Dorm Mini-Fridge Healthy Makeover

When I attended college, I lived on junk & convenience food and I had the inevitable, “Freshman 15,” to prove from my bad eating habits throughout the year. I only wish I knew how great I would have felt and how much better I would have performed if I had stocked my dorm fridge with healthy options.

Today I wanted to share with you some healthy ideas for stocking your dorm mini-fridge for the school year along with an easy no-bake energy bite that you can mix up in a bowl for easy snacks on-the-go when heading to your classes.

Eggs- Eggs are the perfect food for starting your day out right or for a healthy late night snack. Did you know that you can prepare an egg easily in the microwave with no special equipment at all? Simply spray or grease a bowl to prepare it and crack two eggs in it with a tablespoon of milk and whisk well with a fork. Place your bowl of eggs in the microwave and cook for one minute. Give it another little scramble with your fork and then cook for thirty second intervals, until your eggs reach the desired consistency. That’s it! Don’t forget that you can add your own fun add-ins to this versatile food like chopped up veggies, cheeses, or meats.

Berries- Berries are a great item to keep on hand to eat as a side, to grab by the handful for a quick snack, mixed in with a cup of Greek yogurt, or as a topper to a bowl of instant oatmeal in the morning. Cut berries can also be added to a water bottle and then allowed to steep overnight to create a healthy & inexpensive infused water for drinking on your way to class.

Veggies- Cut veggies are the perfect item to have on hand for a quick and healthy snack. Some of my favorites for snacking are peppers (in every color), carrot sticks, celery sticks, & cauliflower. Pair these veggies with your favorite dips like your favorite nut butter with celery or dip them in hummus for an easy snack. If you don’t have a cutting board & knife, look for the pre-packaged veggies that are already cut and ready to go for your snacks.

Nut Butters & Nuts- For a quick and easy snack, nothing is easier than keeping a package of nuts on hand for snacking. Did you know that you can even freeze nuts? Grab an extra package and store it in your freezer, up to six months, to make sure they don’t go rancid. Try a new variety like almonds, pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, or cashews for a little variety. These can also be added to bowls of instant oatmeal in the morning or mixed into a salad for a crunch topping.

Nut butters are great for an accompaniment to celery or cut apples. My own favorite nighttime snack is peanut butter on a slice of whole grain toast with a glass of almond milk before I go to bed. It’s a satisfying and inexpensive snack!

Hummus- There are many different flavors and varities now of hummus and it is the perfect snack or spread to add to pitas or even smeared as a topping for your favorite sandwich. My favorite variety is the Red Pepper Hummus with sliced cucumbers or pita for an effortless snack.

String Cheese- String cheese is one of those grab-and-go snacks that I love to keep on hand in our fridge.  Chop these up to add to your eggs to add a little cheesiness to your egg dishes without investing in bags of shredded cheese or wrap cheese with whole grain bread and a little deli meat into a roll for a quick sandwich that you can eat on your way to your next class.

Energy Bites- No-bake energy bites are a fun snack to have on hand when you are craving a treat with a little sweetness. My recipe for these includes wheat germ and ground flax seed,  both which can be healthy additions to your bowls of oatmeal, mixed into your smoothies, or even added as a salad topper for your week.  The best part is that it doesn’t require an oven or mixer, making these an easy treat to make…and to eat! Did I mention it tastes an awful lot like cookie dough too? Yum!

No-Bake Energy Bites

• 1 cup oatmeal

• 1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)

• 1/3 cup honey

• 1 cup wheat germ

• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed

• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• Pinch of salt

Mix everything above in a medium bowl until thoroughly incorporated.  Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.  Once chilled, simply roll into balls. Store these in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to one week.

I hope these ideas offer some inspiration for a mini-fridge packed with healthy eats for the new school year! Much luck to each of you as you journey back to school- here’s to a happy & healthy school year!

What are some of your favorite mini-fridge snack ideas? Feel free to share them in the comments section below!