Over the past few weeks we’ve focused on dorm room breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes, but so far we haven’t focused on one of the most important meals of the day: snacks.
No, snacks aren’t really meals, but they do fill an important gap in your daily eating routine. When you choose the right snacks you’ll have energy, won’t have to worry about gaining the standard 15 pounds some people do when they go back to school, and you’ll be more in control of your eating.
The key to snacking in your dorm room is to bring in the right food to start with. I’m not saying I never tore into a bag of potatoes chips during a late night study session, but I know when I did it was lights out not long after. There are no nutrients in that type of snack, so when your body is hungry and you reach for them, you aren’t filling it with what it needs to keep going.
That’s why you need to stock up your dorm room refrigerator with some key ingredients; foods that are designed to add fuel to your engine and keep you from craving junk food. Take a look at these dorm room snack recipes and see what type of ingredients you need to create delicious snacks when you want something to munch on.
Dorm room guacamole
Along with a bag of tortilla chips, a bowl of guacamole is the perfect snack. Avocado is a healthy fat with fiber and more potassium than a banana. Recipe from spoonuniversity.com.
| Ingredients: 1 avocado (soft) ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 2 teaspoons lime juice ¼ tomato |
Directions
Cut through avocado to break it in half but don’t cut through the pit.
Use a spoon to scoop out the pit.
Scoop out the yellow/green part of the inside into a paper or plastic bowl.
Chop up the avocado until it’s smooth.
Add salt, pepper and lime juice.
Use a spoon to mix ingredients together.
Chop up tomato into fourths.
Scoop out the seeds of one of the fourths.
Cut up one forth into ½ inch by ½ inch squares.
Add tomatoes and mix in the bowl.
Red Hot Apple Pie In A Mug
From Dr.Oz’s guest poster Hungry Girl, this mug apple pie doesn’t use extra sugar. Instead, you get a burst of flavor from Red Hot candies. You can add whip cream if you have some on hand, but it tastes great either way. Recipe from Dr.Oz, Photo from Foodnetwork.com.
| Ingredients: 1 Fuji apple, cored and cut 12-15 pieces of Red Hots cinnamon flavored candy 2 crackers graham crackers dash cinnamon |
Directions
Place apple cubes in a microwave-safe cup or mug. Top with Red Hots – the more you use, the hotter the results! Cover and microwave for 2 minutes. Stir well. Re-cover and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, until apple cubes are soft.
Mix well. Let cool, at least 10 minutes. Top with crushed graham crackers and cinnamon.
Crispy Roasted Chickpeas
Who needs popcorn when you can snack on crunchy chickpeas? To make these all you’ll need is a toaster oven and some spices. You’ll want to make sure you dry the canned chickpeas off with a towel before you roast them so they don’t retain a ton of water. If you’ve never tried roasting them before, just add a little sea salt to your first batch. Photo and recipe from thekitchn.com.
| Ingredients: 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt 2 to 4 teaspoons spices or finely chopped fresh herbs, like chili powder, curry powder, garam masala, cumin, smoked paprika, rosemary, thyme, or other favorite spices and herbs |
Directions
Heat the toaster oven to 400°F: Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven.
Rinse and drain the chickpeas: Open the cans of chickpeas and pour the chickpeas into a strainer in the sink. Rinse thoroughly under running water.
Dry the chickpeas: Pat the chickpeas very dry with a clean dishtowel or paper towels. They should look matte and feel dry to the touch; if you have time, leave them to air-dry for a few minutes. Remove any chickpea skins that come off while drying, but otherwise don’t worry about them.
Toss the chickpeas with olive oil and salt: Spread the chickpeas out in an even layer on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Stir with your hands or a spatula to make sure the chickpeas are evenly coated.
Roast the chickpeas in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes: Stir the chickpeas or shake the pan every 10 minutes. A few chickpeas may pop – that’s normal. The chickpeas are done when golden and slightly darkened, dry and crispy on the outside, and soft in the middle.
Toss the chickpeas with the spices: Sprinkle the spices over the chickpeas and stir to coat evenly. Serve while the chickpeas are still warm and crispy. They will gradually lose their crispiness as they cool, becoming very chewy.
Frozen Banana Poppers
Sometimes you just want a big bowl of ice cream, and while there are times you definitely should have just that, you may not want to have it every day. These frozen banana poppers will fill that ice cream craving but they’re healthier and have energy boosting toppings. Photo and recipe from somethinghealthy.co.
| Ingredients: 1 banana, chopped thinly Almond butter or peanut butterGreek yogurt Toppings like Flax, chia seeds, shredded coconut |
Directions
Slice your bananas into thin wedges. Add a swipe of peanut butter, dip in Greek yogurt, and roll in your choice of topping. Pop them in your refrigerator and you’ll have a delicious snack in an hour.
With everything that goes into setting up your dorm room and adjusting to your new school schedule, thinking about food and how you’ll eat it can take a back seat.
With all of the dorm room recipes we’ve shared over the past month, I think you’ll have an easy time putting together a food list to buy and making every meal in your dorm room. Cooking isn’t always the easiest thing to do when you’re feeling pressured by papers and exams, but it’s the healthiest option for you when you’re on your own.
Missed some of our dorm room recipes or recommended dorm room appliances? I’ve got them for you right here.
| Start every school day with a great breakfast, made right in your dorm |
Don’t skip lunch: it’s easy to make with these recipes |
Make dinner for yourself or friends with these dorm room dinner recipes |
