College Snacks...HELP!

JEK717
JEK717 Posts: 1,497
edited October 1 in Food and Nutrition
Hey Guys. I'm Ellie. Im NOT new. I've been on here for like never! Anywho.....

I have a question and need some help. I am starting school on Monday...yes very soon. I dont have a car yet to drive so i will pretty much be stuck with eating snacks at school for a little bit because all the food places are a little far from my school. I can walk down their no problem but coming back up is a STEEP hill...so..you get my drift.

I need some cheap easy snack ideas that i can carry in my backpack that wont get gross after walking around campus for hours. I have maybe an hour or a little over between each class so eating it is not the problem. I just need to know what i should bring. In Cali its tradition for college students to live off pop tarts and we ALL know how bad that would be. So....ideas?
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Replies

  • alyshrinks
    alyshrinks Posts: 1 Member
    I've had the same problem finding snacks that travel well while I'm at school.
    I recommend rice cakes. :) They fill me up and they're fairly easy to transport.
  • rider797
    rider797 Posts: 52
    CLIF BARS :)
  • When I was in school I usually had high-fiber granola bars with me. Apples would transport easily, as would a bag of baby carrots or celery sticks. String cheese would be ok for about 2-3 hours out from the last point of refrigeration. You could also carry nuts (like almonds)....in fact they now have convenient 100 calorie packs of almonds :)
  • JEK717
    JEK717 Posts: 1,497
    When I was in school I usually had high-fiber granola bars with me. Apples would transport easily, as would a bag of baby carrots or celery sticks. String cheese would be ok for about 2-3 hours out from the last point of refrigeration. You could also carry nuts (like almonds)....in fact they now have convenient 100 calorie packs of almonds :)

    I LOVE carrots and nuts would be good too. I think cliff bars or granola bar would be good but i have classes from 9:30 am- 6:15 pm Tuesdays and Thursday and i would be eating WAY too many of those and probably eating too many calories. But i think carrots, apples and nuts would be good.
  • Personally I love Vegetable Stick Chips. They taste great and are not as bad for you as pop tarts. They are also long and thin, like french fries, and you can carry them in any small plastic container.

    Also peanuts. They are a great little snack for between classes.
  • JEK717
    JEK717 Posts: 1,497
    Personally I love Vegetable Stick Chips. They taste great and are not as bad for you as pop tarts. They are also long and thin, like french fries, and you can carry them in any small plastic container.

    Also peanuts. They are a great little snack for between classes.

    Vegetable Stick Chips..i haven't even heard of those???
  • Personally I love Vegetable Stick Chips. They taste great and are not as bad for you as pop tarts. They are also long and thin, like french fries, and you can carry them in any small plastic container.

    Also peanuts. They are a great little snack for between classes.

    Vegetable Stick Chips..i haven't even heard of those???

    You can find them at Walmart, but I don't remember the brand name. Tasty though, and I think they also have fruit stick chips too.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    Nuts for sure. What about one of those insulated lunch bags? I bet cheese and even sandwiches would be good in one of those. You could even get a blender bottle and do protein shakes with water. Even beef jerky if you don't mind the HUGE amounts of sodium. I'm a grad student but I have access to a min-fridge which is really nice.
  • JEK717
    JEK717 Posts: 1,497
    Personally I love Vegetable Stick Chips. They taste great and are not as bad for you as pop tarts. They are also long and thin, like french fries, and you can carry them in any small plastic container.

    Also peanuts. They are a great little snack for between classes.

    Vegetable Stick Chips..i haven't even heard of those???

    You can find them at Walmart, but I don't remember the brand name. Tasty though, and I think they also have fruit stick chips too.

    Oooh i like that idea!
  • Queen_JessieA
    Queen_JessieA Posts: 1,059 Member
    Right now I am loving the Skinny Cow chocolate snacks. The Clusters are my fave!! Yummo! Can you get a small insulated bag to put an ice pack in to take with you? My kids and I love vanilla yogurt w/ fresh blueberries, strawberries or peaches. Or any sort of yogurt!
  • LisaCFSF
    LisaCFSF Posts: 258 Member
    When I was in school I usually had high-fiber granola bars with me. Apples would transport easily, as would a bag of baby carrots or celery sticks. String cheese would be ok for about 2-3 hours out from the last point of refrigeration. You could also carry nuts (like almonds)....in fact they now have convenient 100 calorie packs of almonds :)

    I LOVE carrots and nuts would be good too. I think cliff bars or granola bar would be good but i have classes from 9:30 am- 6:15 pm Tuesdays and Thursday and i would be eating WAY too many of those and probably eating too many calories. But i think carrots, apples and nuts would be good.

