Snack Ideas for College

[joose_drinker]

I am concerned with my health as a college student eating the same things over and over. My first semester I ate loads of raw almonds as snacks that replaced some of my meals. Last semester I went to subway at least two times a week to get the same sub over and over. Flatbread with chicken breast, onions, mayo, lettuce tomato, black olives. I usually get a green tea with that.

Are there easy and healthy alternative snacks that I could use that are easy to prepare? What sort of snacks do you eat at school. I have especially have ignored my fruits, so please tell me especially of those kinds of foods.

[The Constitution State]

If you live on-campus and have a miniature fridge, stocking some "easy" fruits in there might not be too hard. Also you can customise celery pretty well, if you wanted a 'break' from the ordinary.

[joose_drinker]

The Constitution State

If you live on-campus and have a miniature fridge, stocking some "easy" fruits in there might not be too hard. Also you can customise celery pretty well, if you wanted a 'break' from the ordinary.

I should have mentioned that I commute. It is like a 20 minute drive.

[Jackie-Lane]

Well, if you don't want anything that needs to be kept cold, here are my little easy-to-carry, healthy, filling snacks:

-Raw veggies: carrots, brocoli, cucumber, celery, baby tomatoes, anything you might like, really. Just cut it up, but it in a plastic lidded bowl, and take it with you. If it's not going to stay out too long, some hummus as a dip might be nice as well.

-Fruits: The easiest to carry around without smashing them are mandarins, grapes or an apple. Dried fruits are nice once in a while, athough they are often sugar-packed. You can also take fruit purees with you. Cook some apples, pears or almost any fruit you like, smash them, and put them in a lidded bowl. Here you go for a nice, quick snack.

-Dairy: Obviously, yogourt isn't the best if you want to keep it out, but once in a while, some cheese like cheddar can make a nice snack. Just don't rely on it.

Nuts and such are great as well. Try to mix unsalted peanuts, raisins, any other nuts you have on hand, and a few dark chocolate chips. It makes for a wonderful tasty and filling snack when you're going for a long time without a real meal.

[demon child me]

If you live else where, store up fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as a variety of nuts and seeds. For on the go, you can create your own trail mix with dried fruit (or fruit leather), nuts, seeds, granola, etc. Carrots are pretty easy to carry around. Eating some cheese would be a good source of protein, as long as it's not loaded with junk (try low-fat or goat cheese). There are all sorts of protein bars, soy bars, and other bars, just be careful of what's in them.

Try to stay away from anything containing a lot of sugar, sodium, or chemicals. You can easily buy unsalted nuts, and you can flavor them and roast them yourself. You can make your own fruit leather, or no sugar added can be found easily as well. There are recipes online so you can make your own bars to fit your needs. Don't be afraid to mix it up some too.

[McCatty Bear]

I like having snack bags of cereal, I can snack on it slowly throughout class.

[ABGirl]

I've found that granola bars are a great snack at school. They have so many types/varieties that you should be able to find one you like. I'd also suggest (dry) cereal, trail mix, graham crackers with peanut butter, or fruit cups. For fruits, try bananas or apples.

[Queen Lucia]

String cheese, various trail mixes, pretzels, oatmeal with cinnamon, apples, and goldfish crackers are usually what I like to snack on. Other options would be cereal, cheese spread or sliced on whole wheat crackers, salad, and peanut butter + fruit or celery. I'm sure you could find tons of stuff if you just searched on google.

[BrixtonStreet]

My commute was about the same during college (30 minutes) & I think most of the time I just went without eating the entire day (not a good idea). >_<

If I was hungry I would pick up an In-N-Out veggie burger across the street and occasionally would pack something like an apple or some trail mix along with a stainless steel water bottle (ice water!).

Anyway some suggestions:

-granola (I just eat raw museli by the handfuls >_< )
-cut up veggies with dip (I like mine with hummus), if you need to, bring an ice pack,
-if you have access to hot water (cafeteria, microwave?) you can have instant meals like oatmeal (maybe with a banana) or something like instant ramen.. except not, because instant ramen is horrible for your health. I usually have the instant soups with rice noodles (Thai Kitchen, I think) which aren't completely loaded with fat.
-make food in bulk then freeze it, again, if you have access to a microwave you can heat them up... I think chili, indian food, etc. would be good for this.

[Umesono]

Spring rolls? Get rice wrappers which are pretty cheap, wrap them up with whatever you like such as veggies, vermicelli noodles, meat, etc. You can eat them fresh if you plan to eat them not too long after eating them or fry them or bake them so they can last a few days.

[BrixtonStreet]

Umesono

Spring rolls? Get rice wrappers which are pretty cheap, wrap them up with whatever you like such as veggies, vermicelli noodles, meat, etc. You can eat them fresh if you plan to eat them not too long after eating them or fry them or bake them so they can last a few days.

Ohhh, thats a great idea. Spring rolls are so refreshing and delish. Gotta keep this in mind for work foods haha.

[Amy Reinvented]

Apples should be a staple as a morning snack. Find yourself a variety of apple that you really love, and stick with it. An apple will give you energy for hours, it's compact and easy to eat on the go, and they're delicious. I, myself, love Granny Smith and McIntosh apples for this purpose.

As BrixtonStreet mentioned, making a large batch of something and then freezing it in single-portion containers is always a great idea. This really only works if you have access to a microwave, though. But stuff like soups, stews, chili, pasta sauce, things like these freeze really well. Get yourself some glass containers (preferably the ones with the locking plastic lids) and fill 'em with whatever you feel like eating for a week or so, and freeze 'em. Take one out the night before, bring it with you, and heat it up. Instant homemade delicious meal.

Anything you can pack effectively, really, although I suppose a great deal of it depends on what sort of containers you have available. Even a really well-made sandwich or a good salad can make a workable lunch. The possibilities... aren't endless, but you've got a lot of wiggle room.

[bellsofblue]

I eat granola bars (I'd love a recipe to make them myself I just buy quaker oats bars atm) and I'm thinking about making trail mix which is quick and easy to carry in your bag. In between classes I'll just stop off at one of the stores on campus that works with my meal plan (its hard to explain but certain buildings have little market places or cafes with assorted foods) to pick up a banana or a fruit cup (bits of fruit in jello which you can make yourself) or yogurt. I find as long as I can eat it on my way to class or in class with out much fuss it's a good snack

[IcePrincess4ever]

Does your floor have a kitchen?

If so, baking some breakfast bars (which really, in college, can be any-time-bars), or scones or something that could be stored in bags and eaten over a few days might be a good idea. You can throw all sorts of fruits and whole-grains into these sorts of things.

If you can afford it, get a piece of nice cheese that you like. Try to get something with a little flavour... I find it goes farther, and you'll eat less in a single sitting. Crackers are handy to have on hand too! I can't tell you how many times I had brie and melba toast at 2am while writing a paper biggrin