Students Living in Dorms can $ave Money on Food too!
I will never have the experience of living in a college dorm, as I'm a senior about to graduate, because my first two years of college I lived at home. My third and fourth year have been spent living in an apartment. Just because I haven't lived in a dorm doesn't mean I've never been in one. I have. The ones I've seen aren't equipped with a stove or a decent sized sink because the rooms are too small. So, most students end up buying mini-fridges to store their food and small microwaves to cook their food.
Just because You Live in a Dorm Doesn't Mean You Can't Cook
I know most students who live on campus in dorms probably don't cook and eat out quite a bit. In all honesty, I know there's not much you can cook when all you have is a small fridge and microwave, but sometimes you have to get creative.
Food Ideas for Dorm-Living:
Sandwiches
I know eating sandwiches can get old fast, but there are so many different things you can put between two slices of bread. One of my favorite sandwiches is an egg-salad sandwich. All you do is boil some eggs, peel them and slice them in a bowl. Then, you mix in mayonnaise and a hint of salt to your sliced egg mixture. You can add other ingredients if you wish. Once everything is mixed together you spread the egg salad onto your choice of bread and enjoy!
Raw Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are the most easy items to fix and eat while living in a dorm. Bananas, apples, and oranges can be found at the grocery store year-round and are fairly cheap. If you don't eat fruit often, and fear you will waste it, you're cheapest bet is to buy frozen fruit. Frozen fruit lasts longer and is cheaper in the long run. Raw vegetables, like carrots, broccoli, celery, cucumbers and cauliflower, are simple to eat, and they taste great with dips like peanut butter or ranch dressing.
Microwavable Meals
Most college students are too lazy when it comes to fixing something to eat, so a lot of the times junk food is for dinner. Fortunately, today, there are microwavable meals that are healthy and quick to cook. I even eat some of the meals like Lean Cuisine's grilled chicken dishes and Stouffer's vegetarian lasagna.
Breakfast Cereals
Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day because it's the most important meal of the day. Cereal is probably the quickest thing you can throw together before running out the door to class or work. I like to eat Kashi cereal because there's always plenty of protein and fiber to help keep me full. Depending on what grocery store you shop, certain cereals go on sale at different times. Keep an eye out for those because you could save money!
Peanut Butter
I know I'm not the only one who has eaten a spoon-full of peanut butter out of the jar before... There are so many food items that taste amazing with peanut butter, like granny smith apples, crackers, banana, toast, celery and much more. The great thing about peanut butter is you don't have to cook it or store it in the fridge, and it lasts for a while... unless you eat a spoon-full out of the jar every day. ;]