When you are in college, sometimes you may not want to go all the way to the cafeteria for a large breakfast. You may want something small and healthy to prepare in your room or suite. So to help you make better choices, I created a list of healthy snacks and tips I used when I was in college that helped me stay away from the Freshman 15 that would happen within the first year. Now keep in mind that overeating even healthy food and not exercising will make you gain weight too. So, remember everything in moderation.
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Pantry Healthy Snacks For College Dorms:
You can store these pantry meals in a tight lid under a raised bed or in a drawer or cabinet. They do not need to be refrigerated and will store for at least a week.
Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich - Cut sandwiches into quarters and place them in a sandwich bag for a quick snack on the go.
Low sodium Soups - Look for soups with an easy pop-open lid or in paper containers. You don't need to buy a can opener.
Baked chips - When purchasing baked chips, make sure they don't have a lot of sugar in them.
High-fiber cereal - Keep away from really sugary cereals. They will affect your energy levels.
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Popcorn with low salt and no cheese - Make popcorn at the beginning of the week and place them in snack bags for the entire week.
Low-Fat Pretzels with nut butter (almond or cashew) - Stick pretzels are perfect for dipping. I particularly like cashew butter. It's even supposed to be good to help combat for depression.
Refrigerated Healthy Snacks For College Dorms:
Dairy-free Yogurt or light yogurt, or Greek yogurt with Gluten Free Granola and blueberries. - When buying, make sure the expiration dates allow at least two weeks, so you will have enough time to eat these items.
Greek Vanilla Yogurt with fruit like strawberries. - slice strawberries to make them look like more when you eat them.
Carrots and celery with roasted red pepper hummus - Pre-cut Carrots and celery and place them in individual snack bags or a reusable container like this one from Ecolunchboxes (affiliate).
Apples (pre-cut) - Cut the apple and then reassemble it and wrap it with a rubber band. This way, you do not need to use lemon juice to prolong the browning of the inside.
Grapes - Clean, dry, and cut each grape stem enough to fit in a snack bag. Leave the fruit on the small piece of stem to help keep it fresher, and longer.
Cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls - Clean, dry, and add with the mozzarella balls in clear snack baggies at the beginning of the week.
Pita bread with garlic hummus - Buying personal-size hummus keeps it fresher and longer. Quarter the pita bread so you can use the quarters as a scoop.
Apples with nut butter - Nut butter is a wonderful alternative to peanut butter. They are tasty but may take some getting used to trying it so before you buy a lot of them.
Bananas, nut butter, and raisins on rice cakes - This is one of my favorites. Be sure you keep the rice cake fresh because it will get hard if they are left out.
Hard-boiled Eggs with dip container with a lid of mayo - Buy dip containers at the grocery store so you can make your dips portable.
Gluten-free bread with tomato and hummus - If possible, toasting the GF bread is better. Thinly sliced tomatoes work great on top of the hummus.
Additional Healthy Eating Tips
While these are great options to keep you healthy during the day, you should also take these tips into consideration to help prolong your snacks.
Always have a snack with you during the day. Adding one or two snacks to your bag before you leave your room works perfectly.
Buy items in single-serve meals. While they may want more trash, they stay fresh longer.
If you go to a wholesale bulk store, buy packages that are a variety pack. These variety packs will allow you to mix and match your stacks. No one likes to eat the same snack for an entire month.
Keep food refrigerated. Some food can be left out, and others need to be refrigerated. Know what food needs to be stored in the refrigerator. Some fruit can be left out for a few days, and others will spoil right away.
Well, there you have it. I hope this inspires you to stay healthy during school this year. Now it's your turn. Please share what your favorite healthy snack is in the comment section below. I would love to hear from you.
Feel free to check out our other posts. If you need more tips for making your college year a success, check out these posts.
Susan Cooper
Nicely done. The suggestions are a good reminder of things to do even at home.
Seana Turner
My daughter loves the greek vanilla yogurt with blueberries. Toss in some granola and you have a full meal. Eating healthier snacks does make you feel better than the bag of Doritos, as tasty as they may be!
Janet Barclay
I would happily eat any one of these snacks, any time!