college student = unbalanced diet

Hey guys! first of all im an 18 year old college student eating about 1100-1200 cals a day... the only problem is that the foods that i have readily available do not provide the most balanced diet. i live off of easy mac and nutrigrain bars i need fiber! does anyone have any suggestions of something prepackaged that i can buy to keep in my dorm (that ideally doesnt have to be refridgerated) that is high in fiber. I was thinking some sort of cereal or something. I'm also alittle low in the protein department! any suggestions would be great!

im 19 and in college and I really eat less then i shud, mainly because the "attempts" my college makes at food isnt that great, so i end up eating cereal, wraps, salad, and fruit alot.

You really just need to find something you like and stick with that. I might also suggest Shredded Wheat or crispix, both great fiber cereal and i love eating it out of the box.

Your college shud have a nutritionist or at least a number affiliated with that college that you can call and find out how they prepare certain foods and all the alternatives they offer.

Best bet is to stick to something you see made, if they bring something out ignore it.

I'm in the exact same position as you. I have a minifridge (that doesn't hold much) and a microwave. I survive on the occasional take out food/dining hall food, but mostly it's:

-luna bars/TLC bars

-apples, bananas, pears

-raisin bran (skim milk)

-Carnation instant breakfast nutrition drink (skim milk)

-wild rice.. this CAN be made in a microwave with some practice. ^^ helps if you soak it a bit first

-beans.. this ALSO can be made in a microwave.. MUST soak it first

Recently I just discovered a prepackaged rice/lentils pilaf that was extremely good.. it's from Casbah Natural foods/Timeless Cuisine and it's 6 fiber 9 protein for every 150 calorie serving.. I used 2 servings for my dinner (the whole box makes about 4. it comes with a packet of yuuummy seasoning. Made in the microwave.

Also.. dried fruit, nuts, sunflower seeds.. Chunky salsa (refrigerate after opening) + tortilla chips.. peanut butter does NOT need to be refridgerated.. plain microwave popcorn. =)

Hope some of these suggestions will be helpful.

pizza, coffee, and beer are all a college student needs.  seriously.

yeah, cereal is a good way to go here. For about a dollar more per box than crispix or whatever, get kashi. I like Go Lean (not the crunch, just the regular). Slightly sweet and has 10g of fiber per 140 cal cup, which is crazy. Other than that start stealing fruit from your dining halls. Nnot stealing, really, but if there's a take 1 home policy on fruit make sure you take a couple) Bananas and apples and pears are all pretty high fiber. And definately look into canned black beans. You can mix them with salsa, and they're pretty tasty.

I second the canned beans.  They are dirt-cheap, super-healthy and all you have to do is pair them with your favorite ingredients (veggies, sauces, cheeses) and put them in a wrap, pita, sandwich, or tortilla.  Something I love to do is wrap up 1/4 cup of canned chickpeas in a high-fiber spinach wrap with some fresh spinach, a little feta cheese, olives, onions, banana peppers, tomato, cucumbers, and a little low-fat plain yogurt mixed with ranch seasoning for dressing.  It's absolutely delicious, filling, and very healthy.

Ditto on kashi... go lean crunch is really filling and is on sale quite a bit at my stores.

It also helps me to sit down (when I have time... college student here as well!) and pre-portion everything out in plastic baggies. That way I can grab and go.

Bars are also a LIFE savor for me. Luna bars make an amazing and filling snack. I've also recently become obsessed with Larabars and yogurt as a grab and go breakfast (8:00 class!).

Oooh may I also recommend Gnu bars>> http://www.gnufoods.com/ourproducts/ Really good and high in fiber! I'm watching my protein intake so I opt for Luna bars instead... but these are really good and low in cal! I found them at the vitamin shoppe on sale for $1 a bar... which is a lot but much better than regular cereal bars... Good luck!

I lived off of tomato paste, canned salmon & sardines & mackerel & frozen veggies along with frozen meats that I cooked in my microwave - granted not the best way to cooke meats but I survived! Now I live in my own place with a LARGE fridge & kitchen which is AMAZING! 

I also lived off of NORI (ha ha) and canned green beans! :) 

I lived on almond butter sandwiches on whole grain bread for a large part of my dorm life.  Also, I highly recommend buying a hot pot (a little plug-in pot that lets you heat water, make rice, beans, ect).  They're pretty cheap, and give you a lot more food options.  In terms of fiber, you can get a ton of that just with fruits and veggies.  Does your school have a salad bar?

One of the things I liked when I was in college was a mixture of raisins and nuts  (you can go to the bulk food area of your local grocery store to buy some nuts that you like, buy a box of raisins and some snack baggies and then make your own for pretty cheap).  It was a great pick-me-up when I didn't have time to eat a meal between classes, and it will give you both fiber and protein at the same time.  Low fat granola is an option too.

I agree with the suggestion of getting a hotpot (unless you already have a microwave, which would do the same thing with the right plastic containers)--that enables you to do soup, rice, pasta, cooked vegetables, etc.

Other sources for protein--vienna sausages, sardines (if you like them), canned chicken, ham or tuna (mix with a mayonnaise or salad dressing packet you pick up from a restaurant) and eat with crackers or bread.  Note: all of these options are higher in sodium, since they are canned, so make sure you're getting lots of water to flush the excess sodium from your body.