Student diet ideas

drba

I am a full time college student and it is is incredibly difficult for me to eat healthy. I can't go home and prepare things, the school has microwaves but nothing to refrigerate food in. Does anyone have any idea of what I could bring/buy during the day?

kanonxbou47

Oat revolution oatmeal is really good, so is campbell's healthy choice soup.

drba

Thank you

melelana

I am totally in (mostly) the same boat.

What is your kitchen situation exactly? Do you have any sort of kitchen-like room? Got a hot plate? Or just a microwave?

In terms of budget, pay attention to sales at your supermarket. Get as many free "club cards" and "rewards cards" as you can... don't ignore coupons and only use the ones for things you actually will indeed use.

I find smart ones to often be affordable frozen food, but if you possibly have any way of preparing food, I wouldn't eat frozen food daily (many reasons that stuff is kind of horrible for you even if it's not fattening.)

missyyclaire

Rent a little fridge? Or look on Craigslist for one? Thrift Store?

Oatmeal, cinnamon, walnuts make for an easy breakfast you can do with either a coffee pot or mug warmer thingy. All you need is the hot water and then dump everything in and stir. Sweeten with your favorite...I like Xylitol and Sweet n Low.

Should I mention I once made quesadillas in my dorm room with an iron?

Lisa_222

Do you live there? I'd get a fridge, they aren't that expensive. You can get one second hand from someone who graduated. You're probably doing a lot of eating out and all I can say is, trim the bread off sandwiches like subs which give you a loaf of bread with a meal, get it without mayo and take it home and put on the low cal stuff, which now tastes as good as regular. If your cafeteria has all you can eat meals, grab an extra fruit and pocket it for a snack later. If you have a microwave, get steamfresh vegetables. They are very tasty and just a couple minutes in the microwave.

drba

I dont live at my college

drba

All my campus has (as far as I know) are microwaves around campus. Also, I need ideas for healthy snacks because I'm the kind of person that can't help but munch on things all day. :blushing:

Mrrwmoo

I'm in college too and I live off campus, so I spend a good 8-12 hours at school then go home to sleep at the end of the day. I pack some edamame, grapes, other fruit, nuts, Luna bars, carrots, and other stuffs in little plastic baggies and put them in a small bento bag, which are usually small drawstring bags that fit nicely in my backpack. I usually pack lunch in my bento box, (I've collected quite a few,) and if I don't have time at night, I bring a pack of Quakers Instant oatmeal with me. Bowls, spoons, and microwaves are everywhere around colleges, so pretty convenient x3.

Bellyroll

Boca burgers. The Patti and some bread and then go.

jonzo21

I'm in the same situation. My college is a 40 minute drive away, and I also work 30 hours a week so its hard to find time to prepare anything. I've also been looking for new ideas, but all I've been doing so far is bringing sandwiches in a container with one of those cold packs that stay cold all day long, some 100 calorie snack bars, and a peach/apple/some other fruit. However, I get bored of sandwiches and have been looking for other (healthy) ideas that don't involve spending too much money (prices on campus are ridiculous compared to a grocery store). Some users suggest bringing soup in a thermos that seals in the heat, only problem is I really don't like soup lol. other users have suggested bringing "leftovers", but I don't have time to cook meals at home so I have no left overs. So if anyone has any options of a quick fix lunch to bring other than sandwiches, soups, leftovers... let's hear them!!

woou

i live off sandwiches (made w/ chicken breast), pasta, balance bars, dried fruits, etc....

i just toast a loaf of bread (whole wheat) ahead of time as well as grill all the meat (~ 6oz slices). takes about 15 mins. altogether. all i do is put together the bread, meat, veggies and sauce (i use spicy mustard) when i'm packing for the day. no reheating required.

whole grains with spaghetti sauce or italian, whatever you prefer. also takes about 20 mins. tops, most of the time goes to water boiling. i make a huge container in the fridge for the week and scoop out what i need. any veggies you want to add, it doesn't take a whole lot of time to steam them or however you like your veggies. i personally put a little water in a big pot, heat on high and toss in my chopped veggies and turn the heat off. i let the remaining steam cook the veggies. i have an electric stove though, so the stove-top surface stays heated. if you have gas, leave the heat on longer.

there's also frozen veggies and those steamers i see at the market. the steamers you can just pop in the microwave. i don't use those though, but if i needed to, i would. they're better than chips or what you would get as a side on campus besides salad.

again, none of these i reheat, since i prefer my food cold to room temp. anyway. i also try to minimize using microwaves. but since you have microwaves on campus, you can always heat whatever up.

balance bars are awesome on the go. 200 cals. per bar. i like the mint crunch, sweet & sour almond chocolate, lemon meringue crunch, & sweet & sour peanut butter. the almond is my fav. i have boxes of these things. :laugh: i only ever eat a quarter at a time. they really are a lifesaver sometimes esp. when I'm studying, slept late and don't have the time to pack food. dried fruits like raisins, mangoes, etc... for something sweet. i have tons of these on hand as well. oh and nuts, but i don't make a habit of eating those. can be pricey.

my classmate sits in class eating her yogurt and banana. she will not miss her breakfast. :laugh: nothing easier than throwing a yogurt cup in your backpack with a banana. my other classmate works full-time and carries around whole wheat raisin bread lathered w/ almond butter. they're pretty tasty. she carries so much that she can offer me some. :laugh:

oh and amazon, and i'm sure other places do as well, sell really light-weight and thin icemats. they're about $1-2 each.

meex

I just finished uni for the year but i will have this problem when i go back next year, i was thinking the same. All i could think of was salad with a can of tuna and fruit

meex

I just finished uni for the year but i will have this problem when i go back next year, i was thinking the same. All i could think of was salad with a can of tuna and fruit

paperlily

Crackers (I like vita wheat or ryvita) with light cream cheese, vegemite, avocado, tomato (packed separate so they don't go soggy) or a tin of tuna. Cut vegetables and fruit. It sounds cliche but carrot and celery stick are great to nibble on. You could have a little container of houmus too. Single portion tubs of yoghurt travel well if you are careful and the weather isn't too bad. Wraps with salad. Nuts and seeds you can portion into their own bags and snack on. If I need a quick lunch I have an emergency Uncle Toby's muesli bar in my bag at all times. The packets of quick oats are also really easy to make with a kettle or a microwave.

