14 Healthy Ideas For The Microwave and Mini-Fridge Diet

January 12, 2012 18 Comments

Some of you probably get hives just looking at the photo above, yes, that is a college dorm. This dormitory is located at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

What were they thinking when they built it? How can we make these buildings as ugly as possible? sheesh

(sorry, UMASS)

I received an e-mail from a college student in November and I thought we could help her out. From Hillary:

I'm a freshman dance major at the University of Texas and have been having some troubles eating healthy. I thought that as a dancer it would help me to keep off that infamous "freshman 15", but alas it has not.

The food offered on a college campus is truly meant for the high metabolism teenage boys (i.e. chicken strips, fries, hamburgers) and usually the only "healthy options" are salads with high in fat dressings!

So I was wondering if you could please help a girl out with innovative ways to eat healthy without a kitchen. All I have is a microwave and a fridge! A thousand thanks if you could help!

I will take just one "thanks" if I can help. A thousand seems disproportionate to the help that I can offer.

Well, Hillary, I have been there. I spent 9 years in higher education - most of the time I was eating really crappy food - so I am proud of you for catching on in your freshman year how crappy the food is at UT. Awesome!

So, now, what are we going to do about it? You will need some basic supplies - can opener, kitchen knife, cutting board, utensils, and dishes - but I think we can come up with some healthy food that will help you manage to keep from gaining the freshman 15.

I have compiled a bunch of ideas here on Snack Girl that can work if you only have a microwave and a fridge. I will say that during grad school (when I got smarter), I would always have a can of black beans, fresh salsa, and grated cheese.

I would make myself a "burrito bowl" in the microwave as a cheap meal that was big on nutrients and low on calories and preparation time.

The key to remaining healthy is going to be to eat the fruits and vegetables that you aren't being offered - try to get your 5 servings a day - and you will save yourself from all that fatty food.