Foods to Stock Up on for a Healthy College Experience

You're off to college (or part way through), and you're proud of yourself (with good reason - it's the start of your adult life!). Studying, attending classes, making new friends... so much to do! To keep you energized, it's important to pay attention to your food selections.

If the dorm cafeteria options don't quite meet the "healthy food" standards, try these tips to savor your college experience even more:

Try these tasty food treats and tips:

1. Check out some of the newest healthy beverage options. For example, Hint water is sugar-free and lightly flavored with fruit essences such as Raspberry-Lime. Another 0-calorie flavored treat is V-Blast, which has added vitamins and flavors such as Wild Berry Blast.

2. Skip the vending machine and make your own snacks! One of the fastest options, which can fulfill that longing for a crunchy snack: air-popped popcorn in a microwave. Greatest invention in a long time: a mini microwave! The iWaveCube personal microwave works for your dorm room -- and you'll want to save it for your first little apartment too. If your cafeteria lets you take home left-overs, save part of your dinner and have it the next day for lunch, heating it in your microwave (you'll need a mini refrig too). You can also use your mini microwave to heat soup. And a simple snack: buy English muffins, canned tomato sauce, and sliced string cheese. Make mini-pizzas by topping half an English muffin with a spoonful of tomato sauce and diced string cheese. Microwave until the sauce bubbles and the cheese is melted. YUM!

3. Go to the grocery store and stock up on fresh fruit and pre-sliced veggies, such as carrots, celery, and other treats. Love salty snacks? Buy a small jar of pickles rather than salty potato chips or corn chips.

4. Chocolate lover? Make No Pudge! Fat Free Brownies. Buy the mix, and stir up an individual serving of brownie by mixing non-fat vanilla yogurt or non-fat chocolate yogurt with brownie mix in a microwavable container. Stir until smooth and microwave on high (duration depends on the amount of mix used - see package for details).

5. And for that late night studying: buy pre-sliced, pre-cooked turkey and cheese slices for protein power. Great with sliced rye bread spread with mustard.