Do you miss having a kitchen? Don’t let that stop you from enjoying regular meals and snacks to fuel your body and brain. We have some quick and easy recipes that you can make in the comfort of your dorm – no kitchen required!
1. Sandwiches
Sandwiches are quick easy meals you can squeeze in between classes. You can make your favorite ham or turkey sandwich. Or go with the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Give your sandwich a fruit or vegetable boost by adding lettuce, tomatoes and pickles to your ham or turkey sandwich and sliced bananas or apples to your peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Hot sandwiches are fun too. Spread some pesto on the inside of your bread (optional), top with cheese and a protein, put it in the toaster oven or microwave, and then pull it out and top with the fixings such as veggies, mayo, mustard.
2. Wraps
Wraps are a good way to incorporate lots of veggies into your lunch. Plus, you can experiment with different ingredients or try to make a wrap version of your favorite sandwich.
Hummus and veggie wrap
- Place the wrap on a plate and spread hummus in the middle.
- Add spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, chickpeas, and olives.
- Neatly fold your wrap and enjoy!
Other fun wrap ideas include tuna salad (tuna mixed with mayo, diced apples, and celery, stopped with lettuce), and sandwich meat, cheese, veggies, and Italian salad dressing.
3. Pre-made meals
Soup is a nice hot meal to have during those cold Flagstaff months. Just pour the canned soup into a bowl and follow the directions on the package to heat it up in the microwave. Enjoy a bowl of warm soup with one of the wraps or sandwiches listed above. Soup is also a great way to get more veggies in.
Frozen meals are a great option too. There are a variety of healthy meals that only take a few minutes to microwave.
4. Hummus Plates
You can pick out your favorite hummus and pair it with some raw veggies and crackers or pita chips. This is a great way to incorporate veggies into your meals. Some veggies to use are cherry tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, and broccoli. Use what you like!
If you have a blender, you can even try making your own hummus by blending chickpeas, olive oil, tahini, and garlic. You can add other flavors to spic things up, such as pesto, or hot sauce.
5. Burrito Bowls
Homemade burrito bowls, or Chipotle bowls as I like to call them, are jam packed with protein and are sure to fill you up!
Black Bean Burrito Bowl
- Start by creating a lettuce base at the bottom of your bowl.
- Next add the black beans, corn, avocado, veggies of your choice, cheese and salsa. If you’d like to include rice, heat up a 90-second rice packet in the microwave and include about a ½ cup.
- Add some cilantro and lemon juice for some extra flavor.
6. Salads
There are A TON of different salads you can make in your dorm. From fruit salad to coleslaw, your options are limitless. Tired of lettuce? Try a lettuce-free salad like this one:
Go Greek Salad
- Combine tomatoes, green bell peppers, cucumbers, purple onion, kalamata olives, black olives, and feta cheese.
- Add your favorite salad dressing and enjoy!
7. Tacos
Everyone loves taco Tuesday! Using beans instead of meat will help make taco Tuesday dorm friendly! Just make sure to heat things up in a microwave safe container.
- Add pinto beans, lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, onions, and cheese into your taco shells or tostada shells.
- Add some salsa to spice it up!
- Enjoy some canned or frozen corn as a side dish.
8. Overnight Oats
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Overnight oats are a quick and easy breakfast idea. You can add different types of milk, yogurt, and fruit to make it extra yummy!
Overnight Oats
- Add equal parts of oats and milk to a mason jar.
- Put the lid on and store in the fridge overnight.
- In the morning, add fresh fruits such as sliced bananas and strawberries.
9. “Baked” Potato
What’s your favorite way to eat a potato? Baked potatoes can be made in the microwave in your dorm. Plus, you can dress it up with your favorite toppings!
- Rinse and scrub the potato
- Poke the potato 5 times with a fork to make holes for the steam to come out on each side.
- Lightly coat the potatoes with olive oil
- Put the potato in the microwave and cook for 5 minutes
- Flip the potato over and cook for 5 more minutes
- Cut the potato and add your favorite toppings.
Here are a few fun baked potato topping combos:
- Broccoli, cheese, sour cream, bacon bits
- Black beans, salsa, and avocado
- Canned chili and cheese
10. Pizza
Make your own pizza using bagels, english muffins, or pita bread. Top with traditional pizza sauce or pesto. Add on pepperoni, Canadian bacon and/or veggies, and some mozzarella cheese. Heat in the toaster oven or microwave and enjoy. Keep things easy by adding on a pre-made bagged salad – dressing included.