College Student in need of "Dorm Room Friendly" Recipes!

cem2168
cem2168 Posts: 205 Member
edited September 24 in Recipes
Hi! I am a 2nd year college student and I live in a standard dorm room. I only have access to a mini fridge and microwave (which has been holding its own for a while!) but I am starting to get sick of eating the same foods all the time, and I am not sure if anyone knows of any good "dorm friendly" eating ideas? Any recipes? I can't use anything like a crock pot or hot plate unfortunately :( please help!

Replies

  • abyt42
    abyt42 Posts: 1,358 Member
    Baked potatos?
    Steamed vegetables (if you're willing to microwave in a steamer bag)
    soft quesadillas
  • Naomi91
    Naomi91 Posts: 892 Member
    Hmm my dorm lets us have a mini gearge foreman grill if we cook it in our kitchenette... does yours offer this?
  • erikblock
    erikblock Posts: 230 Member
    I'm not sure what you've been eating already or nutrients you're interested in tracking, but pretty much everything I eat during the week can either be prepared in a microwave or needs no preparation whatsoever. My diary is open, so feel free to take a look. I eat mostly fruit, granola bars, popcorn, and Michaelina's Lean Gourmet meals (they only cost $1, they're between 250-300 calories, and they're actually suprisingly good). I go over on sugar and sodium much of the time, but I'm really only interested in counting calories at the moment, anyway.

    Good luck!

    -Erik
  • 6Janelle13
    6Janelle13 Posts: 353 Member
    whole grain pita pizza loaded with veggies. salad fixins and greek yogurt with fruit and granola. etc. By being limited in cooking it is a challenge. mini bagels with non fat cream cheese and smoked salmon, Baked potatoes in the microwave with cheese and broccoli? Green giant has some great veggie mixes that I use as a meal sometimes, I love the carrots with spinach and navy beans in garlic sauce. Also uncle ben's quick brown rice with light soy sauce. sadly most of my ideas are processed but if you know how to cook do you have a friend that has a house? perhaps if you do you can cook meals there once a week and bring the food to campus for a reheat ( cook chicken breasts, hard boiled eggs etc)?
  • bstamps12
    bstamps12 Posts: 1,184
    Wal-mart carries grilled chicken strips that are pre-cooked so you only have to microwave them. Then you can use them in salads, wraps, etc. You can also buy the whole wheat hamburger buns and chicken patties and microwave them for a decent chicken sandwich. If you can find Au Jus gravy that can be microwaved (a little packet that you mix w/ water) then you could make French Dip Sandwiches by using sub buns, roast beef, swiss cheese..microwave the sandwich then dip in Au Jus.

    There are a lot of "stir fry" meals at Walmart too that can be made in the microwave. They are in the freezer section. I usually cook mine in the stove but I know a lot of them have microwave directions. Get the ones that say "meal for two" then microwave it using the directions and save half for the next night. Also frozen vegetables that can be steamed in a microwave. Birdseye has a rotini pasta with cheese and broccoli that is super low cal and microwaves in 5 minutes-that's enough for a meal for me!
  • Kminor67
    Kminor67 Posts: 900 Member
    Salads, sweet potatoes (use a little apple pie spice and low cal margarine), boca burgers, low sodium soups.
  • sweetheart03622
    sweetheart03622 Posts: 928 Member
    Spend a good amount of time browsing your grocery store. There are a ton of frozen meals that aren't loaded with junk in them. Pre-cooked meats are fairly high in sodium but can be very helpful and definitely keep fresh veggies and fruit in your room. Get yourself some high-protein/fiber snacks like peanut butter (on apples or special K crackers), fiber one bars, nuts, etc. You'll have to get creative, but you can definitely do this!
  • andrgtrr
    andrgtrr Posts: 5
    Do you like Tostadas?

    You can make ceviche tostadas and you don't have to use the microwave.

    Ingredients

    1/2 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
    1 cup fresh lime juice
    2 tomatoes, diced 1/2 large yellow onion, diced 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced, or to taste
    1 avocados, diced (optional)
    2 ribs celery, diced (optional)
    chopped fresh cilantro to taste salt and pepper to taste

    Directions
    Place shrimp in a glass bowl and cover with lime juice to marinate (or 'cook') for about 10 minutes, or until they turn pink and opaque. Meanwhile, place the tomatoes, onion and jalapeno (and avocados and celery, if using) in a large, non-reactive (stainless steel, glass or plastic) bowl.
    Remove shrimp from lime juice, reserving juice. Dice shrimp and add to the bowl of vegetables. Pour in the remaining lime juice marinade. Add cilantro and salt and pepper to taste. Toss gently to mix.

