Have you ever woken up thirty minutes late in the morning and realized that you didn’t have time to go to the Marketplace for breakfast? Or been roused from your afternoon nap and felt so sleepy that you can’t imagine leaving your bed, much less your room? Or realized that you have so much homework that you can’t possibly lose twenty minutes walking to the Marketplace and waiting for food? I’m not even through the second semester of my freshman year and I have already found that having food in my room for quick and convenient meals is essential to dorm life. Oxy has been kind enough to provide every dorm room with a microwave, refrigerator, and freezer; this combinationallows for a huge amount of variety in the food that you are able to prepare in your room. I have included a few of my favorite breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks.
Breakfast:
Granola Bars: Granola bars are an easy breakfast to grab on the way to class. Choose flavors and brands that you like, and this filling and easy breakfast will never get old (trust me I have a granola bar every morning).
Fruit: Fruit is always a great, and healthy way to start the morning. A lot of fruit is super portable and you can bring it with you on the way to class. Be careful to remember that fruit is much more perishable than many other items on this list; it’s never fun to find rotting fruit in your room. Fruit cups are a great and less perishable alternative to fresh fruit.
Cereal: A bowl of cereal is not as portable as the rest of this list, but it is always a great thing to have in your room. It’s a classic way to start the morning and also serves as a great snack. The huge variety of cereal in stores today means that you will never get bored with this breakfast.
Lunch:
Quesadillas: Craving a cheesy quesadilla but don’t feel like waiting at the Marketplace for one? You can easily make your own quesadillas in the microwave. The simplest quesadillas only require cheese and tortillas, but if you want to further personalize your quesadilla you can add sandwich meat, guacamole (just grab some the next time you see it in the Marketplace), salsa, or anything else you can think of.
Single-Serve Mac and Cheese: Kraft makes single-serve containers of macaroni and cheese. On a cozy day in, the synthetic orange sauce, and three-minute microwave cook time create a comforting and delicious lunch.
Hummus and Veggies: For a light, healthy and delicious lunch hummus and veggies (or pita/tortillas) are great to have in your refrigerator. You can pick up hummus in the Marketplace or Cooler, but if you want more variety, or a specific flavor, I would suggest picking some up the next time you are at the store.
Dinner:
Soup: On a cold (relative to normal L.A. weather anyway) night soup is always makes for a soothing dinner. Campbell’s has single-serve, microwavable soup that is hot and ready to eat in under two minutes.
Frozen/Pre-Packaged Meals: Everyone associates ramen noodles with easy dorm food. For more variety peruse the frozen food section the next time you go grocery shopping. You will find frozen meals ranging from eggrolls to pasta dishes. Preparing these frozen dinners is as easy opening the packaging and popping them in the microwave; you will have a hot and delicious meal in minutes.
PB&J (or any) Sandwich: Sandwiches are great for days when you don’t feel like a hot meal. If you don’t feel like keeping a loaf of bread in your room you can always use tortillas, which are more compact and stay very fresh in the refrigerator, to make a wrap. Peanut butter and sandwich meat are also great to have in your fridge for a quick snack.
Snack:
Popcorn: Popcorn is a great snack for movie night, but it is also a filling everyday treat. I find that microwave popcorn helps to make a normal, boring day a little brighter. For a different take on this snack, try kettle corn.
Crackers: There are so many different types of crackers, which is why they make a great and versatile snack. If you are in the mood for something sweet, animal crackers are a childhood classic. For settling an upset stomach, or for a salt fix, Saltines are great.
Cheez-its are amazing for soothing junk food cravings.
Nuts: Nuts are awesome for a filling and healthy snack. They are incredibly portable, and non-perishable. Like many of the other food items on this list, nuts come in a huge variety and depending on the type that you choose, nuts can fulfill a sweet or salty craving.
*One Last Idea: Don’t forget to grab some of your favorite beverages when you’re doing your grocery shopping. I love having sparkling water in my room, but of course soda and juice is always great. Pairing the right beverage can really add a lot of fun to your meal.
For those of you who are more ambitious, don’t forget that each residence hall is equipped with a kitchen where with the right ingredients you can make all kinds of homemade goodies to eat right away and save for a later (more lazy) day. Also helpful to dorm room eating is a set of silverware and dishes.
What do you think? Are you big on dorm room cooking? What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever made in your dorm room (*Editor’s note: 2 minute mug brownies!)? Did we miss a favorite? Leave your thoughts below!
Photo Credit: Serina Lawal