Help for my Sister: College Student in a Dorm

[TnT]

So my mom was telling me about how my little sister, who is a freshman at college is having so many aches and pains and its really getting to her. I would love to try and get her on whole30, or even just something better than what shes eating at school. But I haven't really been able to find any resources to give her. 

 

She has a car, so she can go to the grocery store and buy food, but otherwise she only has access to a microwave and a mini-fridge. And she says not everything is completely labeled about what is in the food in the dining hall, and she says she doesn't always have time to wait for a manager to walk her through the dining hall choices to see what she can eat. 

 

So I'm wondering if anyone knows anyone who has done whole30 living in a dorm room and if there are recipies out there or any tricks they found, etc. 

Thanks!

[Guest]

We recently had a conversation here about using a crockpot in similar circumstances.  I remember using one in my dorm.  Perhaps that would be an option for her.  She could use it to cook up meals and maybe freeze a few servings.  Salads like tuna in olive oil or rotisserie chicken over a bed of veggies are also a good option.  When my husband travels, he relies on tuna, nuts, and baby food for veggies.  These store well in a pinch.

 

Also, could she talk to the dining hall staff during a scheduled, less-busy time during the week in order to make plans?

[Guest]

Here is the previous thread: http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/12125-any-good-microwaveable-meals/

[StaceFaceAK]

I remember reading about a college student who made friends with the cooking staff. She brought them a jar of coconut oil and asked them to cook her meat in it, and they were more than happy to do it. Also, most campuses have a salad bar, so take advantage of that. Otherwise, good suggestions above. It'll definitely take some extra effort but I truly think that this can have a significant impact on college students, who are often stressed out and running on Rockstars. We really need to change the way we "normalize" crappy eating during those college years--it's not serving any purpose and not doing the students any good.

[shortystylee]

I've been out of college for about seven years, but the advice to make friends with the cooking staff is #1. I worked in the cafeteria while a student, and they (the full time staff, not necessarily student workers), should be able to tell you what is in everything.

 

I had a friend that lived in the dorms and had Celiac's, and the cooks would grill chicken for him and keep it separate. Salad bar is also a great idea. While the food is probably all sourced industrially from Sysco or another such company, at some point the package it came in will have ingredients on it. I went to a HUGE university and we made a surprising amount of things from scratch (soups, grilled chicken and hamburgers, omelettes to order), one of my jobs was manning a giant grill full of chicken breasts.

 

Also, there'll be someone who is the cafeteria manager, and they probably have an office in your dorm if that's where the caf is, or somewhere else. There's no harm in talking to them to work something out.

 

Jessica