HELP college dorm room!!

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.

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.

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:

There are dozens of cookbooks devoted to the subject.