Food Survival Kit For Your Dorm Room

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College is filled with a range of emotions that can leave you feeling overwhelmed. Your parents aren’t there to keep your dorm room stocked with food or cook your favorite meals. So what’s a college student to do?

Noodles? Pizza? Gorge yourself at the cafeteria before heading back to study? NO! You can survive by fueling your body right! Keep your sanity by going to a local grocery store for filling, satisfying, and nutrient-dense foods! Save time and money by doing your homework: look online for sales at grocery stores, make a list, and plan ahead. You’ll thank yourself later when you have to study for finals and your stomach begins to make whale sounds.

Take a drive with your roommate and others in your dorm to stock your room. No car? Take the bus or train! This is a great opportunity to get to know other people and explore your new city. When you all get back, cook a meal together!

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Dorm Room “Kitchen” Essentials:

Durable dish wear, ideally tempered glass, that is microwave safe and won’t break, chip or stain. We like Corelle dishware* because you can buy a single place setting, it’s economical and will stand the test of time.
1 bowl, 1 large plate, 1 small plate, coffee mug
2 forks, 2 spoons
1 cutlet knife, 1 butter knife
Small rice cooker/Crockpot
Small Cutting board
Small blender (if allowed)
Plastic measuring cups
Reusable Water Bottle (bottle cleaner)
Storage containers (Glass is a better option, but BPA plastic options are available – 3 small, 2 medium, 1 large)
Re-washable sponge (can be washed in laundry or microwave to sanitize)

*Note: You won’t have a dishwasher in a dorm. Less is more when you have to share space. Keep a clean kitchen and prevent foodborne illness, which can be mistaken for the flu.

Fruits

In season is always cheaper and will be sweeter

Bananas, apples, oranges (perfect to keep in your backpack)
Dried fruit: (no added sugars) apricots, apples, raisins, dates, strawberries, cranberries
Applesauce (low sugar/no sugar added)
100% fruit leather (on sale for those sweet cravings)

Vegetables

Carrots
Celery
Bag of mixed greens
Cherry Tomatoes
Kale chips
Low sodium tomato sauce

Dairy/Non-Dairy

Non-fat or low-fat Greek yogurt
Non-dairy yogurt
Non-dairy milk (for soy, if you’re concerned about GMO or pesticides, choose organic; just make sure you choose fortified products for any nut milk)
Low fat/Non-fat Milk
White cheddar/ American—we like Cabot
Cottage cheese
Eggs (6 pack)

Cheese can be high in sodium. Check the nutrition label and compare products.

Grains

Brown Rice
Quinoa
Rolled Oats
Whole-grain English muffin/bread
Whole-grain pasta (quinoa, brown rice, wheat)
Buckwheat
Whole-grain cereals

Nuts/Seeds

Raw almonds, raw walnuts, raw peanuts, sunflower seeds, raw pumpkin seeds, pecans, unsalted peanuts, pistachios (low sodium/unsalted)
Almond butter and peanut butter (low sodium/unsalted)

Spices/ Herbs

Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Sea salt
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Cayenne
Paprika
Dry Parsley
Mrs. Dash or Trader Joe’s 21 Salute
Sea Salt

Other

Olive oil (store in a cool place)
Honey (wipe the outside –you don’t want dorm room ants)
Dark Chocolate chips/Semi-Sweet
Hummus
Kind Bars (when you’re in a time crunch)

Now that you have an idea of what to have in stock, you’re probably wondering: where do I put this all? Store any dry food items at least 6 inches off the floor to keep away from any bugs that may want to eat your food. Ants seem to find everything! Oh, and don’t take over the mini-fridge unless you have one separate from your roommate. Designate a shelf or two to store your things, and label it the day you used it so you know how long it’s been opened. You don’t want to eat stale or expired food.

Having some satisfying options will make you reconsider going to the vending machine and spending $2.00 on an overly-processed snack. Remember to plan ahead! If you know you’ll be busy in the next few weeks, plan a day to check your food stock and go to the store if you think you need extra food to keep you fueled over the next few weeks.