Before you go off to college to begin your Freshman year, there are many food-related warnings you receive. You are warned to be careful of how much food you eat, so that you can avoid the "Freshman 15." You are warned to not expect your mother's cooking or anything close from your dining hall's meal options. You are warned to make sure you do not spend all of your money on late night Domino's orders or Chinese food. But what you're not warned about are all of the glorious foods from your childhood that college will bring back to you. Living on your own is a new experience and so is buying your own groceries. When you're in a supermarket with a college student's budget, you are going to buy the cheaper items. It just so happens that many of the cheaper and easier food items that you will eat in college are the same ones that you used to love when you were younger.
1. Pizza Rolls/Bagel Bites
These used to be your absolute favorite after school meal. When your mom whipped out a yellow bag from the freezer, you knew you were about to joyfully scorch the insides of your mouth while you scarfed down these delicious pizza substitutes. In college, there is nothing better to come home to after a fun night out than a bag of pizza rolls. And yes, you still burn your mouth every time you eat them.
2. PB&J
No matter how many times you opened your lunch box to find a PB&J sandwich, it was the best meal you could ask for. It was probably one of the first meals you ever made for yourself because of how simple it is to make one. In college, PB&Js remain to be the easiest and most delicious lunches you can make and eat within a ten minute period before class. It helps that Peanut Butter and Jelly are cheap ingredients too.
3. Sugary Cereal
While the nutritional value for these General Mills cereals is still questionable, they were the first thing you ate every morning as a child. In College, you were pleasantly surprised to see that your dining hall provided a variety of your favorite childhood cereals. Once you revisited your first bowl of Trix cereal, you went and bought a box to keep in your own room. You can't have a bagel every morning, right?
4. Easy Mac
They don't call it Easy Mac for nothing. While homemade Mac & Cheese was always your favorite, having Kraft Macaroni & Cheese was a close second. Whether it was from the box or in individual packets, it always tasted gourmet to you. In college, you only really have 3.5 minutes to cook a meal anyway, so why not have some Easy Mac? I currently have Minion Shaped Easy Mac in my pantry.
5. Capri Sun
These were the drinks of every single one of your summers as a child. While they took about three seconds to drink and did not really balance all too well once you reached the midway point, Capri Sun was your go to juice box. When you went to college, you found yourself reintroduced to these fruity beverages and you were happy to be reunited to the first cell phone you ever had (straw antennae included).
6. Fruit Snacks
Welch's Fruit Snacks were the best addition to any lunchtime meal. While most of the flavors tasted the same, they were always a yummy snack to eat. In college, these little guys have made a comeback and are a coveted snack for most college students.While one pack will probably not satisfy your hunger, they taste good and are pretty cheap.
7. Smiley Fries
When I first saw smiley fries in my dining hall, I felt like I had been transported back to my elementary school cafeteria. There's a reason these fries are smiling, they bring delicious joy to every child ( and college student) who eats them.
8. Ritz Peanut Butter Crackers
Another great addition to your childhood lunchbox, Ritz peanut butter and cheese crackers were always a coveted snack at lunchtime. You could bet there would always be one kid who would ask for "just one cracker", but didn't they understand you needed every cracker for yourself? These wonderful little snacks are brought back in college, for their simplicity, cheapness, and overall good taste.
9. Chocolate Milk
Whoever decided to mix chocolate syrup with milk, was a genius and I love/hate them for my life long obsession with this beverage. Most dining halls also carry chocolate milk, which basically means you have no excuse to not indulge in this delicious past time. It's also pretty easy to make your own chocolate milk and hey, you're getting calcium.
10. Pretzel Rods
I'm pretty sure everyone had a plastic jar of pretzels rods in their home at some point of their childhood. They are just such a simple snack, that can be dangerous if you have a love for pretzels. In college, pretzel rods are a favorite snack to have sitting around and almost every person who passes the jar, will reach in and have "just one."
11. Grilled Cheese
Have you ever seen anything more beautiful than the above picture? Next to PB&Js this was your go-to sandwich as a child. Something about grilled cheese just brings happiness, which is why college students eat them regularly. Whether it is because the dining hall is making them or you've decided to make this easy meal yourself, a classic grilled cheese will never go out of style.
