Dorm Life And Raw Food
It's been awhile since I've had to deal with the first day of school, but recent social media posts have been reminding me that it's that time of year again. Well, that got me thinking of the raw college crowd. A little internet research shows that a number of universities around the country offer vegetarian and vegan fare, but raw foods are scarce - other than the ubiquitous salad bar. Well, scholars and convenience seekers, I have some fabulous tips that will fit your budget and allow you to maintain (or start!) a healthy raw vegan lifestyle.
Easy Dorm Room Prep Ideas:
Mason Jars, Mandolins and Blenders. Mason jars are about $10 for a dozen at the local hardware store. They are glass jars and you can get them with wide mouth lids. They make great drinking glasses that instantly store foods with the addition of a lid. You can make soups and smoothies, then store for later use or take with you. A mandolin makes chopping and slicing a snap. You could think of a mandolin as an analog food processor. A blender will allow you to make smoothies, soups, dips and spreads, like hummus - but making hummus with a low powdered blender can be quite the challenge. I recommend packing a Tribest Personal Blender. This gadget is both a blender and a chopper and its compact size works for any dorm room.
Shopping. One way to get some veggies would be to sneak them out of the dining hall. Or, if you are lucky enough to have a health food store or food co-op nearby campus, you will likely find quality local organic vegetables. Many college towns have a Farmers Market that provides local, usually organic, vegetables and fruits. Another thought would be to cooperate with your dorm mates and buy a farm share and have vegetables delivered to your door, My Organic Acres.
Cooperation and "Study" Foods. Let's not forget all the advantages of working together. Sometimes we forget how simple it can be to ask for help and trade labor. Share costs and labor. It is usually no more effort to prepare two or three meals at once, so invite your friends to start a food-share cooperative. Get together and buy an Excalibur dehydrator. A dehydrator will allow you to make some of the classic study foods that make up part of the college experience and the Excalibur dehydrator is truly the best out there. Imagine showing up at a study session with living chips and salsa, and see if you don't turn a few heads. Fermented vegetables are another great sharing food. Isn't that part of the point of college, making a community? What better way to build community than sharing foods. Who knows, maybe those guys on the third floor will share their Kim-Chi with you?
Sprouting is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to get quality organic veggies, great nutrition and go from seed to dinner in about a week for the most common small seeds. Click here for the four part series I did on sprouting last fall, but essentially some quality seeds, filtered water and mason jars can get you started. If sprouting just isn't an option, get out your handy blender and remember to add some of those brain-cell infusing super-foods, like Sunfood Greener Grasses.
Look at the cost of meal plans at most universities is reason enough to consider other alternatives, but if you are using a meal plan, here are some ways to make sure that you are getting the most from your food.
Don't Worry. First and foremost, the goal is at least a 75% raw diet for optimal health, so if the salad bar is just not that enticing this time around, seek other options. Add raw elements to cooked foods to boost their enzymatic contents and try to stick to the foods that most likely are in their natural state like the whole grains, brown rice and quinoa.
Bring a "Restaurant Bag" to the Dining Hall. Your kit of nutritional yeast, spirulina, Himalayan salt, ground flax seeds, enzymes and dulse flakes will make a side dish into a nutritional main course.
There are all kinds of recipes and tips available on my website, but, the fact of the matter is, if you make the time and do a little planning you can maintain your optimal health and not break the bank.
Making your life delicious,
Chef Tina Jo
Easy Dorm Room Prep Ideas:
Mason Jars, Mandolins and Blenders. Mason jars are about $10 for a dozen at the local hardware store. They are glass jars and you can get them with wide mouth lids. They make great drinking glasses that instantly store foods with the addition of a lid. You can make soups and smoothies, then store for later use or take with you. A mandolin makes chopping and slicing a snap. You could think of a mandolin as an analog food processor. A blender will allow you to make smoothies, soups, dips and spreads, like hummus - but making hummus with a low powdered blender can be quite the challenge. I recommend packing a Tribest Personal Blender. This gadget is both a blender and a chopper and its compact size works for any dorm room.
Shopping. One way to get some veggies would be to sneak them out of the dining hall. Or, if you are lucky enough to have a health food store or food co-op nearby campus, you will likely find quality local organic vegetables. Many college towns have a Farmers Market that provides local, usually organic, vegetables and fruits. Another thought would be to cooperate with your dorm mates and buy a farm share and have vegetables delivered to your door, My Organic Acres.
Cooperation and "Study" Foods. Let's not forget all the advantages of working together. Sometimes we forget how simple it can be to ask for help and trade labor. Share costs and labor. It is usually no more effort to prepare two or three meals at once, so invite your friends to start a food-share cooperative. Get together and buy an Excalibur dehydrator. A dehydrator will allow you to make some of the classic study foods that make up part of the college experience and the Excalibur dehydrator is truly the best out there. Imagine showing up at a study session with living chips and salsa, and see if you don't turn a few heads. Fermented vegetables are another great sharing food. Isn't that part of the point of college, making a community? What better way to build community than sharing foods. Who knows, maybe those guys on the third floor will share their Kim-Chi with you?
Sprouting is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to get quality organic veggies, great nutrition and go from seed to dinner in about a week for the most common small seeds. Click here for the four part series I did on sprouting last fall, but essentially some quality seeds, filtered water and mason jars can get you started. If sprouting just isn't an option, get out your handy blender and remember to add some of those brain-cell infusing super-foods, like Sunfood Greener Grasses.
Look at the cost of meal plans at most universities is reason enough to consider other alternatives, but if you are using a meal plan, here are some ways to make sure that you are getting the most from your food.
Don't Worry. First and foremost, the goal is at least a 75% raw diet for optimal health, so if the salad bar is just not that enticing this time around, seek other options. Add raw elements to cooked foods to boost their enzymatic contents and try to stick to the foods that most likely are in their natural state like the whole grains, brown rice and quinoa.
Bring a "Restaurant Bag" to the Dining Hall. Your kit of nutritional yeast, spirulina, Himalayan salt, ground flax seeds, enzymes and dulse flakes will make a side dish into a nutritional main course.
There are all kinds of recipes and tips available on my website, but, the fact of the matter is, if you make the time and do a little planning you can maintain your optimal health and not break the bank.
Making your life delicious,
Chef Tina Jo
Source...