    All these sound great, Cliff bars are good for protein, but would be too many calories if you eat more than probably one a day. String cheese or Baby Bel cheeses would be great if you carry a small cooler bag, baby bottle cooler bag may be the right size. Also, you could take small servings of almond butter or even those individual "Jif to go" PB packs if not too high in calories/fat for you, to eat with your fruit and veggies for added protein. Stacy's pita chips are terrific and only about 110 calories per individual serving. Good job on thinking ahead and avoiding bad choices.
  • JEK717
    JEK717 Posts: 1,497
    Right now I am loving the Skinny Cow chocolate snacks. The Clusters are my fave!! Yummo! Can you get a small insulated bag to put an ice pack in to take with you? My kids and I love vanilla yogurt w/ fresh blueberries, strawberries or peaches. Or any sort of yogurt!

    I could but ill be carrying around my backpack with tons of books and my laptop in it so i would like to try to stay away from any other baggage if i can. My school is on mountain level so it goes up and down and is spread out. So the walk is tough. Carrying too much will kill me:)
  • akp780
    akp780 Posts: 3
    I have two very small kids and I'm constantly trying to think of travel ready snacks for them. I think our list would apply to you too: snack bags of pretzels (typically very low fat, and if you portion control, you are set with calories), carrots sticks (they can take a beating in a bag), "Wholly guacamole" makes 100 calorie pack (you could dip veggies/pretzels in that), maybe even some salsa in small container, Cheese sticks/baby bells, Air popped popcorn, Apples/pears/grapes, applesauce/pear sauce in small containers, small packs of nuts/trail mix, rice cakes or baked pita chips, PBJ sandwiches, bags of dry cereal/granola, grape tomatoes, oranges, small packs of tuna (no refrigeration needed unless already opened), dried apples, banana chips, . Lots and lots of water! Get your self a kitchen scale and some snack zipbags and pack up a whole bunch of snacks all at once. Grab as needed.

    Good for you for thinking ahead. Hopefully you'll get a car, or carpool with friends to hit up the market sooner rather than later. Also, from what I remember of college (it wasn't long ago, I swear) the late night pizzas were my undoing. If you can avoid that on a regular basis, you'll be in good shape!

    Good luck (nutritionally AND academically!)
  • LisaCFSF
    LisaCFSF Posts: 258 Member
    I have two very small kids and I'm constantly trying to think of travel ready snacks for them. I think our list would apply to you too: snack bags of pretzels (typically very low fat, and if you portion control, you are set with calories), carrots sticks (they can take a beating in a bag), "Wholly guacamole" makes 100 calorie pack (you could dip veggies/pretzels in that), maybe even some salsa in small container, Cheese sticks/baby bells, Air popped popcorn, Apples/pears/grapes, applesauce/pear sauce in small containers, small packs of nuts/trail mix, rice cakes or baked pita chips, PBJ sandwiches, bags of dry cereal/granola, grape tomatoes, oranges, small packs of tuna (no refrigeration needed unless already opened), dried apples, banana chips, . Lots and lots of water! Get your self a kitchen scale and some snack zipbags and pack up a whole bunch of snacks all at once. Grab as needed.

    Good for you for thinking ahead. Hopefully you'll get a car, or carpool with friends to hit up the market sooner rather than later. Also, from what I remember of college (it wasn't long ago, I swear) the late night pizzas were my undoing. If you can avoid that on a regular basis, you'll be in good shape!

    Good luck (nutritionally AND academically!)

    Great additional suggestions! And if not a car, how about a bike for tooling around and possibly to and from campus!
  • KimmyEB
    KimmyEB Posts: 1,208 Member
    Granola bars that don't have a lot of chocolate in them (so they won't melt in the hotter temps) are my go-to for snacks at school. Actually, they're my go-to for ANY snack that involves me not being at home for a while. :P

    My boyfriend recently got me hooked on those tuna lunch kit things (forget what brand they are, but there's probably multiple kinds anyway). They're portable, good, and not that bad for you, either. =)
  • xHelloQuincyx
    xHelloQuincyx Posts: 884 Member
    i love blue diamond almonds,
    fiber one bars (get a little gooey if in heat a long time),
    special k protein flavored water mix in packets keep me very full for only 10 calories (pink lemonaid is my fav). http://www2.kelloggs.com/ProductDetail.aspx?id=10031. tuna pouches, homemade muffins/ busicutes. craisens/ raisons. wheat thins are my favorite. fruit roll ups (100% fruit version) oranges, apples.
  • KimmyEB
    KimmyEB Posts: 1,208 Member
    i love blue diamond almonds,
    fiber one bars (get a little gooey if in heat a long time),
    special k protein flavored water mix in packets keep me very full for only 10 calories (pink lemonaid is my fav). http://www2.kelloggs.com/ProductDetail.aspx?id=10031. tuna pouches, homemade muffins/ busicutes. craisens/ raisons. wheat thins are my favorite. fruit roll ups (100% fruit version) oranges, apples.

