Since I was never satisfied with the standard Ramen for my dorm food, I became creative with meals and snacks for the three years I lived on campus. Here are some healthy options to take the guesswork out of snacking and preparing a simple dorm meal.

Though it cost me some of my meals for dining out, the benefits from healthy eating outweighed my desire for fatty snacks. I also ate at the Fresh regularly and other dining places on campus.

FRIDGE:

(One must consider sharing the fridge with your roommate who will probably take up half the space.)

-Hummus

-Mini orange juices

-Small non-fat milk

-Greek yogurt or non-fat yogurt

-String cheese

-Coffee creamer

-Fruit (Pick fruits that are simple to eat such as apples, bananas, grapes, oranges, blueberries and strawberries)

-Veggies (Baby carrots, spinach and vegetables you can cut up and put in Tupperware such as bell peppers, celery and cucumber)

-Low-fat ranch dressing (for dipping purposes and salads)

-Salsa

-Sliced turkey and cheese

-Boiled eggs

PANTRY:

-Whole wheat bread

-Oatmeal

-Cereal or granola

-Whole wheat tortillas

-Low fat peanut butter or almond butter

-Microwaveable Minute brown rice

-Tortilla chips

-Wheat thin crackers

-Microwavable sweet potatoes

-Dark chocolate

-English muffins

-Low-fat popcorn

-Various seasonings

FREEZER:

(Space is limited in dorm refrigerators, so choose wisely)

-Low fat frozen meals such as Steamer’s Healthy Choice

-Frozen steam bag vegetables

-Healthy Choice Greek yogurt ice cream

SNACK COMBINATIONS:

-Wheat thin crackers with string cheese

-Baby carrots or crackers with hummus

-Veggies with ranch dressing

-Apple with peanut butter

-Chips and salsa

-Popcorn w/ cinnamon or spicy seasoning

-Granola w/ berries

DINNER/LUNCH COMBINATIONS:

-Any frozen meal with veggies and brown rice

-Turkey and veggie wrap with sweet potato

-Banana and peanut butter wrap

-Greek yogurt topped with berries and granola