Wondering how to eat healthy in college? Here are some tips, tricks and recipes for eating healthy in a college dorm.
*Note- This post was edited and updated 1/2015. Added information is in red.
Last week I had the opportunity to give a little presentation for the ladies of CHAARG, a group of amazing women at Ohio State. CHAARG stands for Changing Healthy, Attitudes & Actions to Recreate Girls that was founded at Ohio State by Elizabeth Tavierne and Emily Richard.
(CHAARG is now a nationwide movement with chapters on tons of college campuses across the US. Check out their website to learn more!)
I was so honored when they asked me to come speak to their group! They pretty much gave me free reign, so I spent some time really thinking about what I wanted to talk to them about. I settled on discussing how to eat healthy in college.
I decided to give a talk that I wish someone would have given me when I was in college. I wanted to cover the basics of healthy eating, give them lots of ideas and inspiration, and show them what a wide variety of food you can prepare, even if you’re living in a dorm room. I figured this would appeal to the masses because if these things can be made in a dorm room, with minimal equipment and a mini-fridge, then they can definitely be made in homes and apartments with even more space and equipment.
So, the evening went really well. The girls were so much fun! We rented a room in the union on campus and spent about an hour and a half chatting and whipping up some tasty snacks!
I thought it’d be fun to share my presentation with you guys!
Intro
I told them about myself and about how when I went to college the first time, we had to live on campus all 4 years. We only had apartments for our senior year. That means I spent 3 years living in the dorms. I just WISH I had thought about making some of these snacks when I lived on campus, instead of living on cereal and easy mac for 3 years, or that I had thought to stock my mini-fridge with something besides party supplies.
Equipment
Microwave – most dorms have one
Mini food processor – $20-30
Toaster – $20
Mini Blender – $30
Can opener
Mason jars/Tupperware
Knife & cutting board
Measuring cups
Dishes
Shape Your Plate
Grains
- Hot oats – Microwave ½ c. oats, 2/3 c. water for 2 minutes. Top with 6 oz. plain greek yogurt, ¼ c. granola, 1 Tbsp chia seeds and 1 medium apple diced and you have a breakfast packed with 20 g. fiber, 26 g. protein.
- Overnight oats – Mix oats, milk, fruit, chia seeds and nut butter. Let sit overnight. Grab & go in the morning.
- No-bake granola bars – Combine oats, brown rice syrup or honey, cereal and your favorite mix-ins for a healthy snack.
- Oats in a smoothie – Add cooked oatmeal or uncooked oats to your smoothies for some extra bulk and fiber.
- Bread – Make sandwiches (like sliced turkey or tuna salad) or toast (try topped with peanut butter & banana).
- Wraps/pitas – Use these to make hummus & veggie wraps, falafel, or burritos.
- Cereal – Enjoy with milk for breakfast and snacks.
Protein
- Hummus – Endless flavor combinations at your fingertips! Enjoy with veggies, crackers, or on sandwiches.
- Dips – Try curried sweet potato & red pepper dip with crackers for an afternoon snack.
- Nut butter – Can be made in a blender or food processor in minutes with minimal ingredients and you can customize it to your taste preferences with different nuts and mix-ins.
- Tuna/chicken salad – Use low-sodium canned tuna or chicken packed in water. Mix in a small bowl with mashed avocado, hummus, or Greek yogurt instead of mayo. Add your favorite spices (try curry powder or cayenne pepper) and some chopped veggies, like onions and peppers, to bulk it up!
- Deli meat/rotisserie chicken/pre-baked tofu – These are easy to add to wraps and sandwiches.
- Hard boiled eggs – In the microwave, bring water to boil. Then, add eggs and cook on low power or ½ power for 8 minutes. Let stand a few minutes more.
- Scrambled eggs – In the microwave, cook for 2 minutes, stir, and cook another 2 minutes.
Veggies
- Salad in a jar – Portion out enough lettuce/spinach/mixed greens, complete with chopped veggies and a protein source, for the week and store them in mason jars or tupperware. Add the dressing to the bottom first to keep everything else from getting soggy. When you’re ready to eat, just shake it up and dig in!
- Microwave sweet potato – Poke a sweet potato with a fork or knife all over, microwave for 5-6 minutes, top with nut butter, or beans and veggies and enjoy for lunch.
