It’s that time of year when students are growing a little weary of eating three meals a day at the dining halls. After five weeks of being on campus, even Mom’s worst tuna salad recipe is starting to sound more appealing. With all the monotonous eating in the dining hall, it can be almost therapeutic to whip something up yourself just to add a little variety, and a kitchen isn’t even necessary to add a little spark to your daily diet. Each dorm on campus comes equipped with a fridge and a microwave, and that is really all you need to make yourself some easy meals.
Microwavable noodles or soup are excellent, cheap options for a quick meal. Cup-O-Noodles can be bought for less than 50 cents at Safeway and the only preparation needed is a few minutes of boiling water in the microwave. Another, similar option is some Easy Mac, which also requires some heated water for preparation. This can be purchased at the C-store in J-Mac or Halls as well, along with other easy snacks and meals.
If noodles aren’t quite up your alley, try buying some Hot Pockets, Pizza Rolls or chimichangas from the frozen food section. While they might not be outrageously nutritious, it’s a good change of pace from the dining hall and they aren’t overly expensive.
There are also avenues for quick and easy healthy eating. It’s an efficient option to buy some lunch meat, cheese and bread at the store. Assembling a sandwich to eat at your desk or to take on the go adds some fresh variety to your daily food intake. If meat sandwiches aren’t your thing, you can buy some peanut butter and jelly for a classic PB&J sandwich.
For other healthier options, check out the produce section of the grocery store. There are bags of grapes, bell peppers, snap peas and carrots that make for a great snack in between meals. Stock up on some Ranch dressing for extra flavor.
The bottom line is that it is really easy to get creative with the foods you buy. While perusing the aisles of the grocery store, pay attention for foods that are easy to store in the fridge or the freezer.
If you’re looking to expand your actual cooking or baking horizons, make friends with students in Towers, Nelson or Nagel to grant yourself access to those kitchens.
