What should I get?

kdeek

I am going grocery shopping tomorrow and I am not sure what to get. I only have a microwave and a small fridge (I live in a dorm), so I don't have much space or a way to cook most things.

My list so far:
Hummus
veggies: carrotts, green peppers, celery
greek yogurt
fruit: strawberries, apples, oranges
string cheese
potatoes
laughing cow cheese
turkey lunch meat
wheat thins
wheat bread
lean cuisines
peanut butter

What else should I get? I need things to eat for dinners besides the lean cuisines (which I know aren't the best but are better than what I usually eat).

Thank you.

LMPRF97

Remove Lean Cusiens those have ALOT of sodium get healthy choice! Put on Almonds and weight watchers ice cream!

Hsanders3961

Your list looks like mine! I never know what to get. I am not real experienced at cooking, and when I do cook, I have such a hard time to know how to log calories and if I can trust what is in MFP for calories. So I, like you, rely on frozen meals as the calories are right on the box! Thanks for asking this question, i will try to learn from it as well!

kerryannk

instead of wheat bread, i like getting those "slimwiches". it shreds the calories and carbs.

Nikstergirl

What about chicken breasts (I buy frozen since I don't make them every day) and brown rice? Salad fixin's and a good balsamic vinegrette dressing, EVOO, veggies for stir frying.... I buy a lot of frozen veggies so they are on hand and don't spoil before I can get to them! I also have frozen berries on hand for smoothies and such. Experiment, it can actually be fun! Oh, and get some organic veggie or chicken stock. If you have a busy night, take a frozen chicken breast and put it in a slow cooker with some broth and veggies. Dinner will be done when you get home! My kids even like it! Just make up some brown rice and it's done! Low cals and yummy.

kerryannk

oh and give sweet potatoes a try. they're the healthiest item in the produce section!

risarunning

Maybe oatmeal (not necessarily a dinner food but microwaveable), eggs (scramble and microwave), and spinach and/or arugula for salad-making?

dmcg123

I'd add some protein sources... Canned chunk tuna in water, fat free cottage cheese, frozen cooked tail-on shrimp (Wal Mart sells a 14 oz bag for $5). I'd also add Quaker weight control oatmeal (some protein, lot's of fiber and very filling on a cold AM), roasted almonds (good snack with protein, fiber and good fats...) and some light miracle whip spread to mix with your tuna (if you like a tuna salad). I also like the Arnold's whole wheat sandwich thins, and kangaroo whole wheat pita pockets (both are <100 calories per serving). I'd normally say egg whites as well, as they are high in protein and very low in cals, but not sure they'd cook very well in a microwave (maybe you could poach egg whites? Not sure, and might be gross...). I'd also get some whey protein isolate - I buy my on-line from musclefeast.com. 5 pound bag for around $40 (5 pounds goes a long way). I mix it with cold water and the Wal Mart Great Value sugar free drink mixes. 26 grams of protein and 108 calories... Good stuff, easy to make and low cost gram-for-gram of protein. If you like potato chips, I'd suggest the Special K chips - they do have a Special K taste, but the texture is very much like Pringle's and the saltiness satisfies a snack craving nicely. 30 chips are 130 cals, and let me tell you, 30 chips is alot!

Anyway, these are some of the foods I eat and I really never feel hungry... yet I've lost >20 pounds since mid-November. And remember, drink at least 8 glasses of water (just plain water, not coffee, soda, tea, etc.). It really makes a big difference - and it's not just because it fills you up or anything - it's physiological. And for a busy college kid, it doesn't get any cheaper or easier!

Good luck with reaching your goals - you CAN do it!!!

txmomma0889

you could get premade salads from walmat and put them in the fridge then they are there to grab add you favorite dressing and your good for a meal... also...soup is amazing.... and there are meal that you add water to and then microwave which are non-perishable.. i will link so that you can get an example the are usually all in the same area

The recipes are on page 2:
http://busycooks.about.com/od/fallrecipesandmenus/a/dormroom_2.htm

THey have recipes for everything that you could have in a dorm

The nonperishable meals:
http://www.hormelfoods.com/brands/hormel/HormelCompleats.aspx#

Most of them are under 300 calories if not all

Another recipe list:
http://www.wikihow.com/Cook-in-a-College-Dorm

some more... if you have any questinons are anything send me a message i would be glad to help

txmomma0889

100 calorie snack pack are amazing also... bagels are under 300 calories plain.. i love blueberry one and they are amazing for your running late and have to grab something quick.....yogurt is a good snack... they even have 100 calorie beef jerky packs now you just got to look for them.. and if your into cofee in morning... starbucks came out with 100 calorie frappicinos you can put in the fridge they are on the soda isle at walmart

txmomma0889

haha sorry for all the post one more thing... 100 snack pudding and jello pack and i saw 100 calories candy bars are amazing when you want to have a sweet

AmeMahoney

Hmmm...did anyone say soup yet? I glanced through the other posts and didn't see any. Low sodium something. If you're the cooking type, I'd suggest getting a blender or, for a dorm, the Magic Bullet. I absolutely LOVE mine. The new version has a blender and a juicer attachment, but you can still get the basic kind at Bed, Bath, and Beyond or something. Anyway, you can make your own soups and things by blending stuff. Like a little broth, cheese, and broccoli, then heat it up in the micro for a healthy broccoli/cheese soup. You can also make salsa, hummus, and dips in it. They also have those "steam-in" microwave veggie bags now so you can cook vegetables. Beans are also an excellent source of protein as well.

It sucks that they won't let you have hot plates or anything in dorms now. Sometimes there are common rooms on campuses where you can use a stove - maybe your major department has some ideas. If all else fails, make friends with someone with a stove, and offer to come over and cook dinner once or twice a week. Everyone can chip in on the bill and take turns cooking. One last option: if you have parents (and talk to them) or someone else who lives nearby, ask if you can borrow their kitchen on Sundays and maybe Wednesdays. Then you can cook a few meals (that way you can use chicken breast or whatever you like), and then pack it all up as leftovers. Pop it in the micro, and you won't even have to rely on frozen dinners. When I was younger I did this and froze a lot of my leftovers because I had a Super Saver vaccuum sealer. But I got tired of doing that, so now I cook some things and just freeze them for no more than a couple weeks, or refrigerate them for no more than a few days.

warmachinejt

You should really look into buying one of those little stoves that you plug in. All this food is not real whole food.

http://www.amazon.com/Proctor-Silex-34101-Proctor-Silex-Burner/dp/B000690WNU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297651326&sr=8-1

AmeMahoney

You should really look into buying one of those little stoves that you plug in. All this food is not real whole food.

http://www.amazon.com/Proctor-Silex-34101-Proctor-Silex-Burner/dp/B000690WNU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297651326&sr=8-1

Most dorms don't allow any kind of heater other than a microwave now. Not even a toaster oven. Or a crockpot.

warmachinejt

well people aren't allowed to steal but they do it :P just saying