- Raw veggies – Try dipping in hummus or guacamole!
Fruit
- Bananas – Buy in a variety of stages of ripeness to enjoy throughout the week.
- Apples & oranges – These make easy grab & go snacks.
- Berries – Top your oatmeal bowls with them or mix them into Greek yogurt for some natural sweetness.
Dairy
- Milk – Choose dairy or non-dairy.
- Greek yogurt – Enjoy with fruit & granola. Mix a spoonful or two of the flavored kinds into plain for just a touch of sweetness.
- Cheese – Put on top of salads and sandwiches or eat plain with crackers or veggies.
Fats
- Salad Dressing – Make your own dressings with oil, vinegar, and spices to add flavor and healthy fats.
- Nuts – These are full of protein and healthy fats! Enjoy a handful each day at snack time.
- Avocado – This makes a great topping for salads and sandwiches. Also, mix it into smoothies for added creaminess.
Snacks
- Embrace the bulk bins! You can buy the quantities you need, often more cheaply than if you buy the pre-packaged versions of nuts, seeds, and grains on the shelf.
- Nuts & seeds – Use these for added flavor, nutrition, and texture in granola bars and trail mix.
- Flax seeds and chia seeds – Sprinkle these on oatmeal or yogurt for added omega 3’s and protein.
- Chia jam – Mix 2 Tbsp chia seeds, 1 c. berries, a dash of vanilla extract, and a pinch of sugar. Microwave for 2 minutes, stir, and let cool. Try spreading it on your toast!
- Store bought bars – KIND bars, Luna bars, Larabars are some good options.
- Homemade fruit & nut bars – Make your favorite Larabar flavors at home!
Protein powder
- Add to your oats for an extra boost of protein
- Mix into your smoothies post-workout
- Mix with milk to make protein frosting
After I finished talking, we moved on to the fun part: making food. Earlier in the week, I sent over a list of some ingredients I would need them to pick up, and on the day of the presentation, I packed up a few of the ingredients I already had on hand (like tahini and brown rice syrup) and showed the girls how to make 4 easy snacks.
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No-Bake Granola Bars
These are totally customizable! Choose your favorite mix-ins, slice into bars or squares, and store in an airtight container or individually wrap with plastic wrap and store in the fridge!
1 ½ c. brown rice cereal
2 c. oats
2 Tbsp flax seed
2/3 c. peanut butter
½ c. brown rice syrup
¼ c. chia seeds
¼ c. pumpkin seeds
¼ c. sunflower seeds
1 tsp vanilla
½ c. chopped almonds
¾ c. raisins and/or craisins
1/3 c. chocolate chips
Directions:
Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
In a separate bowl, microwave the brown rice syrup and peanut butter until melted.
Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and mix well. Use your hands if you need to!
Press into a 9×13 pan and refrigerate until set.
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Peanut Butter
Use your favorite nut and experiment with mix-ins like honey, cinnamon, raisins, cocoa powder, etc.
2 c. nuts
2 tsp honey, or to taste
1/2 tsp cinnamon, or to taste
1-2 tsp oil, if desired for smoothness
Directions:
Place the nuts in a food processor. Add the oil if you’re using it
Process for about 5 minutes or until desired consistency is reached.
Add the honey and cinnamon and pulse a few times to combine.
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Sweet Potato Hummus
Start with a basic recipe and make it your own with mix-ins like roasted red peppers, cooked sweet potato, garlic, cayenne pepper, etc.
2 cans of chickpeas, rinsed with 1/4 c. liquid reserved
1 lemon
3 Tbsp tahini
1-2 cloves garlic
paprika, to taste
1 medium sweet potato
Directions:
Poke the sweet potato and microwave for 5 minutes to cook if using.
Add the chickpeas, reserved liquid, juice from the lemon, garlic and tahini to a food processor and process until smooth.
Add the sweet potato (skin removed) and pulse to combine.
Season as desired (try paprika or cayenne pepper for an kick!
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PB & J Larabars
Make your favorite flavor of store-bought bars at home with just a few ingredients.
2/3 c. chopped dates
½ c. raisins
½ c. dry roasted peanuts
Directions:
Place the dates and raisins in the food processor and process until they are well-combined and resemble a paste.
