I'm on a (very limited) meal plan this year but next year I will start living on the apartments also. I try to drink a lot of protein shakes and those can be used at a meal replacement. I try to have lots of other drinks too like milk, water bottles and my favorite juices. I found some really good health snack bars in my school store that they are now starting to stock at Walmart and such.

Lately I have been eating those little chackers that come with soup sometimes they look like little shell they are really cheap on $2.50 for a bag. I started to think about how I'm going to have real meals next year. I'm probably going to bring food from back home when my buys it and stuff I know my parents will want to make sure I have food at school

Raw veggies (carrots, snap peas, cucumbers)
Lite/Low-Cal salad kits (a little more expensive than just buying dressing + raw lettuce, but I always find that I forget about the lettuce if I buy it raw, and it goes bad)
Hummus
Bread (it's a little more expensive, but Dave's Killer Bread is great and good for you... lots of low-calorie options to choose from, too!)
Egg whites
Lucerne or Laughing Cow sliced cheese or cheese sticks (I love pepperjack, and it's the lowest calorie cheese!)
Fresh fruit (apples, mandarin oranges, and if I have some extra money, kiwis, strawberries, mangoes, nectarines, blueberries, blackberries depending on what's in season)
Raw potatoes (great for making sliced potato wedge "fries" instead of eating McDonalds fries for a craving!)
Miso soup (a little expensive, but fills you up for very few calories)
Progresso/Campell Healthy/Low-Cal soup cans
Oatmeal single-serve packs (great for filling breakfasts, only 120 calories per pack)
Vitamin water (I am addicted to this stuff, and it's a little better for you than diet soda)
Turkey breast lunch meat
Kosher hot dogs (tend to be very low-calorie and easy to make for a snack)
Frozen broccoli
Frozen chicken breasts
Frozen fruits + non-fat yogurt for low-calorie smoothies
Frozen shrimp
Cous cous (easy to make, and lower-calorie than making rice or pasta)
Supplies to make home made pizzas (flour, yeast, etc.) - sometimes I skip the mozzarella & sauce and go for a Mediterranean pizza (pizza dough with tomato, spinach, and feta on top)

Hope that helps a little bit!

I don't have a set "list" that I follow for every grocery trip, but my biggest suggestion is to follow the sales and let them inform what you buy. Buy larger quantities when things like boneless, skinless chicken breasts are on sale at the store and freeze them in single-serving packages - you don't need anything fancy, just some quart sized freezer bags. A lot of veggies will freeze well this way, too, and you can throw everything together in a single quart bag for a quick meal.

Invest in a water filter pitcher if you don't already have one - combined with a couple of reusable water bottles, it'll save you a lot of money in the long run and you'll be more likely to drink water that actually tastes good (water straight from the tap around here is NASTY). It's generally best to stick with basics when it comes to beverages - water, skim milk, and the occasional glass of juice (just don't let your juice expire, because that's money wasted!). I try to keep a carton of milk in my fridge at all times because I drink it in my tea and use it in my cereal and a lot of my cooking.

Also make sure you're looking at how much items cost per ounce or per unit when it comes to buying food. You want to go with the size that's the least expensive per ounce that you can feasibly use up before the expiration date - bulk is only better if you can use it or freeze it before then! Your own personal eating habits play a role in what is most cost-effective as well. I personally buy a more expensive brand of milk (Born Free) instead of the store brand because it lasts significantly longer - it takes me a while to use up a half-gallon of milk, so it's more effective for me to pay the extra dollar or so for the name-brand milk because otherwise I would have to buy two half-gallons of the store brand milk and see half of it spoil before I could use it.

Another important aspect to consider is quality - white bread may be cheaper than whole wheat, but it's also pretty useless in terms of nutrition. Make sure you're reading the labels and getting what you need from the foods you choose. And keep your loaf of bread in the refrigerator if you're worried about it starting to mold before you finish it - I've found that my bread lasts significantly longer if I keep it cold.

Don't pay the store do to something for you - instead of buying the pre-cut fruit and veggies, buy the whole thing and chop it up yourself. The convenience isn't worth it when you're on a tight budget. The same goes for nutritional shakes like Slim-Fast - mixing the powder in a Blender Bottle works just fine, and I don't taste a difference between that and the bottled shakes. All you're paying for is the convenience. You don't even really need a Blender Bottle, either - it's not as smooth, but stirring also works.

Things I like to buy a lot:
- Hummus and baby carrots or pita chips
- Bananas
- Applesauce or fruit cups
- Lean sandwich meat & cheese
- Frozen meats (ONLY buy these on sale!!)
- Skim milk
- Cereal (usually the bagged kind, which tends to be less expensive)
- Whole wheat bread

Greek yogurt (buy the big ones and divide into small containers is cheaper)
Eggs (I probably go through a dozen every two weeks)
Big carton of egg whites
Shredded cheese
Low cal multigrain/whole wheat sandwich wraps or sandwich thins
Kraft Light Mayo
Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges (Light)
Rice
Fresh Spinach (it goes on/in everything I eat)
Spring Mix
Salsa
Celery
Chicken Breast
Mrs. Dash Seasonings
Almond Breeze Almond/Coconut Milk Blend

My normal weekly shopping list is (pretty much all from winco):
Milk
A tub of baby spinach
Pepper jack cheese
Pound of deli turkey
tortillas
oatmeal
apples
jalapeno ranch dressing