourself heating up your third cup o’ noodles that day. But what you eat is important, especially in college when your brain is still developing and you’re swamped with classes, activities, and maintaining a social life. Finding easy ways to add more healthy proteins to your meals can help. Also, foods higher in protein will keep you fuller for longer, so you can survive that two-hour lecture or late-night club meeting.
1. Scramble up some eggs
If you are in an apartment or have access to a kitchen, eggs are an inexpensive and filling way to keep up your protein. Or, if you are in a dorm, your dining hall probably has some kind of egg in the morning. And remember, breakfast for dinner is always a delicious option!
2. Greek Yogurt
If you have an 8 a.m. class, grabbing breakfast from the dining hall might not always be an option. Yogurt (Greek yogurt especially) is a great quick meal that is full of protein and is creamy and delicious.
3. Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese is another great breakfast option or snack. According to the American Diary Association, a half-cup serving of low-fat plain cottage cheese has 12 grams of protein. For a little sweetness, you can mix in canned peaches or strawberries.
4. Eat those greens
Stop by the salad bar or keep some broccoli in your fridge. According to the USDA, a 100-gram portion of broccoli has 2.57 grams of protein. If you don’t love the taste, try it with some dressing or Ranch.
5. Trail Mix
Trail Mix that’s full of nuts — like almonds, peanuts, and walnuts — contains a lot of protein and is a good savory treat to fuel you in the library. Find one with some chocolate for a sweet treat.
6. Switch out White Bread for Whole Wheat
Whole wheat bread has 2.87 more grams of protein than white bread, according to USDA. Swapping to whole wheat bread is an easy way to get a little bit more protein without changing up what you usually eat. You can also do this swap with your grains, like substituting brown rice for white rice.
7. A spoonful of peanut butter
Looking for a filling snack? Dip some apple slices or celery sticks in some peanut butter. A quick spoonful can tide you over in between classes. It also goes great on a slice of whole wheat toast in the morning (or throw some banana and cinnamon on top for an ultra-decadent breakfast).
8. Snack on cheese!
Keep some Baby Bel’s or cheese sticks in that mini fridge for a quick snack.
9. Protein Powder
Mix into a smoothie or your iced coffee for an extra boost! This shouldn’t be your main source of protein, but if you aren’t getting enough at school or are utilizing the school gym more, this is a great option.
10. Smoothies
All you need is Greek yogurt, milk or juice, and frozen fruit. You can also add some ingredients from the list above — like peanut butter, protein powder, or greens — to your smoothie. Having a blender in your apartment or a NutriBullet in your dorm is worth it, and is a super easy on-the-go meal. You can even make it the night before and just grab-and-go in the morning!