Food Ideas and Suggestions for University Student

greeneyedgirl

hey everyone! I'm going into my 3rd year of university and I will be there 4 days a week from 8:30 - 5:30 and was wondering if anyone had any good suggestions of healthy foods and snacks to pack for breakfast, lunch and snacks....any help is appreciated since I go shopping for food soon!!!!

greeneyedgirl

hey everyone! I'm going into my 3rd year of university and I will be there 4 days a week from 8:30 - 5:30 and was wondering if anyone had any good suggestions of healthy foods and snacks to pack for breakfast, lunch and snacks....any help is appreciated since I go shopping for food soon!!!!

Fit2btied

Wow...I'm impressed that you are thinking ahead and planning your meals and snacks. A recipe for success! Fiber one bars, Mueslix and multi-grain cereals, fruit and cottage cheese all make a great breakfast and are available pre-packaged to take anywhere. Also make snack bags full of cereals with dried fruits and nuts for a healthy on the run snack. A small cooler could keep a turkey sandwich fresh for lunch, as well as veggie or bean salads. Yogurt and a piece of fruit and Tbsp. of nuts also are great mini-meals. I wish you luck in your classes and your attempt to remain healthy!:flowerforyou:

PedalHound

I don't want to cause a fight or anything but I have to suggest that you steer clear of certain items like fibre-1 bars.. If you look not just at the calories but at the actual ingredients, you'll notice that sugar is literally the first thing on the list. For an energy bar of sorts, Luna bars are a bit better-composed.
You can make your own little trail mix that will give you great energy. Just be sure to keep an eye on portions as they are pretty calorie-dense: try pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, raisins, almonds, and perhaps some Nature's Path Smart Bran Psyllium cereal and a small amount of dark chocolate chips. This is great because it keeps and you don't hurt it by tossing the container around a little!

Something I've started doing when I need to pack breakfast (although you still need to be able to sit and eat it out of the bowl) is a quinoa porridge. You can make a big batch of quinoa and use it to sprinkle in salads, in sauces, in soup... and you can use 1/2 cup of it, mix with a tiny bit of skim or almond milk, some cinnamon, nutmeg, dried cranberries and grated apple and it's very tasty and very nutrient-dense. You get complete protein, good carbs, and lots of energy to tide you over.

Hummus is also a great take-along since you can dip veggies or bread in it and you can flavour it as you want (add fresh herbs like basil or cilantro or even grilled vegetables). Also try making spreads with other beans like white beans. The protein and fibre are so great to have, particularly when you don't have as much time to nosh during the day.

I went to Waterloo Fun to see others from Ont. around here. Although I'm in BC now.

greeneyedgirl

Thanks for these suggestions...that's awesome, I go to laurier

gnicolecan

I pack my meals and snacks for work every day and I think hard boiled eggs are a great addition to fruit for breakfast. Also i roll up deli meat around 1/2 or 1/3 slice cheese and eat these little cigars as a snack.

Lavendersunday

Hello,

When I went to college and would be on campus for meals I would ALWAYS pack the following items"

My own tea bags...yerba mate, green, or chai...you can just put one into a bottle of water you purchase and drink during class.

Almonds, sunflower seeds, and Dr. Soy bars...don't know if they are still available but they are to die for even if you gotta buy them online. REALLY>>>REALLY awesome...I practically lived on them.

I NEVER ate lunch on campus because the food was unhealthy. Try to eat BEFORE class evem if it is just a protein smoothie. It will help you concentrate better!

~Namaste :flowerforyou:

jlwhelan1

Hi
I'm a grad student sometimes on campus 14 - 16 hours straight. I'm also a parent packing lunches for two grade school children. Did I mention I'm a grad student (not much money.) I aways pack my food.

