The campus caf can be your best friend at times. Like when you're late for class and didn't have time to make anything before running out of your dorm room. Or when you wake up at 3 PM after a night of questionable activities and all you need is a BEC and a huge cup of coffee. Let's be real though... the rotating menus and average-quality meals get a little tedious when you're eating them day in and day out. For those times when your meal plan just isn't cutting it, here are 12 simple dorm room meal ideas that will change up your tired routine.
1. Stir-Fried Rice
Heat Required: microwave OR stovetop
Make a simple stir-fry by grabbing a bag of Minute Rice, a small bag of frozen mixed veggies, and a carton of egg beaters. Stir it up in a mug or deep bowl and pop in the microwave, or if you have kitchen access, cook in a small pan with a drizzle of oil.
2. Overnight Oats
No microwave required, this is a no-cook way to enjoy a classic breakfast food any time of the day. Mix a 1:1:1 ratio of oats, milk, and yogurt, refrigerate overnight (or for at least 4 hours) and voila - a simple and filling meal or snack. Add nut-butters, fruits, seeds, and nuts, or chocolate chips to add variety to your bowl.
3. Peanut Butter Sandwich
A childhood favorite, PB sandwiches are taken to the next level with the easy addition of fruit, honey, bacon, toasted bread, different jams, or new nut butters (sunflower or almond butter anyone?)
4. French Toast
Heat Required: Microwave
Cut up one or two slices of bread into squares, mix in a mug with a tablespoon or two of Egg Beaters, milk, and a dash of cinnamon, and microwave for a minute. Top with syrup for some shortcut french toast.
5. Chips and Guac
One avocado is the perfect size for a single serving of guac and chips. Mash up in a mug with some salt and pepper, and maybe tomato and onion if you can nab it from a salad bar.
6. Scrambled Eggs
Heat Required: Microwave
Easy to make in a mug, these are perfect for long mornings when you don't have a lot of time to get out of the door. Scramble in a mug,add cheese or veggies if you have them, and microwave for about a minute, stopping halfway through to whisk again. The plus side? They're not watery like the dining hall ones.
7.Smoothie
Frozen fruit is easy to keep in your mini-fridge, so get some small plastic bags and fill them with a few different fruit combos. Whenever you're ready just grab a bag and blend it with milk, water, or your fave non-dairy alternative. Add nuts, nut-butter, or yogurt to turn a snack into a light meal.
8. Quesadilla
Heat required: microwave
Pop some shredded cheese in a tortilla, fold it in half, and chuck it in the microwave until it gets nice and melty on the inside. Add whatever leftovers you have in your mini-fridge or whatever veggies you can swipe from the dining hall to take it to the next level.
9. Baked Potato
Heat Required: Microwave
Poke them with a fork a few times and potatoes cook in a few minutes in a microwave. To turn it into a meal, top with leftover chicken, a can of black beans and salsa, broccoli and shredded cheese ... let your imagination run wild with toppings.
10. Salad
Admittedly not the most thrilling option, salads can seem bland when you're staring down the same bar of ingredients in the caf every week. Keep nuts, seeds, and dried fruit in your room to add to a pre-mixed salad bag for a light lunch that will make the school salad bar seem sad.
11. Chicken Salad
Whether you prefer to make chicken salad with mayo, greek yogurt, or avocado, it's an easy way to utilize leftover grilled and roasted chicken, and can be thrown on toast, a wrap, or lettuce for a protein-packed, on-the-go meal.
12. Soup
Heat Required: Microwave OR Stovetop
This is an easy one, and nearly impossible to mess up. Canned soup is cheap, can be cooked in the microwave, and can be added to any salad pr sandwich to make a quick filling meal. Pro tip: add veggies, cheese, leftover protein, cream, or crackers to make your canned soup heartier.
