HELP college dorm room!!

Boshnivay

Hey guys, I have been using this site on and off for the past year or so. For the past two years I have lived on campus and had a kitchen in an apartment. Now, I am back to a dorm room and while there is a kitchen downstairs I rarely use it. If anyone has any ideas on awesome dorm meals that are obviously healthy then be my guest and leave them right here! (allergies: strawberries and apples so I have to be careful with fruit consumption).

Acg67

Hey guys, I have been using this site on and off for the past year or so. For the past two years I have lived on campus and had a kitchen in an apartment. Now, I am back to a dorm room and while there is a kitchen downstairs I rarely use it. If anyone has any ideas on awesome dorm meals that are obviously healthy then be my guest and leave them right here! (allergies: strawberries and apples so I have to be careful with fruit consumption).

Ramen noddles and crack an egg or two in it for extra protein

Overnight oats

Ghetto grilled cheese using an iron to make it

Firefox7275

Do you have access to a refrigerator and/ or freezer and/ or microwave? If so get a slow cooker and a stick blender, you can make a ton of different meals with those - stews/ casseroles, soups, Bolognese, chilli con carne, smoothies, curries for example.

acogg

Google "dorm room cooking" and up will pop several blogs that are themed under this very subject.

Mommyjenlynn

Buy a crockpot. I really recommend the cookbook called "Fix it and Forget it Light". Really awesome recipes. I cook from it all of the time and we very rarely find recipes we do not like from it. I am cooked stuffed bell peppers in my crockpot right now for dinner tonight.

Boshnivay

i have a tiny fridge, and we are not allowed to have crock pots i've been living off of canned soup.....

Ariberri9

I live on campus at my university as well, so I know your pain. Do you have a microwave in your room? That makes a ton of difference.

My university serves unhealthy food all of the time; my university has a cafe with a few restaurants (Pizza Hut, Einstein Bagels, and World of Wings) and then two main cafeterias. One cafeteria is buffet style with multiple choices. The second cafeteria has a set menu (of unhealthy choices) that you order from and is made-to-order.

I stick with the buffet-style cafeteria. I can control my portions, and they always have healthy options. I start with a large salad with little dressing and add-ins. Then, I move on to a light main course consisting of a meat, a vegetable, and a carb. Then, I move on to fruit for dessert. I drink lots of water or juice throughout, and I always feel recharged, full, and healthy afterwards.

When I go shopping for personal groceries, here is my list. I've had a lot of success with it.
1.) Whole wheat bread
2.) Skim milk
3.) Some type of healthy cereal (I usually go with Cheerios or Honey Bunches of Oats...sometimes Mini-Wheats)
4.) Turkey lunch meat
5.) Cheese (NOT cheese product; REAL CHEESE)
6.) Pickles (as a special treat)
7.) Fruit (pears, bananas, grapes, and oranges; I'm allergic to apples and raw cherries, and I don't like strawberries)
8.) Instant oatmeal
9.) Peanut butter (the single-serving cups that comes in packs of 6...good portion control)
10.) Grape jelly (as a special treat)
11.) Campbell's Soup (when I'm in a time crunch)
12.) Reduced fat Wheat Thins
13.) Microwavable macaroni and cheese cups (as a special treat)

If you get store-brand of EVERYTHING, you save a ton. And saving is extremely important since, as a college kid, my funds are restricted. Also, all of the food above lasts me quite a while...it lasts me about a month and a half on average since I mostly utilize the buffet cafeteria.

The key is working with what you have. If you have a microwave, awesome. If you don't, work around it. Make smart, cheap choices; and you'll go far. I lost 13 pounds using that shopping list and the cafeteria at my university (along with exercise and lots of water).

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me! :flowerforyou:

Brendajo510

Sandwiches and chips
Frozen meals
Ramen noodles
Hot dogs
Spaghetti O's (and meatballs)
Salads
Instant Oatmeal
Cerel
Yogurt
Technically, you can microwave raw hamburger though I've never tried it. But if you did than you could make a batch of tacos or sloppy joes.

Just remember to check the calories and portion control.

mjrkearney

There are dozens of cookbooks devoted to the subject.