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For many college students, especially us Wolverines, your first year is a whirlwind of new classes, exploring campus, joining clubs, and simply trying to get the lay of the land. Between all this chaos, one of course must find the time to eat! Dining halls on campus are plentiful and diverse in food options, but sometimes we find ourselves in a pinch – or hungry outside of dining hall hours (it happens to all of us at one point or another). I personally always find myself in the kitchen around 9-10 p.m., especially now that I live in an apartment.

So what may be the solution to hunger as a student living in the residence halls? Easy, excellent snacks that can be prepared any time, with just a few ingredients each, and no stove or full kitchen needed. While many residence halls have community kitchens for more ambitious cooking adventures, these five snacks can be prepared in the comfort of your own room. Hopefully, you get some inspiration to be your own personal chef, as making these snacks can also be a nice study break between all the busyness of residence hall life!

Yogurt Parfait

Ingredients

• Yogurt of your choice
• Berries or fruit of your choice (i.e., peaches, banana, pineapple, etc)
• Granola or for a fun twist, your favorite cereal

Optional

• Honey or desired sweetener

Recipe

First, grab a mason jar or any sort of container that you can eat spoonfuls out of. As for the parfait, start by layering desired yogurt in any amount of your choosing. Then comes the granola, topped by chopped berries or any combination of chopped fruit. To be extra fancy (or if you simply have some extra time), you can create multiple layers of each ingredient to be as aesthetically pleasing as you wish. Don’t worry if the layers aren’t picture perfect because now you have a delicious, nutrient-dense snack you can eat right away or store in the fridge for a few days. Enjoy your sweet treat!

Fruit Kabobs 

Ingredients

• Wooden skewer sticks or toothpicks for mini kabobs
• Fruit of your choice (i.e., strawberries, pineapple, grapes, melon, berries)
• Honey or sweetener, if desired

Recipe

First, chop up your favorite fruits, and strive to have at least three different kinds if possible, for that classic fruit kabob look. If you choose to use toothpicks, you might want to chop your fruits up pretty small. Then, grab your skewers or toothpicks and start layering the chopped fruit in whichever order you choose. I like to go by rainbow order, personally. Drizzle some honey or sweetener if you have a sweet tooth to satisfy, but this step is optional. Make as many kabobs as you’d like for some fruit-tastic flavor!

Mini Quesadillas with Homemade Guacamole

Ingredients

• Tortillas
• Cheese
• Avocado
• Lime
• Salt, pepper, desired seasonings
• Hot sauce or chili flakes, if you like spice!

Recipe

Start by grabbing a microwave-safe plate and placing one tortilla on it. Then, sprinkle desired amount of shredded cheese on top – or if you only have sliced cheese, that works too. Place your second tortilla on top of the cheese. If you’re only using one tortilla, fold it over the cheese to make a semi-circle. Place your quesadilla in the microwave and heat until the cheese melts, about 30 seconds to one minute. Make sure not to burn your cheese or tortilla! While the quesadilla is heating, you can make your guacamole. Mash up your avocado, squeeze some lime juice over top, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and any hot sauce or spice you might want to add for some extra zing. When the quesadilla is ready, you can either dip it in your masterful homemade guac or spread a layer on top to get the perfect amount in each bite. Look at you go!

Caprese “Cakes”

Ingredients

• Tomato basil rice cakes or any savory-style rice cakes
• Tomatoes
• Mozzarella
• Basil 
• Salt, pepper, desired seasonings

Optional

• Balsamic glaze

Recipe

Slice up your tomatoes and mozzarella into somewhat thin slices, and chop up your basil or leave it as the whole leaf – whatever you like best. Grab a few rice cakes and place your mozzarella down first, followed by the sliced tomato, and lastly the basil. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and any desired seasonings you may have on hand, like garlic powder, chili flakes, etc. onto the caprese “cakes.” If you’re feeling especially ambitious, you may want to add a drizzle of balsamic glaze, but no worries if you don’t have any on hand. All that’s left to do is dive into your scrumptious, nutritious take on caprese toast.

No-Bake Energy Bites

Ingredients

• Oats
• Chocolate chips
• Nut or seed butter
• Honey or sweetener of choice

Optional add-ins

• Chia seeds
• Hemp seeds
• Vanilla extract
• Coconut flakes
• Ground flax seed
• Protein powder of choice
• Dried fruit (i.e., cranberries)

Recipe

These energy bites are no joke, I actually made them several times throughout my time in the residence hall for a yummy and quick snack to grab on the go. They’re super customizable, as you can see from the long list of optional add-ins. Really you can customize this entire recipe, as the texture will be great so long as you have enough nut or seed butter to hold all the dry ingredients together. Combine your oats, nut or seed butter, sweetener, a handful of chocolate chips, and any extra add-ins together in a bowl. Form into small balls and refrigerate on a plate or in a container for at least an hour or so to make sure they don’t all stick together and become one giant glob of energy bites. Now you have a perfect snack to grab on your way to class, in the morning, or truly anytime you like!

In closing, I hope you enjoyed this diverse list of both sweet and savory snacks to make in your room and perhaps will even have a go at one or multiple of these simple recipes. Of course, always make sure your roommate(s) are okay with your personal chef era, and make sure they don’t have any serious allergies to any of the ingredients you choose. I wish you the best for your time in the residence halls, as it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience that calls for adventure, new beginnings, and the potential for some exceptional homemade snacks to try out, of course.