Everyone always tells you: living in a dorm in college is a huge change from living at home. And on one hand you believe them– you know you’re going to have a lot less room to store your clothing, snacks, and countless college textbooks. But on the other hand, you think to yourself: how bad can it really be?
Speaking from experience, let me tell you: it’s going to be harder than you thought.
Mainly because, you’re not only sleeping in your dorm room, you’re living in it. So you’re combining your bedroom, living room, and kitchen into one space. You learn pretty fast that you end up having a lot less storage than you think, and bringing as few items as possible with you to college isn’t just a good idea; it’s a necessity!
That goes for clothing, books, and even your makeup collection. But it also goes for food! It’s downright impossible for you to have as much food in your dorm room as is in your cabinet at home. Meaning, you’ve gotta pick and choose between your favorite foods and food necessities so that you don’t end up crowding your shelves with bags of popcorn, chips, and 100 cups of Ramen!
Here are a few of my main suggestions for food necessities you keep in your dorm. Sure, you can store a box of leftover takeout in your fridge every so often, but other than that you don’t want to make a habit of buying a bunch of other snacks for your dorm. If you have a meal plan, you’ll be eating most of your meals in the dining hall anyway, and won’t need many extra snacks in your dorm!
- Milk (and coffee creamer, if you use it)
- Cereal
- Fruits & veggies (frozen or fresh)
- Unpopped bags of popcorn (will save space!)
- Granola bars
- Peanut butter
- Eggs or egg whites
- Coconut oil, cinnamon, salt & pepper (or other baking supplies)
- Optional: pancake mix, cookie dough, ramen noodles, easymac
And that’s basically it!
With these few food items/baking ingredients it’s a little hard to come up with something to eat other than PB & apples, cereal, eggs (made in a mug!), or easymac. However, with a little creativity you can create a super delicious breakfast that doesn’t require any other fancy ingredients, and you aren’t tired of yet. 😉
Such as these delicious microwave buttermilk pancakes! They take 1 minute to make in the microwave in a mug and are just as fluffy as (if not more fluffy than) classic pancakes! Plus, by choosing a healthier pancake mix (such as Log Cabin All Natural Pancake Mix- my personal favorite), you can create a breakfast that’s whole grain, high in protein and fiber, and only 175 calories right in your dorm!
Dorm living may be a bit more compact than expected, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy a 5 star breakfast right in your room. 🙂
Microwave Buttermilk Pancakes
- 1/4 c all natural pancake mix
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1 tbs egg whites
- 3 tbs milk of choice (I used almond milk)
- 1/4 tsp white vinegar (or fresh lemon juice)
Lightly grease the inside of a mug with cooking spray. Add all ingredients to the mug and stir until combined. Microwave on high for 45 seconds-1 minute, or until light and spongy. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information (from myfitnesspal.com)
(Yields 1 serving)
skinnysweettreats 