    Oh yeah, I forgot Craisins!! I love those. I get the ones that come in the little individual 100 calorie packs, and honestly, I rarely can finish a pack...something about a bazillion tiny dried cranberries is extremely filling. :P
  • JEK717
    JEK717 Posts: 1,497
    I have two very small kids and I'm constantly trying to think of travel ready snacks for them. I think our list would apply to you too: snack bags of pretzels (typically very low fat, and if you portion control, you are set with calories), carrots sticks (they can take a beating in a bag), "Wholly guacamole" makes 100 calorie pack (you could dip veggies/pretzels in that), maybe even some salsa in small container, Cheese sticks/baby bells, Air popped popcorn, Apples/pears/grapes, applesauce/pear sauce in small containers, small packs of nuts/trail mix, rice cakes or baked pita chips, PBJ sandwiches, bags of dry cereal/granola, grape tomatoes, oranges, small packs of tuna (no refrigeration needed unless already opened), dried apples, banana chips, . Lots and lots of water! Get your self a kitchen scale and some snack zipbags and pack up a whole bunch of snacks all at once. Grab as needed.

    Good for you for thinking ahead. Hopefully you'll get a car, or carpool with friends to hit up the market sooner rather than later. Also, from what I remember of college (it wasn't long ago, I swear) the late night pizzas were my undoing. If you can avoid that on a regular basis, you'll be in good shape!

    Good luck (nutritionally AND academically!)

    Wow...these all sound really good...now i want snacks for home too!!!
    Haha check..no late night pizza.

    And thank you! I hope to succeed in both department. I need to write everyone's suggestions on a list!
  • JEK717
    JEK717 Posts: 1,497
    I have two very small kids and I'm constantly trying to think of travel ready snacks for them. I think our list would apply to you too: snack bags of pretzels (typically very low fat, and if you portion control, you are set with calories), carrots sticks (they can take a beating in a bag), "Wholly guacamole" makes 100 calorie pack (you could dip veggies/pretzels in that), maybe even some salsa in small container, Cheese sticks/baby bells, Air popped popcorn, Apples/pears/grapes, applesauce/pear sauce in small containers, small packs of nuts/trail mix, rice cakes or baked pita chips, PBJ sandwiches, bags of dry cereal/granola, grape tomatoes, oranges, small packs of tuna (no refrigeration needed unless already opened), dried apples, banana chips, . Lots and lots of water! Get your self a kitchen scale and some snack zipbags and pack up a whole bunch of snacks all at once. Grab as needed.

    Good for you for thinking ahead. Hopefully you'll get a car, or carpool with friends to hit up the market sooner rather than later. Also, from what I remember of college (it wasn't long ago, I swear) the late night pizzas were my undoing. If you can avoid that on a regular basis, you'll be in good shape!

    Good luck (nutritionally AND academically!)

    Great additional suggestions! And if not a car, how about a bike for tooling around and possibly to and from campus!

    I would LOVE a bike and be able to ride it to school but i live about an hour or so away from school and that would be too far to ride. And then haha getting their on Tuesdays and Thursday with my first class as PE...HA! But i would so do that if i lived a lot closer!
  • Any of the "100 Calorie" packs are good, there are so many options from chips to cookies (salty and sweet options) to change it up all the time. The Special K 90 calorie snack bars are also good. Low fat microwave popcorn snack packs are a large portion and only 100 calories. I pop these in the morning before I head out and then transfer them into a ziploc bag (once it's cooled off) to avoid carrying around the greasy popped bag. I have found all these at Target.
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
    I used to keep a large bag of nuts in my backpack (or whatever bag you're carrying) to quell hunger pangs during those long hours in the library. Individual sized yogurts are also great (I like the kind that come with granola that you can add to it, but you could always bring your own) and carrot sticks with individual 100 calorie packs of hummus.

