Even if you have an unlimited meal plan (and if you do, we're totally jealous!), it’s still smart to keep some staple food items in your dorm. You never know when you’ll be running late for class and need a quick breakfast or when you’ll be up late finishing a paper and craving something sweet. Keeping your mini-fridge stocked means that you'll never have to worry about rushing to the dining hall to grab a meal if you don't have the time between activities.
To ensure that your dorm is always stocked with a wide variety of versatile food for any time of day, here’s the ultimate dorm grocery list, complete with a few tried-and-true college favorites as well as a few things you may not have thought of! Be sure to print out the full itemized list at the bottom before your next trip to the grocery store.
Breakfast
We hate to break it to you, but at some point, you will inevitably wake up late for your 8 a.m. class and won’t have time to grab something from the dining hall. And there may be a Saturday morning after a night out when you can’t bring yourself to get out of bed before your dining hall's breakfast hours end. Whatever the reason, it’s always a good idea to keep some easy breakfast items on hand.
Instant oatmeal is great to have because it’s healthy and ready in less than a minute! Another option is cereal; just add some milk. Other grab-and-go breakfast items include fruit (apples, bananas, and oranges don’t need to be refrigerated), yogurt (we love Greek yogurt because it’s full of protein) and granola/protein bars. We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so don’t skip it!
Lunch
With a college class schedule, you’re likely to have random breaks throughout the day, which means you're bound to end up in your dorm around lunchtime once in a while. The good thing about most lunch items is that they can also double as dinners, which is great news for a college budget.
Keep it classic with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or if you want to get fancy, buy some sliced turkey and whip up a deli-style lunch. Shredded cheddar cheese between two tortillas makes an easy microwavable quesadilla, perfect with a side of chips and salsa!
Dinner
For the nights you get back late from class or just need a break from the dining hall, you'll be happy you have quick dinners in your dorm so you can get straight to work on finishing the last season of your new favorite TV show—er, we meant finishing that term paper.
Microwavable food is a college staple, for breakfast, lunch and especially dinner! Tasty Bite’s Madras Lentils and Channa Masalaare both quick to make, and can easily be poured over Tasty Bite Basmati RiceorCoconut Rice. Check out more microwavable options from Tasty Bite here. There are more than 15 All Natural and Organic meals so you’ll never get bored. All Tasty Bite products are ready in 90 seconds or less, so they’re healthy and convenient; you can’t beat that!
Snacks
Ask anyone: snacks are extremely important. Whether you’re hanging out for movie night in your dorm with friends or you just need something salty after you come back at midnight, quality snacks are a must.
Some of the obvious choices are pretzels, chips and crackers. You can either buy them in big bags (if you buy them in bulk, they’re cheaper!) or as individual servings (so you can throw one in your bag on your way out the door). Microwave popcorn is always a favorite, or you can change it up with some trail mix. For a healthier snack, grab a cheese stick along with some carrots and hummus! And of course, you can’t forget some good old ice cream to treat yourself after a long day.
There you have it! The only dorm grocery list you’ll ever need. Print out the full list below to make sure you remember everything the next time you stock up!
Full grocery list:
Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Oranges
- Carrots
Dairy
- Yogurt
- Milk
- Cheese sticks
- Shredded cheese
Protein
- Sliced turkey/deli meat
- Pre-cooked chicken strips
Frozen Items
- Frozen pizza
- Frozen veggies
- Ice cream
Easy Meals
- Instant oatmeal
- Cereal
- Granola/protein bars
- Bread
- Tortillas
- Microwavable meals (Tasty Bite Channa MasalaorThai Ginger Curry)
- Microwavable rice (Tasty Bite Basmati RiceorCoconut Rice)
- Soup
- Lentils (Tasty Bite Madras Lentils)
- Peanut butter & jelly
Snacks & Extras
- Microwave popcorn
- Dried fruit
- Trail mix
- Gum
- Pretzels
- Chips
- Hummus
- Crackers
- Salsa
- Cookies
Beverages/Beverage Extras
- Juice
- Coffee maker
- Tea
- Hot chocolate
- Honey
- Sugar packets
Paper Goods/Food Storage
- Plastic baggies/plastic Tupperware containers
- Plastic utensils
- Paper plates
- Plastic cups
- To-go coffee cups (or a reusable mug/thermos)
- Napkins