If you have lived in a first-year residence, or you are a student about to move into residence, you’ll know that first-year residences require you to have a meal plan, and thus are not well equipped for in-dorm cooking. As a former first year residence student myself, I know sometimes you may want a break from the dining hall and to make your own food. Below I’ll share my top recommendations for easy ways to make food in residence.
Consider what cooking devices you are allowed to have in a first year residence. This can be found on the UBC housing website linked here.
As a brief summary, some of the things you CAN have, and that I would personally recommend, are: a toaster oven, a kettle, a coffee maker, a mini fridge, a sandwich maker, and a rice cooker. Since first-year residences are quite small, I would NOT recommend bringing ALL of these items, you’ll run out of room! Below is a short list of easy ways to make food with each of the items on my list above. Decide which small appliances would be most useful to you.
Kettle
- Tea and Coffee
- Instant Oatmeal
- Jello
- Instant noodles
- Mac and cheese cup
- Pudding
- Hard boiled eggs
Toaster Oven
- Toast (includes avocado toast)
- Eggos and toaster strudles, although you made require a freezer for storage
- Tuna melt (canned tuna!)
- Pizza
- Pretty much any pre-made frozen food
Mini fridge
- Bagged salads
- Fruits and vegetables
- Meats and cheeses
- Chips, salsa, and guacamole
- Juices, milks, and other cold drinks
- Store leftovers from dining halls and other places
Sandwich maker
- Sandwiches
- Fried eggs
- Hot dogs
- Canned beans
Rice cooker
- Rice
- Pairs well with sandwich maker, which you can use to fry up some protein
Some pro tips!
- Boiled eggs are versatile and can be a great source of added protein to many snacks
- Canned foods like beans and tuna are great things to have for backup because they store easily and are a great source of protein!
- Dry storage items are easy: crackers, chips, cereal. These are nice to have when you need a study snack.
Let us know in the comments which of these worked best for you, and feel free to share your own tips!