Remove and place in a small bowl.
Place the peanuts in the processor and pulse until chopped.
Add the peanuts to the date mixture and use your hands to combine.
Divide mixture into thirds, place one third on a piece of plastic wrap.
Use your hands to shape into desired bar shape. Repeat with remaining mixture.
Store in the fridge.
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Here’s a grocery list to get you started!
There you go! It IS possible to eat healthy in college, even when you’re living in a dorm and have limited kitchen access/equipment. It may take a little extra effort/planning/mini-fridge organization skills… but MAN I wish I would have done it 🙂
Edited to add- Here are some other recipes to try that I’ve created since this post was originally published:
Peach Cobbler Smoothie
Microwave Sweet Potato Muffin
5 Quick, Healthy Breakfast Ideas
10 More Healthy Breakfast Ideas
90 Second Microwave Egg Sandwich
Curried Tuna Salad with Apples
Salmon Chop Salad
Tuna Salad with Avocado
50 Packable Lunch Ideas
Salad In A Jar – 3 Ways
Salad Topping Ideas
Mexican Loaded Sweet Potatoes
Pumpkin Energy Balls
Frozen Yogurt Pumpkin Pie Bites
Sweet Potato Energy Bites
Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Dip
No Bake Granola Bars
Gingerbread Protein Balls
Black Bean Guacamole
No Bake Protein Bars
Freezer Chocolate PB Cups
Smart Snack Ideas
Healthy Ice Cream Sandwiches
Healthy Microwave Popcorn
Frozen Yogurt Trailmix Bars
Chunky Greek Hummus Plate
So let’s hear it. How was your diet in college?
[Tweet “It IS possible to eat healthy in college – and @leangrnbeanblog will show you how!”]
–Lindsay–
If you liked this post, you’ll love my ebook – The Ultimate Guide To Food Prep. It dives into detail about how to food prep (yes you can do it in college), troubleshoots common problems and provides tons of tips to make it easier! Click the image below for more details!
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I think they should have this in the new student guides!! Great ideas and list!!
LOVE THIS.
if only Id known….
right???? a decade ago-SUPER healthy.
this is great! my followers will love this… pinning!
My diet in college varied. Freshman year, I was clueless and ate pretty unhealthy foods. Summer after freshman year, I started counting calories and would only eat about 1200 calories a day (horrible, in my opinion) and those calories were usually from things like TV dinners and pudding snacks.
Finally junior year, I started doing more research and feeding my body properly. Then I went super-healthy (like many of you super-healthy bloggers!), but honestly, I didn’t enjoy eating that healthy either haha. I think I’ve finally found a balance that seems to work for me!
I wish I had been this conscious in college. My diet was horrendous… and I gained the Freshman 20 to prove it. Oy.
great post! I needed this one BADLY the first couple years of college. My diet was oh so awful and consisted mainly of overly processed snacks (think oreos, Doritos, poptarts, you name it) and fast-food (late night Sonic or Taco Bells runs became almost a nightly routine freshman year) …. I hang my head 🙂
Great post! I’d love to do things like this once I get my RD…to be able to visually show people how they can make better food choices. I’m intrigued by the microwave chia jam…I”ll have to try it.
This is great girl! It sounds like you did an awesome job! I wish a group like CHAARG would have been at OSU when I attended!. Those CHAARG girls are awesome! 🙂
This is awesome! I lived in the dorms for two years and sometimes you just get tired of dining hall food! The hardest part is not overeating. My school gave us so many choices and it was all you could eat! Great advice for those currently living in dorms, or even if you aren’t and are new to cooking!
this is awesome linz!! I really wish i had this information before going to college way back. Luckily, i studied nutrition and found out myself.
Wow, this would have been SO useful to me — those girls are lucky to have had your presentation! These are great solutions and better options than the cereal I lived off of my freshman year. It was after I gained the dreaded freshman 15 that I first started seeking information on nutrition, diet, exercise–anything to help me return to my former shape. Fortunately, this sparked more than just a weight loss effort; I learned the ins and outs of nutrition and found that I really enjoy exercise, so today I’m more healthy and fit than ever before.
(But still would have loved to have avoided it all with your helpful tips and recipes, here!)
