Healthy (ish) Snacks for a College Dorm

In college, it can be really hard to keep up with a healthy diet. From events with free pizza or cookies to the college cafeteria, you are surrounded by food. And that food is not always very good for you. I know that I struggle to eat well in the dorms, but I have found some snacks that are perfect for a dorm room and are not as bad as some of the other options.

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Without further ado, here are some of my favorite dorm snacks!

Luna Bars

My favorite flavor is by far the Chocolate Peppermint Stick. These bars are perfect to grab and take on the go. If I have a long day of classes or if I’m hanging out in my dorm and want something easy, these are perfect.

I am a huge chocolate fan, and I also love peppermint! They have a ton of flavors, from Nutz Over Chocolate to Lemon Zest, so there’s something for everyone.

Kind Bars

These are pretty similar to the first item, but they have a different texture. They also have multiple flavors, and my favorite is the Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew. KIND Bars are definitely sweeter than Luna Bars, so I tend to treat these as more of a dessert.

These are great to throw in my bag for a quick dessert after lunch. I also like how convenient the packaging is! Grab and go snacks are amazing in college.

Pretzels

I love pretzels, and I really love how you can order a box of a variety of pretzels and have it sent to your dorm. (Isn’t Amazon just amazing?) I recently got the Snyder’s of Hanover Variety Pack, and I am in love. You get four different kinds of pretzels: sticks, mini pretzels, sourdough and honey mustard & onion.

Also, the pretzels are packaged in single serving bags, which is great, whether you live in a dorm or if you commute. If you commute, you can use stick a bag of pretzels in your bag for lunch.

Popcorn

Another one of my favorite snacks is popcorn. Skinny Pop is great, because it tastes amazing and is pretty low in calories. Popcorn is the perfect snack for your weekly (or daily, I won’t judge) Netflix binge!

As with all of the other snack mentioned, you can grab a bag and be set. No need for a bowl or to work out portion sizes. It’s all ready to go. If you are not a fan of plain popcorn, they also have other flavors such as White Cheddar, Salt & Pepper, Sweet (kettle corn) and even Jalapeno!

True Citrus Drink Packets

This next snack is more of a drink, but it’s still the bomb. True Citrus is the overall brand of drink packets, but they have dozens of flavors. My favorite is their Crystallized Lime. You can pour it in your water to add flavors while avoiding the whole “drinking your calories” thing.

If you are looking for more of a drink maker along the lines of Crystal Light, my favorite of those has recently become the Dark Cherry Limeade. They also have tons of lemonade flavors from original to raspberry to peach. Yum!

These drink packs make it easier to chose water over soda. I can still have some sort of flavoring to add to my water to make it interesting.

Peanut Butter Crackers

Another one of my favorite snacks, and this one just screams childhood, has to be Peanut Butter Crackers. I have loved these crackers since I was really young, and I still love them. They are a bit more unhealthy than some of the other items in this post, but they are still good to keep on hand. Just don’t binge on them, which brings me to some tips on how to eat healthy in the dorms…

Time for Tips

Tip 1: Buy Packaged Snacks

This way, you don’t have to worry about dealing with portion sizes or overeating. I have quite a problem with eating, especially when I am bored. Avoid the issue with single serving bags of snacks.

These snacks are also really easy to take on the go for class or a study session.

tip 2: Cut Liquid Calories

Yes, soda does taste great, but it will do nothing to help you avoid the freshman fifteen…or the senior fifteen. The food that your cafeteria is serving, or the food you will be eating, is probably not the good for you. It’s almost impossible for any restaurant to serve healthy options to thousands of starving college students every day. Sure, there’s the salad bar, but be realistic. Are you really getting a salad seven days a week?

Me neither.

Tip 3: Drink More Water

This is the sort of tip that applies to everyone, but college students can certainly benefit from it. Drinking water will not only keep you from getting dehydrated, but it will also help you avoid craving junk food all the time.

Water will keep your stomach full, so you won’t be reaching for a candy bar every time you feel a bit hungry.

 

So, that was my post on some of my favorite dorm snacks (no fridge or microwave required!) as well as some tips for being a bit more healthy in the dorms.

What are your favorite snacks? Do you have any tips for eating healthy in college? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading!