# Meals and Snacks in College



## bones

I'm having trouble finding things to eat/snack on in my dorm. It seems like all the convenient foods that most college kids eat are bad for me. I can't eat Ramen noodles, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cookies, and microwavable pizzas and breakfasts. What's left -- oatmeal, bread, bananas, and few more fruits. I actually like oatmeal now (with fruit) but need more variety.Plus, I'm also having trouble finding safe foods to eat in the dining halls. When there's chicken, I'm OK. When there isn't I'm not and there's also the issue of variety again. Anyone have any experience with this?


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## drivingmenuts

hi mateim in my first year of uni too and have the same problems. i have to stay away from chocolate which is a pain and i tend to snack on cereal, oatbran is the way to go for me, for some reason wheat bran has the opposite effect. the food here is pretty dire anyway so i dont really have the luxury of picking and choosing, its all problem food. i wanted to start a food diary of what does and doesnt do for me but while im in freshers year and the choice is limited i cant see that making much difference.i cant really suggest anything except fruit, even that disagrees with me 30% of the time. iv heard crackers are good, like ritz or cream crackers.


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## Lana18

Hey, yea i am in the same situation as you are. I tend to eat a lot of toast with butter and cinnoman/sugar, cheese its and crackers. I eat a lot of soup too.Best of luckJalana


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## Kelthink

Nuts? Unsalted peanuts and walnuts, thems good for ya. I tried sunflower seeds but they just 'made me go'.


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## unspoken

I had this problem last year. Well, I wasn't actually diagnosed with IBS till about my last week of freshers year, but I realised at that point how little I was actually able to eat of the food they served. I'm in my second year of uni now, living in a house with some others, so in theory I have complete control over what I eat and when. My housemates can be awkward though and call me a fussy eater and I have to take food onto campus during the day.I find rice based cereal bars (Sainsburys Basics) can be quite good, and things like wheat crackers (just wheat, nothing else) are good at settling my stomach. Toast is also good, if you can't have fresh bread then I found I could buy Melba toast. Low fat crisps, for example baked crisps, also helped me, as did rice cakes like snack-a-jacks. Tinned tuna I also find quite useful and I find high sugar fat free foods like golden syrup and jam don't cause me problems so I eat them on toast or in sandwiches.


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## dramasteph

I am a junior and an RA in college and have been living with IBS for a while now (though only diagnosed 1 year ago). It's hard because some foods bother some while others don't find same issue. I recommend bananas, applesauce, and shying from meat, eggs, milk, or foods with high trans fat concentration. Good luck! Try yoga or relaxation therapy/breathing to help manage stress, the worst times for me are mid-terms and finals or when just stressed out. I wish you all the best and hope to come back soon!


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## ghettoblaster

Rice with lentils is a good pick for me. also tofu cooked any way never seems to cause me any problems. I notice that soda can ###### up my stomach pretty bad and make me more anxious in class, causing problems.


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## 16653

I eat a lot of rice, crackers and bread. Sometimes I'll go a week without eating anything flavorful but if I have to go to a class meeting and do a bunch of errands I need to eat lightly in order to make it through.


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## fueledbyoatmeal

I ran into the same problem with a lack of food choices at the campus cafeteria. I spoke to the Food Services director about the issue (a meal plan was required and I was paying a lot of money for food I wasn't eating) and they had no problem exempting me from the plan. Don't feel locked into having to deal what they offer (most of the food isn't that great anyways...). Some stand-by foods for me are oatmeal (I've put everything imaginable in it), rice cakes, muesli or any other any cereal, jello, soy pudding, soy milk, yogurt (natural as possible, preferably organic). I've experimented with a lot of gluten-free products just because they have different ingredients than normal wheat-based products (potato bread, corn flour, quinoa, etc) and a favorite quick meal are the Amy's Frozen Entrees (organic, natural, no added ####) which are delicious and healthy though sometimes expensive. Also Lean Cuisine frozen meals work well - don't be turned off by the diet factor, they are good meals as they are low in fat, oil, and some are without preservatives - these are all things that can make IBS a little worse. Soda can upset my stomach, but I've found carbonated water to help relieve gas pressure.


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## maanders

Usually if you contact who is in charge of the dining services and explain your health situation, they will help you out. They did at my school anyway, and I was surprised. You should try it.


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## psuchick402

Definitely try the vegan stuff on campus. I turned part vegan and at first it's weird but it definitely has helped me greatly. I also eat cereal a lot, which is good. Can you get to a grocery store? They have MANY vegan options for you! Including "cream cheese" spread for your bagels and potstickers and such little frozen snacks you can zap in the micro.


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