Such great tips! I also kind of wish our fridge and dorm room was filled with more than easy mac, juice boxes and cheez-its. Then again, my metabolism was COMPLETELY different then than it is now 😉 But at least now I’m eating healthier! Better late than never. These are great tips for young people every where!
you put a LOT of thought into this and di a great job. I wish someone had done this for me when I was in college!
Great post!!! I had no desire to be “healthy” in college.
I wanted to be skinny and have fun… that’s part of the problem most 20 year olds think they’re invincible and can subsist on starbucks, 1 meal a day, and alcohol.
I’m so glad I’ve changed my diet b/c I know a lot of my friends haven’t, I wish I had all of the knowledge to make better decisions!
This is so great! I wish I could of had this when I was in college. Although I am still going to use these tips today while at work and around the house. They are such quick and easy things to make but super healthy too! 🙂
Great post! I actually commuted to college so I always had my own kitchen to eat from. 🙂
Awesome tips! When I first went to college I lived off frozen meals. Luckily I had a kitchen though so I quickly transitioned into healthier food. Now I’m grateful to live in a townhouse 🙂
What an amazing opportunity! Sounds like you provided some great recipe/meal ideas! I totally wish I would have had that in college–especially the years I was living on campus. My freshman year of college I gained quite a bit of weight–having a daily breakfast of banana bread + a white chocolate mocha probably didn’t do me any favors. lol. Then my sophomore year, my disordered eating habits began. Pretty much all over the board in college.
Lindsay – this is fantastic. It can totally apply to any busy person or a person with a small kitchen. Great job! I had a hard time in college healthwise – so many temptations, such a messed up schedule – lots of fast food and partying.
Great post for those stuck in dorms. I wasn’t super aware of nutrition in college, I ate healthier than my friends for sure but I didn’t know what I was doing like now. I didn’t live on campus but always brought my lunch since I’d been doing that since kindergarten 🙂 I think there’s a big difference even since when I was in college to now where universities really try to make healthier options a priority on campus. I wish we could do it for the little kids more but at least it seems like it’s catching on somewhere.
loved this post, especially because i’m heading off to college next year! only bummer is, the place i’m hoping to go doesn’t allow any sort of appliance in your dorm room except for the fridge & microwave that they approve. guess i’m going to have to get creative! i’m hoping to get the meal plan with the fewest meals and then make the rest of the meals myself – most likely i’ll be making breakfast.
Wow, you are a genius!! I wish I knew you when I was in college 😉 And really want to make my own peanut butter now. What a fantastic idea. Congrats on a job well done 🙂
wow, linds! what a great presentation. 🙂
my diet was ok in college. i definitely had my fair share of late night quesadillas or hungover greasy breakfast burritos, but for most breakfast, lunches, and dinners, i took advantage of the salad station or stir-fry station in our food court to customize my own veggie-filled meals!
LOVE this!! Such a great message to be sending to college girls all over — it’s like an epidemic, I swear – so many women in college go into it having no clue how to eat properly and end up gaining the freshman 15 and then some. It’s sad, really. I have to say — I sort of fell into that camp a little bit, though I was at least working out then, I definitely wasn’t eating well (as in wholesome, real, fueling foods). I have learned SO MUCH since that time – and really wish I had someone like you over my shoulder back then to set me straight. 😉 Great post!
It would be great if new college students had these guidelines! I did not eat well at all in college. Small budget… No restrictions… Drinking… Lots of weight gain!!
I spent LOTS of time in the dining halls freshman and sophomore year. Luckily the salad bar was respectable! I don’t think I got any knives or cutting boards until I moved into my first apartment, and I didn’t really cook all that much until I got married. haha I guess it’s a good thing I’ve always been good about haphazardly slapping healthy stuff together.
Yay! I was looking forward to your post about this. I need them to come get MY fitness routine “in shape” (literally…heeheehee). I LOVE this so much…now, if only I taught seniors in high school, I’d be able to utilize it in health class. 🙂
This is AWESOME! You are a great role model my friend 🙂
this is awesome! i wish i had someone like you come in to talk to me about eating healthy in college my freshman year. 🙂 my college diet varied a lot throughout the four years. let’s just say it’s improved a LOT since then, thank goodness!
