Incorporating fruits and vegetables into your college diet of dining hall food can easily pose a challenge in many ways. Whether you squirm around those two food groups due to blandness or strange dining hall seasoning, or because of the fact that warm cookies and soft serve on a cone are much more appealing, there are plenty of tasty ways you can incorporate fruits and vegetables into your daily meals in college dining halls. Here are some easy, tasty, and nutritious dining hall hacks for working in those fruits and veggies.
For fruits…
Slap on some peanut butter.
Whether it is a banana or an apple, spreading some peanut butter on it will make it all the more enjoyable. Not only will you get potassium from the banana or fiber from the apple, but you will also get protein, a burst of energy, and a more filled appetite from the peanut butter.
Add fruits onto cereal or yogurt (with any meal).
Eating cereal with dinner is almost more normal than eating it for breakfast. By slicing a banana, some strawberries, or tossing some blueberries into a bowl of Cheerios, Special K, or Corn Flakes, you can easily work fruits into your meals in the tastiest way possible. You can even add it to your yogurt!
Enjoy citrus.
Grapefruits and oranges tend to be popular dining hall fruit offerings. If you are craving something sweet, go for the citrus fruit instead of the baked goods or a soda. It is a perfect way to work fruit into your diet while also getting a strong dose of vitamin C.
For vegetables…
Ask for freshly steamed vegetables at a cooking station.
Many schools have a stir fry wok, or specialty station, with a dish consisting of a carb (usually noodles or pasta), a choice of protein, and a variety of vegetables. If you are looking for a more fresh and custom vegetable side, ask the cook for just a mix of one or two steamed vegetables, instead of a full order. To add flavor, you can season with salt and pepper, a touch of soy sauce, or lemon juice.
Mix vegetables with rice or couscous.
Rice is the easiest hot food to come by in any dining hall. Some even serve couscous daily, as well. With a scoop of rice or couscous, you can mix your vegetables into this for a tastier alternative. If the dining hall is serving steamed spinach, or other greens, that mixes in great, as do add-ins from the salad bar such as, beans, (lima, black, chick peas) corn, or peas. Sometimes, even a scoop of chili works great for an extra source of protein.
Use ranch or hummus.
At the salad bar there are always raw cut carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, and celery alongside many dips. Use these to enhance the taste and work all those fibers and vitamins into your diet. A touch of hummus or a touch of ranch can make for a tasty, filling, and healthy snack.