I have a friend who is happy to eat absolutely any dinner leftovers in a sandwich: pasta sauce, stir fry, casserole, meatloaf, curry roast dinners... Seriously anything. If you are happy to try that it seems like a brilliant, portable way of taking dinner for any late nights of study without needing to heat anything.

I definitely recommend investing in some good, water tight, microwaveable, freezable, plastic containers in different sizes. Good luck!

swisspea

I was a student for 6 years in total and worked up to 30 hours a week, and for 4 of those years I commuted 1.5 hours each way. These were my healthy tricks:

Quinoia! Make it for dinner one night and make double or 3x. It's great with just some spaghetti sauce from a jar and warmed in the microwave.

Pre-cut whatever raw veggies you like on sunday and put them in 5 separate re-sealable plastic bags in your fridge- take one with you every day and eat all the raw veggies before you dig into your meal, or as a snack. You can re-use the bags every week after a quick rinse and dry. My tip is not to save the bell pepper for Thursday or Friday as they can loose their crispness quite quickly.

I used to put salad greens in one large container, and on top of the greens I would put dressing (in a small container) and some tuna (in a plastic baggie or small container) and then mix it all together just before eating.

Bring Cristal Light packets and a re-useable water bottle, it's great for when you crave something sweet while studying.

Bring a thermos and some tea bags- if you can't find a kettle, use the microwave for the water. Tea is great for those long nights in the library and will keep you from mindlessly snacking.

As another poster said- oatmeal is great! I would pre-measure my own ingredients and put it all in separate re-sealable plastic bags. Quick oats (so cheap), dried fruit (raisins, etc), crumbled dark chocolate, sugar/sweetner, or whatever you like can be used. Just grad a pre-made baggie and your thermos on the way out the door. Hopefully you have access to a kettle, but you could warm the water in the microwave if you need to.

Dry cereal- again use those re-sealable bags (and again, since cereal is a dry ingredient, you can re-use them). Pre-measure the cereal out into one-serving size portions and grab one on your way out the door. My favourites were cheerios, frosted flakes mixed with all-bran or mini-wheats.

My undergrad uni had a commuter student lounge- it was awesome! There was a kettle, toaster, microwave, fridge, spices, dishes, bowls and cutlery available- hopefully yours does too. My post-grad university didn't have these facilities, but it was still doable, I used to have to bring a lot to school, it was a pain in the butt, but It was healthier and I saved SO much money!

mezzosoprano89

I make sure to pack my lunch everyday (usually a turkey whole wheat wrap), special k bar, and some pretzels or fruit snacks. If you are wanting to snack all day, just make sure you are eating something that is healthy and filling (that way you will stop snacking at some point). I really like special k bars, pretzels, sugar free pudding, natural applesauce, light pringles, bananas, apples, raisins, the list goes on....

Being in college makes healthy eating more difficult, but it's definitely not impossible! We can do it!

woou

Bring Cristal Light packets and a re-useable water bottle, it's great for when you crave something sweet while studying.

what reusable water bottle is everyone using? i use nalgene, but water (or any liquid) will leak out of these, if they're not standing upright in my bag. :blushing:

jonzo21

I used to have the same leakage prob with a water bottle i bought at walmart. I got rid of it and I bought an aluminum water bottle from the dollar store. Surprisingly it doesn't leak. Only thing I dislike is its not like a "sports bottle" with the thing you sip off, its got a screw on cap. But for a dollar, no leakage, and keeps drinks cold, I can't complain.

Red5446

Totally in the same boat. I need to eat fairly often, and going hungry results in disaster. Here are my favorite snacks:
skim milk cappuccinos- pricey but low cal with sugarfree syrup
babybel light cheese- 50 calories, and they come in big bags, also will be fine not refrigerated for several hours
boiled eggs- I steal the little salt and peppers from the cafeteria to dip them into
apples- they stand up to being in my bag all day
yogurt- don't forget a spoon

For meals:
chili in a pouch- you can get these from costco or the ethnic section of some grocery stores, it's ~300 cal for the whole pouch, which can be dumped into a container and heated in the microwave
any legume with rice and cheese is pretty much a winner, and many can be served at room temperature
sandwiches- light bread + (avocado/light cream cheese) (PB/low sugar jam) (goat cheese/veggies) (pesto/veggies)
salads- bring the dressing in a pouch or container so the veggies don't get soggy

if you have a freezer at home:
homemade chili- make a huge batch and separate it into single servings
pasta- add jarred sauce and light cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, anchovies, artichokes, ect. and freeze them in single servings
frozen burritos- microwave them in a container to avoid an explosion that will probably end in tears and be sure to check the stats, as some are quite fatty, I like Amy's varieties

I've been an undergrad for far too long, so I hope that my extensive experience living the student life is at least of some assistance!

christine24t

- pistachios
- granola bars
- hand fruit
- peanut butter sandwiches

michelledismuke

I really like the lean pockets---the pepperoni pizza . Very good, quick and easy, and can carry on the go! For snacks I like the 90 calorie fiber one peanut butter bar and smokehouse almonds.