When you came to college, you thought you’d never get tired of the seemingly endless options your dining hall offers. Wrong! At this point in the semester, you probably want to avoid every dining hall meal possible by taking advantage of the microwave and mini fridge in your dorm room. However, many traditional college “dorm foods” aren’t healthy or nutritious, so try some of these easy snacks and quick meals!
Paper Bag Popcorn or SkinnyPop
According to Prevention, microwave popcorn is chock full of artificial flavors and colors, trans fats, and chemicals. Avoid all of that with simple paper bag popcorn: place ¼ cup of popcorn kernels in a brown paper bag, loosely fold over the top, and microwave until there’s more than three seconds between pops. Or, buy some low-calorie SkinnyPop, which doesn’t have any artificial ingredients*.
Microwave Quesadilla
Sprinkle reduced-fat cheese between two tortillas, then microwave for one to one-and-a-half minutes. Dip in salsa or spread the tortillas with refried beans before microwaving for a little variety.
Hummus with Veggies or Pretzels
Carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers or pretzel thins make great vehicles for this flavorful and healthy alternative to other dips.
Refrigerated Egg Whites
Egg whites make for a quick and healthy meal or snack in a pinch! You just microwave egg whites in a covered bowl for one and a half minutes. For scrambled eggs, beat with a splash of salt and pepper and milk. For fried eggs, grease the bowl and cook for an additional one or two minutes. For poached eggs, add one-third cup water to the bowl which should be removed after microwaving. Add toppings and some whole wheat bread to turn the egg whites from a snack into something more filling.
Apples with Nut Butter
Pre-sliced apples pair well with any kind of nut butter for a quick protein fix. Get more out of this snack by using almond butter, which Livestrong says is a better source of fiber and vitamin E than peanut butter.
Trail Mix or Granola Bars
Both trail mix and granola have lots of flavor varieties, and can make for a quick energy-boosting study snack. The bars or trail-mix pouches are easy to toss in your backpack or gym bag.
Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt can have twice as much protein and far less sugar than regular yogurt, according to US News. For something more filling, try. Chobani “Flip” yogurt. It has a built in compartment that has a mix of toppings to add to the yogurt itself.
Instant Oatmeal
Simply microwave the amount of water called for on the package and add to the mix! If you don’t have any dishes in your dorm, try the single-serve microwaveable oatmeal in disposable containers.
Spreadable Cheese with Crackers or Veggies
Spreadable triangular cheese wedges come in a variety of flavors and are often low-calorie. They’ll make your favorite whole wheat or multigrain crackers a little more exciting, or you can spread the cheese on sliced veggies- try bell peppers!
Fresh Fruit
This one’s a no-brainer and it takes no effort to prepare! Fruits like clementines, bananas, and apples are easy to grab on your way out the door for an on-the-go snack.
Photo Sources:
Popcorn: https://www.pexels.com/de/foto/snack-film-popcorn-57043/
Oatmeal: https://www.pexels.com/photo/strawberries-fresh-strawberry-oatmeal-90894/
Fruit: https://www.pexels.com/photo/orange-round-fruit-51335/