College season is upon us, but that doesn't mean the Freshman 15 has to be! Check out some of my dorm eating tips below.

1. Buy a rice cooker.

Rice cookers take up virtually no space and are super cheap. I’ve seen them as low as $15 and can be used to make way more than just rice.

2. Buy staples in bulk.

Sure, $11 for a bag of rice might be a bit to spend at one time, but think of how much you’ll save in the long run. If you sweet talk your parents enough they might even be willing to pick you up some stuff on their next trip to Costco.

3. Shop at Aldi.

For more indulgent, not-so-necessary foods (think Oreos, cereal, chips, etc.) Aldi can offer the same exact foods at a way lower price.

4. Purchase food staples.

Rice, peanut butter and frozen vegetables are all cheap and have long shelf lives as well as being relatively healthy. Coupled together with some Sriracha you might even forget that you don’t have much in the way of cooking supplies.

5. Bring containers to the cafeteria.

You might get some weird looks for this one, but it’s actually pretty genius.

6. Cook when you can.

This might be a personal preference, but I know that too much fast food can make me feel gross. When I do need to eat fast food, I try to go for something mildly healthy, like Subway or a baked potato from Wendy’s.

I hope you find these dorm cooking/eating tips in the back of your mind as you continue your Fall semester.