4 Healthy Recipes you can make On-Campus (or anywhere else)

There are many advantages to living in campus housing.

Having a place to cook is not one of them. Although many of the residence halls on campus include a communal kitchen, most students find their cooking space reduced to a metal box spewing radiation.

Left without a traditional kitchen, most students resign themselves to a year without cooking and try to pretend that the stuff at the caf tastes “homemade.” But by late fall, when even the stir-fry station has lost its appeal, many feel within them a rekindling desire to cook their own food. While conventional wisdom may state that the best of “in-room cuisine” is a slightly burnt hot-pocket, I am here to share 4 recipes that are healthy, easy, and residence hall compatible.

4 Residence Hall Ready Recipes

1. Microwaveable Kale Chips

It doesn’t get much more simple than this healthy snack.

Just sprinkle some olive oil and salt on fresh kale leaves and microwave. The result is a crunchy, healthy alternative to potato chips.

For the pro-chefs out there, you can also come up with your own secret recipe by trying out different spices to add a bit of extra flavor.

To score extra sustainability points, get your kale at the Fayetteville Farmer’s Market, which takes place at the Fayetteville Square every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

 

2. Microwavable Potato Chips

Not too crazy about kale, but still want to make your own chips? Look no farther than this fast and easy DIY potato chip recipe.

Simply brush some thinly sliced potatoes with olive oil, microwave for a few minutes, and salt to produce a deliciously crunchy, home-made snack.

This version of potato chips is not only price comparable to buying a bag from the store, its 3 ingredient design ensures you’re not putting any strange ingredients into your body.

Potatoes for these chips can be purchased at any grocery store, as well as from local providers at the Fayetteville Farmer’s Market.

 

3. Jalapeno Guacamole (with kale)

Everyone loves guacamole—and with good reason.  It is easy to make, full of nutrients, and tasty. This recipe is no exception.

Made of just avocado, lime, salt, jalapeno, and onion (with the addition of kale for an extra health punch), you don’t even need a microwave to prepare this delectable snack.

Try pairing this guac with some homemade chips from recipe 2 to get through your afternoon slump.

4. Greek Salad To-Go

Although the idea of sitting down to a meal sounds nice, by the middle of a busy semester most of us are thankful for enough free time to sleep, let alone eat a full meal. When it comes time to take your food to-go, instead of reaching for a lunchable or cup-of-noodles, try this portable salad idea.

Basically just a salad packed in upside down, this mason-jar of goodness will provide the healthy lunch you need to keep you going during a busy day, no cooking necessary. Although the inventor provides a specific recipe, it is infinitely customizable—meaning you can adapt this recipe to include whatever ingredients you’d like. Just make sure to put the dressing in first, and shake the jar when you’re ready to eat to mix all the goodness around.

Try all 4 of these recipes for a healthy fill-up, and avoid the processed pre-made stuff available at the store.

As I’ve previously discussed in my post on food labels, no matter how healthy a food’s packaging tries to make it sound, using raw and natural ingredients to make your own food is always healthier than buying processed foods from the store. The best part about eating the 4 dishes above is that you know exactly what you’re putting into your body when you eat them—which is more than can be said for eating ramen or pizza rolls.

Check out this link for even more college-approved recipes.

Read this post about food hubs and how they’re changing the way we get our food.

Read this post to learn how to compost your scraps after making these delicious recipes.