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 Remember
when dorm food meant cooking on a hot plate? Times have changed.
At many colleges, school-sponsored housing means a furnished
apartment with a full kitchen -- and the opportunity to eat healthy.
Chef Michael Roll recalls his
dorm room hot plate and thinks today’s students have a sweet
deal. Roll is a chef instructor at The International Culinary
School at The Art Institute of Washington. Although Roll’s
dorm cooking skills may have been better than most, his choices
for what to cook were limited. “Today there are so many
options in the grocery store for college students to have a balanced
meal while balancing school work,” says Roll.
Trying to think outside the pizza
box? Roll recommends bags of frozen vegetables as an economical
and easy way to create a meal. “I personally like the frozen
bags of corn and broccoli. While my chicken is baking in the
oven, I throw a bag of vegetables in the microwave. In less than
30 minutes, you have a meal,” he says. Boxed noodles and
the old reliable mac and cheese are other favorites.
For a delicious, easy-to prepare
snack, Roll suggests a fruit crisp dish. “Use half cup of
apples, berries, pears or peaches -- whatever you have around.
Top the fruit with one cup granola, sprinkle with a half teaspoon
of cinnamon and sugar, add one half tablespoon of butter, spread
evenly on small square pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.”
But eating healthy can be hard
without a parental unit stocking the refrigerator with nutritious
foods. Roll cautions, “No one is reminding you to eat your
fruits and vegetables. So grab an apple instead of chips. Have
a super salad instead of a super burger. It’s habit-forming!”
For many first-time college students,
leaving home can be hard -- and learning to cook can be even
harder. But there’s no need to miss mom’s cooking.
Ask for the recipes to your favorite dishes. Take some cooking
classes while in college and make new friends with roommates
by cooking together. “Cooking should not be intimidating
for anyone,” notes Roll. “It’s fun and if you
just take your time, you will learn to enjoy it.”
To learn more about The Art Institutes
schools, visit www.artinstitutes.edu/nz.
Courtesy of ARAcontent.
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