Staying in a dorm during college can be fun and a drag. You get to bond with your classmates, make a new friend with your dorm mate, and learn the responsibilities of living independently. However, it is also expensive to have to buy your meals all day every day. Most dorms do not include food; although they may have a cafeteria, you still have to pay for it. An alternative would be to make your meals at home and keep them in a fridge in your dorm during the week.
If you can’t go home then that’s a whole other issue. Most dorms have just the basics. A bed and desk. Some allow you to bring a fridge and microwave, while others have a shared eating area where you can keep your food and heat it. In either case, you should not eat junk food just because you can so here are 5 recipes you can prep and have ready for the week.
I will list items that you may want to buy to properly meal prep along with a microwave and fridge. They are affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. However, you can just as easily go to a yard sale or thrift store and find some in really good condition for less.
Recipe #1 – OVERNIGHT OATS
INGREDIENTS:
• Oats
• Chia seeds
• Greek yogurt
• Fruits (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, banana) choice is yours
• Nuts (almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, granola) also your choice
PREP
1. Mix the yogurt with the chia seeds and refrigerate.
2. When you are about to eat top it off with nuts and berries.
TIPS
Have your fruit cut up and in a container ready to just grab. The same with the nuts
Container: Glass Mason Jars
Recipe # 2 – OMELET A LA MICROWAVE
INGREDIENTS:
• Eggs
• Shredded Cheese
• Vegetables (spinach, peppers, onions) your choice
• Milk
• Salt
• Pepper
• Cooking spray
PREP
1. Coat a microwave-safe bowl with cooking spray
2. Beat the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in the microwave-safe bowl.
3. Wash and cut your veggies
4. Add your veggies and cheese.
5. Give a quick stir to coat everything in the egg nicely
6. Microwave 30 seconds at a time
7. Give a stir every 30 seconds (depending on the power of your microwave you may have to do this 2 to 4 times.
TIPS
• For extra protein add some turkey ham
• Chop your veggies and put them in a container so it’s just a grab-and-go when you want to cook your omelet. However, I do not recommend having them all mixed with the eggs, they might go bad sooner. I suggest just keeping them together in the same area ready to grab and mix when you are ready to cook.
Container: Microwave-safe bowl
Recipe # 3 – SWEET POTATOE AND BLACK BEAN BOWL
INGREDIENTS:
• Sweet potatoes
• Can of black beans
• Can of corn
• Salsa (pico de gallo is delicious)
• Avocado
• Shredded Cheese
• Cilantro
PREP
1. Wash sweet potatoes
2. Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork
3. Microwave in a microwave-safe bowl until it’s soft (5 minutes or so, but keep an eye on it depending on your microwave it may be less)
4. Mash the sweet potatoes with a fork (you can remove the skin or leave it option is yours)
5. Wash and finely chop the cilantro
6. Add the beans, salsa, cheese, Avocado, and cilantro to the sweet potatoes.
TIPS
•Cut the sweet potatoes into small pieces for faster cooking.
•Buy or make your salsa in advance.
•Chop up cilantro and put it in an airtight container with a damp towel to seal freshness.
Container: Microwave-safe bowl
Recipe # 4 – CHICKEN AND RICE
INGREDIENTS:
• Cooked Chicken
• Brown Rice
• Vegetables (pepper, onion, broccoli) your choice
• Soy Sauce
• Sesame Oil
PREP
1. Wash your veggies
2. Chop up your vegetables.
3. Shredded your pre-cooked chicken
4. Add chicken, already-cooked brown rice, soy sauce, sesame oil, and vegetables to a microwave-safe bowl.
5. Heat for 2 to 5 minutes depending on your microwave. I would do 1-minute intervals mixing in between.
TIPS
• You can usually buy pre-cooked chicken at supermarkets for cheap. Then you can use the chicken to make this and other delicious healthy recipes.
• You can also buy pre-cooked rice or microwavable rice bowls. However, if rice is your thing I would invest in a small rice cooker.
Container: Microwave-safe bowl
Recipe # 5 – GREEK YOGURT PARFAIT
INGREDIENTS:
• Greek Yogurt
• Honey
• Granola
• Fruit (apples, banana, papaya, strawberry your choice
PREP
1. In a cup, jar, or container add yogurt
2. Add granola
3. Add fruit
4. Add honey
5. Repeat until you fill your cup
TIPS
• Pre-cut your fruit or pre-make for the week
Container: Glass Mason Jars/Plastic Mason Jars
CONCLUSION
Living a dorm life doesn’t have to be about junk food and a lot of food can be pre-made or prepared for ease. You just have to have some tools first and they don’t have to be expensive either. Simple always works best. Don’t forget to wash and dry your containers.