Ah, college life… Freedom! You finally have the opportunity for endless nights at the library, all-nighter study sessions, eating when you want and what you want and of course the anything-goes parties. College is officially in session and many students are now faced with the decision of what to eat. Healthy options are hard to come by in the cafeteria and options for the dorm rooms are limited during your years without a kitchen. Many colleges have attempted to step-up their game in terms of special dietary offerings: vegan, gluten-free, etc., but this isn’t standard and this does not help you once you’ve stepped outside the dinning hall into your dorm room. Although it may be extremely tempting to reach for those unhealthy snacks (think ramen noodles and vending machine munchies), there are many options out there that can help you avoid the ‘freshman 15.’ Breakfast Oatmeal Yogurt Parfaits (fill a water bottle with milk or yogurt at the dinning hall for a snack later on) Instant Mug Meals (eggs, muffins) Avocado Toast Fruit – available from your local dinning hall is generally free for the taking such as apples, bananas or oranges Lunch / Dinner Precooked chicken with frozen microwavable veggies and rice hint: bring tupperware to your dining hall and load up with chicken from the grill section and veggies from the salad bar to take home for later this leaves you with so many options! think: salads, wraps, rice bowls, etc. Bean Salad Bean salads are sort of a staple in our house – they’re easy & cheap. Can’t go wrong there! You can easily store cans of beans in your dorm room (chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, etc). Mix them all together with Italian dressing for a super easy meal or add fresh veggies and top it on a bed of lettuce or warm them up and pour it over some rice. Pizza – but healthy style! Top English muffins, flatbreads, naan, or whatever other bread item you have on hand (or from the cafe) with tomato sauce (or pasta sauce), shredded cheese, and any other toppings you would like. Then, simply cook it in a microwave or toaster oven. Snacks Dried Fruit Trail Mix Popcorn Protein Bars Hummus and Veggies or Whole Grain Pita Chips Apples & Peanut Butter Peanut Butter and Banana Rice Cakes Pretzel Chips Almond Butter use on fruit, celery (ants on a log), toast, oatmeal or even just by itself Frozen Yogurt Fruit Take 1 cup of blueberries or strawberries in a bowl mix with nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt and freeze overnight Getting the energy or the time to venture to the dinning hall isn’t always possible… you’re probably too busy “studying” to make the trek, but don’t succumb to constant unhealthy eating! These tasty, healthy snacks are easy to make and will satisfy you without leaving you with unfulfilled cravings! What are some healthy snack options that you like to have on hand? SaveSaveSaveSave SaveSave