My diet was pretty good. I ate lots of walnuts, raisins, milk, fruit, and granola bars I kept in my room. I ate mostly HUGE salads and wraps using my meal plan for dinners. There was some cereal and mac n cheese thrown in there as well but I’d say I did better than average for sure (well if you don’t count the unhealthy amounts of liquor)
this is great! 🙂 wish all college kids were health freaks like us 😉 haha
Love this!!! I totally wish I would have had this in college. Although, I will say I think I did a fairly decent job- at least better than a lot of other people haha. Plus, Miami was great because they had so many healthy options to chose from!
The first semester of college, my diet was poor. Then my second semester is when I decided it was time to get healthy (I was also at my heighest weight ever at this point). So I started making healthy switches (grilled chicken instead of chicken tenders; less salad dressing, more lettuce; etc.). Since we had an a la carte meal plan at Baldwin-Wallace, I had to pay for everything thing I ate, so the want to spend less money also helped. Don’t worry, I didn’t go poor or hungry, but I did lose weight with little switches!
Ahh I’m so glad college is behind me 🙂
first what a fantastic group they have created!! second you are truly proof that college can be healthy!! i actually started my weight loss journey in college so it is totally doable
This post is brilliant! I’ll be a freshman next year…bookmarking this sucker to refer back too! Thanks for all the great tips 🙂
wonderful tips!! I remember the days of “eating” clean in college. I think every year my diet changed, haha.
I lived off cereal, fruit and pb and j sandwiches! The dining hall food was just not that good at my school, so I basically lived off snacks! I felt sluggish a lot of the time which was not a good feeling! Luckily, during my last two years I moved home, so my nutritious meals got back on track in no time! 🙂
LOVE THIS POST 🙂 🙂 thank you do much for coming in, we had so much fun! Andddddddd we printed out the recipe and got all the ingredients for the no bake granola bars to make so we can snack on it on the way to Florida 🙂 thanks again for everything!!!
This is great! I would have loved something like this when I went to college. Even though I lived at home for 75% of my college career … I fell victim to the late night crunch sessions at school or would spend 14 hour days making sure my assigments juuuust right. So I ate a lot, and I mean A LOT, of ramen. SO easy to sneak in my backpack, and also to snack on when I got home from a long school day. I was the Sodium Queen 🙂
LOVE THIS, Lindsay! Looks like it was a success. I’m so happy for you and so happy that I could be of help. You’re such a rock star!!!!
How did I miss this post? Such a good one!
I would say that I definitely ate healthier in college than most. Our dining hall had horrible food, so it kind of forced me to make my own or just stick to the salad bar. I made oatmeal in the microwave, snacked on pretzels instead of chips, and always kept lots of bottled water on hand. I would also get the grilled chicken sandwiches for Chick Fila (included in our meal plan) and used the chicken to add to salads. But then again, of course, there was always the cheap Mexican restaurant that B and I went to every Friday night…
Thank you so much for introducing my recipes!!! :] you totally just made my night! I’m actually having a presentation this wednesday on eating healthy in college as well!! ;] I may have to use some of your ideas; hope you don’t mind!! <3
Wow, wish I knew about this when I was in my undergrad. I worked full time and it was whatever I could find between classes, working, studying, and sleep. I didn’t really get on a healthy eating plan and changing my life until nearly the end of graduate school. Love these recipes you taught these college girls. Its too bird they don’t have something like this in a program for dorm living students.
This is great! Bookmarking it!
So glad I saw this on Pinterest! I will be moving into my freshman dorm in exactly one month. Thank you, Lindsay! 🙂
I’d be careful with boiling eggs in the microwave. Personal experience with this, egg shells explode in microwaves.
Otherwise, great list of suggestions!
Great stuff, I think more students should eat like this! Thanks for the great post!
This is so helpful! My main problem in college was having very little cooking experience and not having any simple recipes!
glad you liked it!
I ate pretty well in college (except for my first year in dorms, food was awful and I lived off nut butter) because I love to cook, but I have no idea how I would have survived without a food processor! I had oatmeal or granola every morning, and dips and soups that I could quickly whip up thanks to my blender and food processor were serious lifesavers.
These are awesome ideas and easy to prepare perfect for college students that mostly have a busy schedule and no time to cook. Thank you for sharing this one.