College eating can be hard. Let’s be honest, dining hall food is never great. The options are most of the time not very tasty and sometimes kind of gross. And, often people including myself find themselves ordering on food delivery apps such as DoorDash and GrubHub and while the options are good on these apps they add up to a lot of money. My solution is to keep food in the dorm room and make dorm room meals. A lot of food can be made with just a microwave and a mini-fridge.
Breakfast
I know that in college some people can find themselves skipping breakfast because they don’t have time, but I can’t go a day without breakfast. Normally, I make a bowl of microwaved oatmeal. This is the easiest breakfast, all you have to do is put a pack of instant oatmeal and water into a bowl and microwave it for one minute. It doesn’t get easier than that! I like to top it with cinnamon, peanut butter, and blueberries. This breakfast takes under five minutes to make and gives you the energy to take on your long college days.
Lunch
After a few hours of class or doing work, I find myself starving! Lunch is something that I have always found hard. It is an awkward time and I never can find anything that I enjoy. But, I found a solution! I like to buy pre-made grilled chicken and salad bag mixes that I can keep in my fridge. I find that this is a perfect dorm room lunch. The salad bags come with toppings and dressings which make for a yummy and filling lunch. It also doesn’t even require a microwave!
Snack
Snacks are so important. Whether you are staring at a computer all day or sitting at in-person classes, college days are draining. When you are drained, you need to reenergize with snacks. I love to snack on carrots and hummus and also love a salty snack like chips or popcorn. Snacks are made even easier when you have snack packs. I love bags that are pre-portioned that you can just throw in your bag when you are on the go.
Dinner
Dinner is a necessary meal and I think most people can agree on that. For dinner, I like to keep frozen meals in my freezer. Things like frozen dumplings or veggie burgers make a good dinner. I like to add some veggies or crackers on the side to add other food groups to my dinner. Frozen foods are the best for dinner because you can stock your freezer with so many meals and they are all so yummy and easy.
College eating is hard, but I think if you stock your dorm room with the right stuff it can become easier. It is all about planning and knowing what makes you feel good! A mini-fridge and microwave may not seem like a kitchen, but if you buy the right stuff you can make balanced and yummy meals.