Microwaveable Recipes: for all of the college students and busy folk out there

When living in a college dorm (or any other housing facility), you don't need a full kitchen to eat healthfully. If all you have is a microwave and a mini-fridge, you're not limited to Ramen and Hot Pockets. The healthy possibilities are actually quite endless with the right ingredients on hand. Below are some ideas for nutritious snacks and meals that'll help keep off that infamous college weight, or post-college weight, for that matter:

Breakfast

Oatmeal/Quick Oats

• Just as easy as making cereal, pour some oats into a bowl, add in some water or milk of choosing (soy, almond, fat-free, skim), and pop into the microwave. Once ready, you can add in your own healthy toppings, such as fruit and/or cinnamon (serving amount, cook time, and amount of water/milk may vary according to microwave cooking instructions provided on oatmeal/quick oats package).

Lunch/Dinner/Snacks

Sweet Potatoes

• Rinse a sweet potato under some water, pierce throughout with a fork, and pop in the microwave for 3.5 - 5 minutes. For sweet mashed potatoes, cut down the middle and mash until tender. Sprinkle on some cinnamon for a metabolism boost and enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash

• Cut the spaghetti squash in half with a good cutting knife (this can be a bit tough, so do so carefully). Microwave each half separately for about 5 minutes. Coming out of the microwave, the squash will be pretty hot, so it let cool for a bit. When you're able to do so without burning yourself,  remove the seeds and then scrape through the squash with a fork (the scraping will produce stringy pieces that resemble spaghetti), moving the contents into a bowl . Garnish with spices, olive oil, or sauce of your liking. A whole squash provides you with a heaping amount, so you can store the leftovers in the fridge and eat throughout the week!

Pre-Made Soup

• Pour store-bought soup into a bowl and microwave with a paper towel placed over the top (this is important, otherwise the soup may explode all over the microwave... at least that's been my experience) for a few minutes or until hot. For a dose of satiating healthy fat and protein, add in some avocado, and to keep the sodium content down, opt for low-sodium soup varieties.

Pre-Cooked Brown-Rice or Quinoa

• You can find pre-cooked brown rice and quinoa in packages (like this and this) or in bowls (like this and this). Follow cooking instructions on package for microwave cook times.

Shirataki Noodles

• Your reason to ditch the Ramen: they're 20 calories or less per serving, depending on the variety (0 calories per serving for standard shirataki noodles, 20 calories per serving for tofu shirataki noodles). They may lack flavor, but pour on your sauce and spices of choosing, pair with a side of veggies, and you've got yourself a meal! Prepare according to cooking instructions provided on package. (If you're in need of a delicious recipe for these noodles, check out my recent post on Peanut-Sauce Shiratake Noodles!)

Burritos

• Take a whole-wheat tortilla, spread a few drops of water around it, and microwave for 20 seconds or until soft. For the fill, heat some microwaveable brown rice/quinoa and canned black beans (or any type of bean you desire) in the microwave for a few minutes in a microwave-safe bowl. Garnish with low-fat or fat-free shredded cheese and any veggies of your liking.

Pre-Cooked Edamame

• You can find this protein-packed snack in the frozen foods section of the grocery store. Follow cooking instructions on package for microwave cook times.

Steam Bag Veggies

• You'll also find these in the frozen foods section, but you can find fresher varieties in the produce section as well. Follow cooking instructions on package for microwave cook times.

Popcorn

• Pre-packaged microwaveable popcorn bags are coated with harmful chemicals, known as PFCs. You're likely to find additional chemicals in the popcorn's artificial flavoring as well, along with trans fats and high amounts of sodium (for more information on the downfalls of pre-packaged microwaveable popcorn, click the link here). Popcorn can still make for a great healthy snack when you nuke the kernels yourself in a paper bag (for popping instructions, click the link here). For flavoring ideas, check out this link for a diverse array of recommendations! 

Dessert

Chocolate Nut Bark

Single-Serving Peanut Butter Banana Cake

Cherries with Ricotta and Toasted Almonds

Single-Serving Chocolate Mug Cake

Additional microwave-friendly recipes:

One-Minute Clean Blueberry Muffin

Single-Serving Pumpkin Quinoa Flake Microwave Muffin

Microwave Potato Chips

Ginger Salmon

And don't forget about all of those no-cooking required snacks and meals out there! With no appliances, you can easily whip up an open-faced peanut butter-banana sandwich on a slice of whole-wheat or multi-grain bread, a salad, fresh guacamole (mash an avocado in a bowl and mix in any garnishes), greek yogurt parfaits made with fruit and/or sugar-free granola, and frozen banana "ice-cream" (all of the recipes I've come across call for a food processor or blender, but you can always mash up the banana yourself, mix in cocoa powder and/or peanut butter, and top with with unsweetened shredded coconut, nuts, or dark-chcolate chips)!

Additional cook-free recipes: 

Breakfast Cookie Dough

Tuna and Chickpea Salad with Pesto

Creamy Avocado and White Bean Wrap (you can sub the sharp cheddar out for a low-fat/fat-free cheese to take the fat content down)

Caprese Salad Pita Pockets

Cinnamon-Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding

With all of the healthy microwave-friendly options out there, there's no need to stock up on Easy Mac and frozen breakfast burritos. When meal time rolls around, forget the junk food and try out one of the healthy options above!