Craving a little something (or a lot of something) that you don’t have the energy to go out and buy yourself? We’ve all been there. Luckily, when we say jump, mom and dad ask how high. This basically translates into mom and dad sending us a care package with just about any food that we ask them for.
Telling them exactly what we want is the tricky part. We all know that our cravings are very different day-to-day, and therefore we tend to need a wide variety of snacks in our pantry/desk drawers/closet/any place we can fit food. And so my rant begins about what is the perfectly constructed care package for just about any girl in college.
1. Any form of chocolate
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Being away from home is hard sometimes, but being away from chocolate? It just shouldn’t happen. Ever. So, hi mom and dad, some M&Ms would be great.
2. Pretzels
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There are so many kinds of pretzels out there, and believe me, whether you have a case of the drunchies or just can’t deal with cafeteria food, you’ll want to have your favorite kind of pretzel available to you at all times.
Personally, I have an obsession with the Rold Gold Tiny Twists Honey Mustard Pretzels. If you’re not in the mood for something classic, definitely go for the Rold Gold Sourdough. Want pretzels that are slightly healthier that mom would probably love to send you? Go for the Rold Gold Honey Wheat Braided Pretzel Twists. She may even send you two bags, if you’re lucky. If you’re craving that salty-sweet bite, melt some chocolate down and dip your favorite pretzels into it.
3. Granola Bars
We’ve all had those moments where we snooze our alarms two times and then wake up five minutes before our 9 am class. This is where granola bars come into play. They’re the perfect snack to hoard in your dorm room and will fill you for the first few hours where you’re still trying to wake up. There’s so much variety with these babies and some are more filling than others.
If you’re looking for something that will serve as a meal replacement, turn to Cliff Bars. My personal favorite flavors are the Chocolate Chip and White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Bar. In terms of munching on granola bars as a snack, check out KIND Bars. I love the crunchy Oats and Honey Bar and the chewy Madagascar Vanilla Almond and the Salted Caramel and Dark Chocolate Nut Bar. These bars are great because you can order them in bulk off their website.
4. Peanut Butter/Almond Butter
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A lot of people forget that we can’t take jars of our fave PB or almond butter on the plane with us on our way back to school. So, this is the perfect treat to tell mom and dad to slip into a package. You can put PB or almond butter on just about anything to boost the flavor profile of any snack, and honestly no shame in eating it straight out of the jar. No one’s judging.
My personal favorites are the Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Peanut Peanut from Peanut Butter and Co and Skippy’s Natural Creamy Peanut Butter Spread with Honey. I also adore Justin’s Nut Butter Snack Packs. They have just about any kind of almond butter you can imagine in addition to having peanut butter packets. My top choice is Justin’s Vanilla Almond Butter snack pack.
5. Nuts
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Going along with the theme of peanut butter, almond butter, or whatever kind of butter you’re into, nuts are the perfect snack that is healthy, filling, and can be salty and sweet.
If you want to go the healthiest route, raw almonds, or raw cashews are the way to go. If you want a saltier bite, my go-to buy is the Archer’s Fars Sea Salt Roasted Almonds 32 oz jar of nuts because why the hell not? A sweeter option is the Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds in 1.5 oz bags. Something a little more adventurous is the Blue Diamond Bold Amonds, Wasabi & Soy Sauce, 16 oz.
6. Gum
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We don’t necessarily think of gum as something to curb our cravings, but in my opinion, it’s definitely something that is extremely important. I always have gum with me basically everywhere I go, whether it’s in my school bag, my going out bag on the weekends, or in my jean’s pocket.
I’m personally a mint kind of girl, so I go for Orbit Sweet Mint or Orbit Wintermint. My mom is more adventurous when it comes to gum, and I have to admit, I also really like Dentyne Cinnamon Fire Gum.
7. Popcorn
Whether it’s movie night in your dorm room with your roomie or you’re starving after your midterm and need something salty, buttery and wonderful, popcorn is a necessity in your care package. If you have a microwave that’ll make your fave popcorn in t-minus five secs, that’s the way to do it.
My go-to brand is Pop-Secret Butter 100 Calorie Premiere Popcorn. It’s guilt-free because it’s 100 calories, but it’s still filling and gives you that movie theatre popcorn taste. If you don’t have a microwave, first of all, I apologize, and second of all, I would demand Skinny Pop Popcorn. Any kind, any size. Love it.
8. Drink Packets
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This may sound weird, but I definitely want this in my next care package. I’ve always been a huge fan of iced tea, lemonade, and really any sugary drink that’s been available to me. The fact that Arnold Palmer now has Half and Half Iced Tea and Lemonade Powder officially is the best thing that’s happened to me. Don’t even worry about putting in the perfect ratio of mix to water. Either way, it’s bound to taste better than bland old H2O. We all need something to spice up our drinks occasionally. Obviously, Crystal Light’s Iced Tea Packets have been around forever, and those are great too.
9. Teddy Grahams
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Sorry not sorry, mom. I don’t care if these are bad for you. They’re amazing and better than any other snack ever made. The fact that these snacks are bear-shaped and adorable while still tasting heavenly completes me.
My favorites are the classic Chocolate or Honey Teddy Grahams, but I also have an unhealthy obsession with Chocolate Chip Teddy Grahams. They taste like a bite of raw cookie dough, and who doesn’t love cookie dough?
10. Cheez-Its
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Do you love cheese? Because I do, and honestly, not one of my friends hates cheese. So, I don’t care what you think, there’s a Cheez-It out there for anyone. This cheesy snack is the perfect salty, delicious bite.
If you don’t want to feel too bad about eating handfuls of this snack, you can ask mom to snag the Reduced Fat Cheez-Its. If you want to dig in to the good stuff, White Cheddar Cheez-Its are amazing. Hot and Spicy Cheez-Its are really good but Sharp Cheddar and Parmesan Cheez-Its are definitely my top picks.
So there you have it. Dig in, and don’t forget to buy more than one bag of each item above. Happy eating.