Eating healthy in Dorms

I'm a freshman in college and needing good snacks to keep in my dorm. I do well in terms of staying within my calorie range, but am struggling to get the right balance of nutrients. I am on the lowest meal plan so I don't go to the dining halls too often but when I do I almost always get either get chicken breast, pasta with red sauce or go to the salad bar. I need to find snacks that are high in protein and low in sugar and carbohydrates. Other than my meals at the dorm the only other access I have for protein is nuts, "healthy" snack bars, and greek yogurt. Almost everyday I am under my protein, what type of healthy proteins can I keep in my dorm?

Replies

  • Sounds like you're on the right track to healthy eating! Do you have a refrigerator in your dorm? You could keep like sliced turkey and swiss cheese and make sandwiches, or just turkey-swiss roll ups if you're really low-carb. One of my favorite snacks is a mozzarella cheese stick with grapes or strawberries. Or have a banana or apple with peanut butter (just don't let the bananas get brown or you'll get fruit flies). Nuts are a great source of protein! I would also recommend sunflower seeds

    I like tuna salads but I'm not sure your dormmates would appreciate that

    Btw a tortilla, some canned beans, cheese, and salsa microwaved for a few minutes make a very decent burrito
  • RockstarWilson
    RockstarWilson Posts: 836 Member
    haha..."is there a fridge in your dorm?"

    anyways....canned meat might be a good option for ya. I don't know how much physical space you have, but you might want to take $50 and invest in a mini-fridge that you stash away in your section of the dorm. That way, you can store a week's worth of food and not have to buy food at the college. I know it gets pricey, and if you are on zero income, it can be difficult. Not to mention, you are eating bottom-of-the-barrel crap with fillers. yeah, it is easy to not go to the store. In your situation, I would also invest in a bicycle.

    If you have it good with your dorm-mates, and have a bigger fridge, go together and make meals together. You ALL will save a ton, and can use it for taking that sexy co-ed out to a concert!
  • shaumom
    shaumom Posts: 1,003 Member
    edited October 2014
    Part of this depends on whether you have a min-fridge, or whether your dorm, like some, has a small kitchenette you can have access to, with a microwave or something. But...

    quinoa and amaranth - both pseudo-grains - are actually full proteins. They are not actually grains, so they are lower in carbs than typical grains. Buying a little of either of these and just microwaving it with some water can work for a snack. Quinoa turns out kind of like rice. Amaranth is a bit sweeter and is more like porridge, but could be good for breakfast, if you adde a little fruit or sugar or something. Buckwheat is a partial protein, but again it is not a true grain and I believe is a little lower in carbs - can be made into a porridge in the microwave.

    Also, amaranth is edible raw and I've seen some people eat it raw mixed in with coconut or fruit, or used to make homemade granola bar type things. You could, say, get a handful in a bowl and dip fruit into it and eat it, for example.

    Dried meat and seeds may work, too (like pum - the seeds are partial protein and usually pair with grains.

    Corn tortillas - partial protein, and will make full protein when mixed with beans or nuts/seeds. Most varieties don't need to be refrigerated. It's going to add carbs, but will still help with the protein. Taste nicer if you can find a microwave or toaster oven, but will do cold in a pinch.

    I don't know about the carb load on this, but one snack that I loved in college was brown rice cakes and cream cheese. Not the white rice cakes, but the brown - texture made a difference. It was very filling, and not too, too expensive, and you'd be getting some protein, definitely. The tastes went surprisingly well together.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Dry roasted soy beans.
    Yogurt will last 24 hours at room temperature. So will cheese sticks.
    Canned soups.
    Canned refried beans.