Dorm Kitchen Meal Prep: 5-Ingredient Meals You Can Totally Cook
Between early classes, late-night study sessions, and maintaining some kind of social life, it seems impossible to cook a somewhat wholesome meal at some point during the week.
Your dorm kitchen is (most likely) a microwave, an mini-fridge and possibly a toaster oven if your RA doesn't make an issue of it. But it's so easy to be tired, broke, and fall back on pre-packaged, overpriced takeout or ramen cups with too much salt.
The good news? Your bank account and your body doesn't need to suffer.
Meal prepping isn't a five-hour commitment that involves a lot of chopping and complicated techniques. It's possible to throw together satisfying, decent meals with a five-ingredient recipe and your simple dorm room kitchen appliances.
Check out these 4 incredibly simple and affordable dorm-room recipes you can put together in 30 minutes or less.
The Golden Rules of Dorm Meal Prep
Before we venture out to buy ingredients, try to keep these three campus survival rules in mind:
1.Purchase Ingredients that serve multiple purposes. A bag of spinach can be added to breakfast, lunch wrap, or dinner bowl.
2.Invest in Leak Proof containers. Nothing is more upsetting than finding soy sauce all over your laptop inside your book bag. Buy food containers with locking lids instead of snap together Tupperware.
3.Try Cold Lunches. Waiting in an enormous line to use the common college microwaves may be a nightmare during lunch time rush. Preparing food that tastes delicious at room temperature is a major life saver.
4 Simple 5-Ingredient Meals to Prep for the Week ahead
1.The “Better-Than-takeout” Peanut Noodles
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Peanut Noodles |
Upgrade a pack of cheap instant ramen noodles into a rich and creamy Thai-inspired dish. Best of all? This dish can be enjoyed cold.
The 5 Ingredients:
Instant ramen noodles (you can toss the flavor packet), peanut butter, soy sauce, honey (or maple syrup), pre-shredded coleslaw mix (carrots and cabbage).
How to Prep It:
Cook your ramen noodles in an electric kettle or in the microwave as directed and drain.
In your meal prep container, whisk together 2 tablespoons peanut butter, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon honey and a tiny splash of warm water until smooth.
Combine noodles and a handful or so of the fresh, crunchy shredded vegetables into the sauce.
Dorm Hack:
Eat this cold from your mini-fridge between classes (no standing in the microwave line!). Pack a fork.
2. The Loaded Toaster Oven Quesadillas
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The Loaded Toaster Oven Quesadillas |
The 5 Ingredients:
Large flour tortillas, can of black beans (rinsed and drained), shredded cheddar cheese, your favorite jarred salsa, pre-cooked shredded rotisserie chicken.
How to Prep It:
Fill one half of each tortilla with a bit of chicken, black beans, and plenty of shredded cheddar cheese.
Fold in half and crisp on both sides using a toaster oven (or on a skillet if you have a kitchen available) until the cheese is perfectly gooey.
Let them cool for a few minutes before slicing them into wedges and portioning them into meal prep containers with a side of salsa.
Dorm Hack:
If you pack each quesadilla wrapped individually in aluminum foil, they will keep fresh in the mini-fridge and can be popped back into the toaster oven to reheat later.
3. The 10-Minute Pesto Potato Bowl
Hearty and comforting like mom’s home-cooked meal, yet requiring zero actual cooking abilities, this bowl fits the bill perfectly.
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Pesto Potato Bowl |
The 5 Ingredients:
Russet potatoes, basil pesto from a jar, cherry tomatoes, a can of chickpeas (rinsed), crumbled feta.
How to make it:
Wash the potato, poke it several times with a fork (this step is non-negotiable or it will explode) and pop it in the microwave on high for 5-7 minutes until soft.
Cut open the potato and slightly mash the flesh inside with the fork.
Mix in a tablespoon of pesto, a handful of chickpeas, halved cherry tomatoes. Top with a sprinkle of feta.
Dorm hack:
To meal prep, portion your chickpeas, tomatoes, pesto and feta into a container ahead of time and microwave a new potato to dump your toppings onto.
4. The 3-Minute Mason Jar Overnight Oats
Breakfast is the fastest meal to forget about when it is time for a 9 AM class. This 3-minute prep job the night before will give you 10 more minutes of sleep!
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Mason Jar of Oats |
5 Ingredients:
Rolled oats, milk (any kind or a non-dairy version), chia seeds, a banana and a spoonful of peanut butter.
How to Prep It:
In your mason jar or mini Tupperware, add your 1/2 cup of rolled oats and 1/2 cup of milk along with 1 tablespoon chia seeds. Mix in 1 tablespoon peanut butter and layer some banana on top. Place the lid on and give the jar a good shake before placing in your mini fridge.
Stock Pantry, Fresher and Fridge:
- Noodles (instant)
- Oatmeal (rolled oats), Chia seeds
- Peanut butter
- Soy Sauce and Honey
- Pesto (jarred)
- Canned black beans and chickpeas
- Milk (any kind)
- Cheddar, Feta (shredded)
- Tortillas (flour)
- Pre-cooked rotisserie chicken
- Cherry tomatoes, Banana
- Coleslaw (bagged shredded)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: How long will these prepped meals last in a mini-fridge?
A: Most of these recipes will keep and taste delicious in the mini-fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. Eat the overnight oats within 3 days for best texture of the bananas, before they become too mushy.
Q2: I do not have a toaster oven. Can I use a normal microwave?
A: Definitely. Your microwave will be perfect for the noodles, potato bowl and oats. The quesadilla would heat up nicely in the microwave, although the tortilla will become softer instead of crispy.
Q3: Are these 5-ingredient meals really healthy?
A: Yes. With the help of healthy shortcut ingredients like canned beans, chickpeas, rotisserie chicken, etc., you will get a great amount of protein, fiber and healthy fats without excess sugars and sodium found in packaged fast food.
Q4: I do not want my food to spoil before I eat it. What do I do?
A: Freeze or buy more long-lasting food items like bagged coleslaw and starchy vegetables, such as potatoes. Shred the rotisserie chicken as soon as it comes out of the store, and freeze half of the cooked meat if you predict it would not be all consumed in 4 days.
Q5: Which type of containers are the best for my dorm meal prep?
A: Glass or BPA-free plastic containers with locking, leak-proof lids are the most ideal for a dorm setting. Since the glass containers are easy to be reheated in microwave without leaving stains or odors.
Q6: I do not have a kitchen sink in my room. How do I wash my dishes easily?
A: You should get a small plastic basin, a sponge and a travel-size bottle of dish soap for your dorm room. Wipe the dishes clean from grease with paper towels right after eating. Afterwards, do a simple rinse and wash in a floor's bathroom sink.
Q7: What if my roommate has nut allergies? Can I substitute the peanut butter?
A: Yes. You can substitute the peanut butter for Sun Butter or tahini and the recipe will be totally nut-free! These alternatives would perfectly replace the peanut butter in the noodle and overnight oat recipe.
Q8: How much is each meal usually per serving?
A: With 5-ingredient recipes made up of budget staples (oats, potatoes, beans, etc.), each of these meals usually cost around $1.50 to $3.00 per serving. This would save your wallet a great amount comparing with a campus meal plan or restaurant food.
Wrapping up: Eating healthy for the semester with little to no hassle
You don't need a full-scale kitchen or a professional chef to have a healthy campus diet. With the right ingredients and containers, you can skip the lines, save your cash, and eat something you will enjoy.
So which one are you trying first? What is your go-to dorm meal savior for finals week? Let us know your best hacks in the comments below!