Eating healthily in college can be a challenge. With the slew of tasty junk food readily available in Sherman and Usdan and the C-Store, it’s all too easy to fall into unhealthy habits. However, if you have a healthy (and tasty!) snacks in your dorm room (and fridge), you’re more likely to eat good foods that nourish your body. Here are some of my favourite snacks to get for my dorm room that you can easily get in the area, order from Amazon, and even purchase at Brandeis:
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Hummus
Hummus is one of the most flavorful foods out there, and one of the most healthy (besides fruits and veggies, of course!). With twice as much fiber as salsa and filled to the brim with important nutrients like Vitamin B, Calcium, and Iron, you can’t go wrong with this dip; and hummus also has a whopping two grams of fiber per two tablespoons (which aids digestive health) (Calderone).
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Lesser Evil’s Grain-Free Paleo Puffs
As someone who has a dairy allergy, I have been disappointed time and time again by the fake dairy products out there. In fact, one of the worst offenders has been fake cheese puffs. The new wave of health culture has done many things well, but making good dairy alternative products has not been one of them. However, I stumbled upon these Paleo Puffs at the C-Store, and now I can’t stop eating them (I’m actually eating a bag of these bad boys as I write). Granted, no fake dairy product can ever truly replace the real thing, but this comes pretty dang close.
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Trader Joe’s single-serving almond packs
Almonds have always been a favourite of mine. Tasty, convenient, and filling, you really cannot go wrong with this nutritious nut. With these single-serving packs, you can take it anywhere.
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Justin’s Peanut Butter single-serving packs
Justin’s Honey Peanut Butter Squeeze Packs, Amazon.com; $5.25, shop now
I love a good peanut butter, but I can easily make a dent in a jar in one sitting if I’m not careful. When I found these at Whole Foods in Newton, I couldn’t help but grab the box. Despite my original disappointment at the small packaging of each peanut butter pack, I’ve found that it was more than enough to spread on an apple or a rice cake or just eat straight out of the pack. However, if you prefer an alternative form of nut butter, they also have almond butter and cashew butter packs as well!
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Fresh produce
You literally cannot go wrong. There are a variety of options of fresh foods that are there for the taking at pretty much any market, and best of all, somewhere as accessible as the C-Store! I would go off on how wonderful fruits and veggies are for you, but you probably already know. The C-Store has a variety of options, such as baby carrots, blueberries, apples, celery, and even plums?! If you’re going to blow way too many meal points to the point where you’re genuinely concerned whether you’ll make it through the semester like me, you might as well do it here.
Before coming to college, I’ve heard a ton about how difficult it is to eat well on campus. What I’ve found since arriving is that eating healthy is totally what you make it, and it’s about having a good mindset towards food and eating whatever feels good for you. You don’t have to deprive yourself completely of any food that you love. In fact, you shouldn’t (you’ll just crave it more and besides, who wants to eat things that they don’t like all the time?). Find a way of getting the nutrients that your body needs, with a treat here or there; and at Brandeis, it’s much easier than you think.
Calderone, Julia. “Is Hummus Good for You?” Consumer Reports, Consumer Reports, 18 May 2018, www.consumerreports.org/nutrition-healthy-eating/is-hummus-good-for-you/.