Going away to college is one of the watershed moments in anybody's life. It's often your first experience with independent living, which makes it both exhilarating and a bit frightening. One detail that can make a difference in your attitude and work habits is adequate nutrition. You won't always be able to get to the cafeteria, so it's a good idea for your health and your budget to stockpile some non-perishable food items in your room.
Basic Guidelines
You can't always count on having a microwave oven in your dorm room or apartment, and there might not be space for even a small refrigerator. Choose foods that don't require cooking or just need hot water added. Anything ready-to-eat is a good choice, because you won't need to wash dishes afterwards. Study the nutrition labels and try to keep fats, sugars and sodium to a minimum. Remember that proper nutrition will help keep you alert and able to learn.
Dried Foods
In broad terms, there are two kinds of dried foods you can load up on. One variety is the high-tech, freeze-dried foods made for hikers. These just need hot water and provide a complete meal whenever you need it. They're usually much more nutritious than the dried instant soups available at the local supermarket. The other kind of dried food is conventionally dried fruits or jerky. These are also healthy, low-fat foods that provide good nutrition; keeping a stock in your room is never a bad idea. Bear in mind that jerky is usually high in salt, so try not to eat too much.
Canned and Packaged Foods
Canned foods have excellent shelf life and don't require much preparation. Their major shortcoming is high levels of fat and sodium. Choose items you can eat happily at room temperature, like canned fruit, unless you can wash dishes easily and have a way to heat up food. If so, you can add heartier canned foods. Outdoors shops carry various boil-in-bag meals that require no refrigeration and you only need a small electric pot/kettle to warm them.
Energy Bars, Meal Replacements and Snack Foods
There will be times when, despite your best intentions, you can't make time for a proper meal. Your local supermarket or pharmacy will have a number of meal replacements in stock, from energy bars to the liquid "shakes" in cans. These can be useful for emergencies, but pick your brands carefully — some are much healthier than others. Don't forget a few snack foods, too. No matter how virtuous you intend to be, a treat now and then can make the daily grind easier to deal with. Look for low-fat baked chips, healthier varieties of cookies, nuts or trail mix to feed your periodic cravings.
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