I didn’t believe the warnings when cautioned about the difficulty of eating in college. I couldn’t fathom how my eating schedule would change from how I ate in high school because food is food, right? Little did I know that my eating schedule would be entirely destroyed by my fast-paced college life as I forgot to eat breakfast in the morning while running late for a class, devoured a whole pint of ice cream in one sitting on an ordinary Tuesday afternoon, or starved in the evening because the dining halls closed, but I didn’t get chance to grab anything before hibernating in my dorm to finish an assignment due at 11:59 pm that same night.
Though there are various issues to eating habits in college, one nuisance I struggled with was not having enough food in my dorm after dining halls closed or for those moments when I didn’t want to leave my dorm to scavenge for food because I didn’t look presentable or didn’t want to be overwhelmed by the presence of others. If you relate to this lack of emergency dorm meals, I suggest some easy-to-prepare microwave dinners that differ from the 10-pack of ramen you have stored under your bed (though I understand because ramen is absolutely delicious).
The store I find particularly useful when searching for tasty, fulfilling, and satisfactory microwavable meals is Trader Joe’s, a grocery chain whose freezer section has helped me through some hungry times. Therefore, I’d like to introduce you to some of my favorite microwavable meals from Trader Joe’s. Even though we shouldn’t live off frozen meals alone, sometimes all we college students have is a microwave, a freezer, a microwave-safe plate, and a dream.
Beef Birria
These birria tacos cured me after I ate dining hall food for four weeks straight with no breaks. This packet contains a large sum of flavorful beef birria taco meat and sauce. They taste incredible when bought with tortillas, cilantro, onion, and lime, which supplies enough filling for at least four tacos.
Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice
Whenever I walk to my dorm and remember I have butter chicken with basmati rice in my freezer, I immediately feel better about failing my last sociology exam. Though nothing ever compares to homemade, authentic, fresh butter chicken, this microwavable meal does the trick in a desperate time of need. The perfect portion of rice and butter chicken allows every grain of rice to be saturated in the sauce; it is always a satisfying meal to enjoy.
Japchae Korean Glass Noodles & Vegetable Stir Fry
These vegan glass noodles are absolutely addicting because of the savory sauce they are drenched in and the springy texture of the noodles. The large amount of vegetables they place into the meal is also appreciated after eating only cheese pizza from the dining hall for two days straight, as the pizza station is the only station that never has a line.
Joe’s Diner Mac ‘n Cheese
It is difficult to mess up a simple mac ‘n cheese (though I’ve seen it done before), and Trader Joe’s doesn’t disappoint. This mac ‘n cheese gets the job done when I need something to eat while studying in my dorm, but I don’t want to mess up my study flow by traveling to the nearest dining hall. I also find the meal comforting and something I turn to when I’m hungry but want to eat something light.
Steamed Pork & Ginger Soup Dumplings
When I first moved into my dorm, my mother bought me these steamed pork and ginger soup dumplings, which have the soup stored inside, in case I ever found myself sick and needed something warm and relaxing to heal me. Little did she know I didn’t need to be ill to find a reason to devour these in one sitting. Dumplings are always pleasing to eat, and these dumplings aren’t any different, though you might get dribbles of soup running down your chin when eating them. However, that’s the best part.
Chicken Shawarma Bowl
The smell this bowl emits when microwaved leaves me drooling and waiting for the microwave timer to beep. This delicious, filling meal is packed with flavor and is perfect to eat when you’re hungry and not simply peckish. Maybe it’s because I haven’t eaten a homemade meal in who-knows-how-long, but this shawarma often makes me forget it came prepackaged and not off the stove.
In conclusion, these are my favorite microwavable meals from Trader Joe’s. If you visit one of their stores in the future, I hope you’ll invest in trying at least one of the foods mentioned. Overall, please remember to eat well regularly and take care of yourself. We all deserve to indulge in delicious brain food this semester.