Find out if there is a microwave anywhere. Most schools have one somewhere available to the "public" Then you have more options. At the very simplest you could bake a potato or sweet potato and add salt and pepper.
I make a batch of pasta and take some in a reusable container for part of my lunch. You can also premake "frozen" meals in reusable containers to take with you. They will stay cold and fresh for a long time.
If you don't have a microwave then look into the thermoses made for foods. Some don't work so well, but others do. Think of a nice home-made soup on a cold fall/winter lunch with a hearty sandwich.

Get an insulated bag and a reusable freezer pack.
You can carry yogurt or other "keep cold" foods safely.

Don't underestimate the power of snacks.
I buy large packages and repackage them into serving size portions in snack bags,
dried fruit, nuts, trail mix, crackers, etc. I store them in a special place in the cupboard and my whole family grabs what they want to add to their lunch or snacks for the day.

Fruit. Fresh fruit is a great pick me up. Right now I'm on an apple kick. I particularly like the very small apples. I'm also a fan of grapefruit (many people don't like it, but I've started a trend among my some of my labmates...) Grapes, kiwi, oranges, bananas.

Fresh, precut up veggies can be a great snack too. You may buy them prepackaged or prepare them yourself. Carrots, celery, sugar snap (or snow) peas, cauliflower, etc.

Drinks. Again, if you have access to a microwave or hot water you can carry your own tea or even coffee or cocoa. I keep a variety in my desk. You are probably already carrying a water bottle of some sort. If you don't have access to hot water you can buy a small thermos and premake your coffee or tea. At over $1 a cup you will easily save $$$.

Check this link and click on lunch box basics or lunch box foods out for more ideas. Good luck, have a great and healthy semester.

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/othergoodies.htm

jill927

As a college student, I bring ...

Healthy granola bars (like Fiber One bars or Special K bars)

Fresh Chopped Veggies (celery, carrots, broccoli, etc)

Fresh Fruit (especially apples which are really easy to transport)

Nuts

Dried Fruit (craisins)

And ALWAYS a nalgene bottle to fill with water and those water mix packets (crystal light, lemonade, iced tea, green tea, fruit juice flavors, etc) They usually have like 10 calories per packet

songbyrdsweet

I'm a senior now, and I have been eating healthy and working out since the beginning Freshmen year without a problem. Sure, there are some places that you can't get anything healthy at (Sbarro, Wendy's, etc.) But I supplement my campus food very little. Breakfast I eat eggs and oatmeal (at home or on campus), lunch is romaine with chicken and tons of veggies w/ oil and vinegar, and dinner is rice/whole wheat pasta/salad with chicken/fish. I have NO money right now, so I don't really bother with granola bars or anything...everything I need, I get in 4-5 meals, and eat enough protein and fat at each meal to keep me full for a few hours. My grocery list is:

flax & fiber bread
oats
whole wheat pasta
brown rice
natural peanut butter
1/2 lb ham/roast beef/chicken deli meat
1/2 lb cheese
1 gallon milk
carton of 12 eggs
bag of frozen chicken breasts
gorton's frozen fish fillets (usually salmon)
steamfresh veggies (2-3 bags)
a couple healthy choice dinners for when im in a hurry at work
protein powder

I get lettuce, apples, bananas, and oranges at school on a day-to-day needs basis so I don't buy a bag of lettuce and half of it goes bad. Some stuff in that list I only have to buy about 1-2 times a month. When I have money, I buy snacks like roasted almonds and soy crisps, and get more exotic stuff like apricots and avocado, but I have no problem with eating boring stuff either.

greeneyedgirl

I do have access to a microwave and a fridge to keep my food cold so these suggestions are very helpful! Are these Dr. Soy bars a healthy alternative???

jill927

I do have access to a microwave and a fridge to keep my food cold so these suggestions are very helpful! Are these Dr. Soy bars a healthy alternative???

For sure! I love soyjoy bars (same idea, different manufacturer)

With a fridge that gives you tons of options, for lean cuisine meals (cheap if you can find them on sale) or bringing a pita bread spinach turkey mustard sandwich, fresh cut fruits and veggies, yogurt, etc.

You can so do this, as long as you plan!