Think of the following food groups when deciding what to buy at the grocery store to stock up on in the dorm room.  
 
Here are some suggestions for the shopping list:
 
Protein – Nuts, nut butter, hard-cooked eggs, edamame, hummus, seeds (chia, pumpkin, flax, sunflower)
 
Fruit – fresh, canned in natural juice, dried, and the now-popular freeze-dried
 
Dairy – low-fat yogurt, cottage cheese cups, low-fat cheese sticks
 
Vegetables – ready-to-eat baby carrots, grape tomatoes, ready-chopped salad packs
 
Grains – rice cakes, instant oats, whole grain crackers, brown rice cups
 
Snacks – dark chocolate chips, low-sodium chips and pretzels, baked chips
 
Laura Vetter, RDN, CDE, CSO, CSP, Outpatient Nutritionist, Saint Peter’s University Hospital, is the author of the #AsktheSPnuritionist blog.  She counsels patients on healthy eating. Reach out to her at nutritionist@saintpetersuh.com to make an appointment.