    I now teach college students and they seem to bring full meals to class (it doesn't bother me since class is 12:30-2:30...sometimes I get hungry watching them though!). They usually bring sandwiches, fruit and veggies, and I tend to see a lot of kashi granola bars (probably because they're cheaper to buy by the box than cliff bars). I also usually bake for my students about once a month...usually cranberry or zucchini muffins or cookies without added sugar and with whole wheat flour...they seem to like it (or at least they eat it!). Maybe your instructors will bake for you too!
  • You will need more than snacks for those long days....you need real food--some good protein. What about cans of tuna or chicken. Carry a can opener and some little mayo packets if you need them.
  • mynameiscarrie
    mynameiscarrie Posts: 963 Member
    like everyone else said, nuts are a good idea. you can get trail mix at walmart for cheap. just put it in a ziploc bag before your day and viola! a quick snack. I carry around apples a lot. i just cut them up in the morning, add a little lemon juice to keep them from browning (like a drop or two, not much) and put it in a ziploc and i'm good to go.

    also, there is a tupperwear you can buy that is in the shape of a sandwich so you could make a sandwich and put it in that. i'll put it in a ziploc bag before i put it in the tupperwear so i dont have to wash it every time but it's really handy because it's just big enough to fit a sandwich on normal bread. doesnt take up too much space in my backpack :)
  • mynameiscarrie
    mynameiscarrie Posts: 963 Member
    I also usually bake for my students about once a month...usually cranberry or zucchini muffins or cookies without added sugar and with whole wheat flour...they seem to like it (or at least they eat it!). Maybe your instructors will bake for you too!

    can you be my professor? mine never bake for me... if they ever hand anything out its like cookies and brownies lol nothing healthy.
  • Hey my favorite is raisins ans sunflower seeds (without the shell). This snack also helps with sweet cravings. If you don't like raisins, no problem.. any dried fruit will do!! Hope this helps!
  • I don't like any pre-packaged stuff like 100 calorie packs, because they come out way too expencive. Try some almonds (that would be around 7 calories each, so pack 14 of those for 100 calories), any dried fruit (dates, apricots, etc). Banana chips are good too.
    Apples, oranges and firm pears are great choices if you like fruit, and they would not go all gross even after 8 hours in a backpack.
    If you like meaty stuff, go for turkey jerky.

    As for snack bars, I like kind bars, the ones with added protein - they aren't cheap though, but worth it.

    Also, you could invest in some food containers, lunch bag and an ice pack (any sports store has it). Pack your lunch, throw it into the baggie with an ice pack - and voila, you can carry a full meal with you in your improvised miniature refrigirator.
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
    I also usually bake for my students about once a month...usually cranberry or zucchini muffins or cookies without added sugar and with whole wheat flour...they seem to like it (or at least they eat it!). Maybe your instructors will bake for you too!

    can you be my professor? mine never bake for me... if they ever hand anything out its like cookies and brownies lol nothing healthy.



    Ha! I only do it on days where I should be giving back students' assignments or exams but I haven't marked them all yet...it's my way of distracting them but also giving myself an excuse to eat baked goods! Or during exam reviews to calm the students down. I once brought dried fruit, but it didn't go over very well. I actually received a few course evaluations at the end of the semester where students complained about the dried fruit!
  • AlexandraR2011
    AlexandraR2011 Posts: 114 Member
    nuts!, almonds, peanuts. Rice cakes!
  • mynameiscarrie
    mynameiscarrie Posts: 963 Member
    I also usually bake for my students about once a month...usually cranberry or zucchini muffins or cookies without added sugar and with whole wheat flour...they seem to like it (or at least they eat it!). Maybe your instructors will bake for you too!

    can you be my professor? mine never bake for me... if they ever hand anything out its like cookies and brownies lol nothing healthy.



    Ha! I only do it on days where I should be giving back students' assignments or exams but I haven't marked them all yet...it's my way of distracting them but also giving myself an excuse to eat baked goods! Or during exam reviews to calm the students down. I once brought dried fruit, but it didn't go over very well. I actually received a few course evaluations at the end of the semester where students complained about the dried fruit!

    i would have eaten the dried fruit... apricots and apples please ;)
  • JEK717
    JEK717 Posts: 1,497
    Ha! I only do it on days where I should be giving back students' assignments or exams but I haven't marked them all yet...it's my way of distracting them but also giving myself an excuse to eat baked goods! Or during exam reviews to calm the students down. I once brought dried fruit, but it didn't go over very well. I actually received a few course evaluations at the end of the semester where students complained about the dried fruit!

    Hah where do you teach....that's where im going next year! You sound like a really nice Professor!
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