    Tip: you have to use real limes and not Lime juice bought from the bottle. The real citrus is what cooks the shrimp. You can also use less ingredients if it's just for you.

    Then serve with tostadas which you can buy at the market.
  • cem2168
    cem2168 Posts: 205 Member
    We technically arn't allowed to have a mini george forman....but i did sneak one into my dorm! Its just a little difficult because I don't have much "cooking space" since I do not have a kitchenette.
  • lisapisa1
    lisapisa1 Posts: 115
    I'm a fan of morning star burgers/chicken and arnold's sandwich thins.
  • cem2168
    cem2168 Posts: 205 Member
    Thanks for the good ideas!
  • humblemonkey
    humblemonkey Posts: 576 Member
    my freshman year of college i actually LOST 15 pounds because I hated going to the dining hall. I would go and eat just salad and the occasional french fry after good workouts (lol)
    My dorm was across campus and in the rain (seemed like it was always raining) I just didnt feel like making the trek. I would eat oatmeal for breakfast, yogurt for lunch, and chick peas and boca burgers for dinner. Every weekend I'd get an egg sandwich as a splurge. I would also eat pasta from the dining hall if I knew I was running the next day.
    I also would make low-sodium soup in the microwave in a microwavable bowl.
    For snack, Id eat rice cakes, TONS of POPCORN, some pretzels, apples, peanut butter.

    also, now they make those steamfresh bags of veggies so you could do that instead of chick peas if you dont like them!

    good luck!!
  • SeasideOasis
    SeasideOasis Posts: 1,057 Member
    Oh the days of dorming! While I did not dorm myself (after doing a cost analysis from my school, I found an apartment that would actually be cheaper, and I scored it right by campus), I used to be a 'road warrior' and traveled all the time, living out of hotels usually only having a mini-fridge as a friend.

    I recommend packing what room you have with veggies, lots of them. They are great snacks and if you eat a whole pepper, you dont have to feel bad about it. Now a days, they have those pre-cooked grilled chicken and bacon (a little high in sodium sometimes, but still better than cafeteria food) portion, mix that with some baby spinach (which I use for salads since head lettuce isnt even nutritious for you). Some of the new Green Giant steamer bags have GREAT veggies/potato mixes that are still light on sodium and butter (I love these for days when I dont feel like cooking at all) that are great in the microwave as well.

    This website http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=50531 also might help with some cooking tips for the microwave that might also be helpful to you.
  • Pick up a copy of "The Healthy College Cookbook", it's made of magic.
  • erin6026
    erin6026 Posts: 117 Member
    1. oatmeal (I'd avoid the processed kinds)
    2. rice cakes with almond butter and banana - my fav snack, fills you up and no refridgeration necessary!
    3. cottage cheese with applesauce (it's good, really - lots of protein too)
    4. larabars - all-natural, keep well
    5. soup - though be careful of some brands, they pack a lot of sodium
    6. carrot/celery sticks and hummus
  • BryanAir
    BryanAir Posts: 434
    Oh those dorm days. I lived in one during my undergrad years because it was included in my scholarship. My favorite dorm cooking implement was a hot pot. With some creativity you can make a lot of meals in one. They weren't allowed, but everyone had one anyway.
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
    We technically arn't allowed to have a mini george forman....but i did sneak one into my dorm! Its just a little difficult because I don't have much "cooking space" since I do not have a kitchenette.

    Be careful not to grill your foot like Michael on The Office ;)
  • ronitabur
    ronitabur Posts: 178 Member
    Google Microwave Recipes...

    Chicken cooks well in the microwave if you're not planning on eating the skin. It doesn't get tough like other meats like beef, as long as you don't overcook it. Here's a recipe my mom always made in the microwave back when microwave ovens were first invented:

    Chicken Teriyaki
    Mix 1/4 cup soy to 1/2 cup diet Sprite or diet 7-up (or not diet if you prefer) and add a little bit of sweetner, brown sugar, maple syrup or sugar free maple syrup to make it a bit sweeter. Taste to see if you like the level of sweetness. Pour over two chicken breasts in a small bowl. Cover the bowl with saran wrap or a loose lid so you don't end up with spatters all inside your microwave. Microwave on med-hi heat until the chicken is done all the way through - probably about 5-7 minutes if I remember correctly. That is the cheap version. If you have the money and you want to make it better, add some green onions, grated garlic and grated ginger and even some red pepper flakes. Let it marinate for a few hours, then microwave. Serve with veggies and rice - they do make rice for the microwave. You can steam the veggies with the chicken during the last minute of cooking. Or, serve over dreaded top raman.
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