As a previous collegiate athlete, I know first hand how difficult it can be to fuel training while living in a dorm room. We barely had room to find a comfortable place to stretch or do our homework! The two options many college athletes have for food on campus is either the cafeteria, or what they can stock in their dorm rooms. Not every college athletic program has access to top notch cafeterias & fueling stations of a large, well-financed school.
Cafeteria & Dorm Room Struggles
Some difficulties many athletes know far too well with the cafeteria include their limited hours, limited menus/options, and taste preferences. With limited operating hours, athletes may not be able to get a meal after a practice or a game. They don't have the option to go home and cook up a meal in their oven or stove. Limited food options and the taste of the food available typically send athletes straight to the nearest fast food joint, or cause them to give up on the meal entirely. Both scenarios can result in improper fueling and recovery, hindering performance.
*Most* dorm rooms are made with two things in mind; a roof over your head and a place to sleep. Dorm rooms are notorious for minimal storage and a crammed living environment. A standard microwave and a mini fridge takes up a surprising amount of a room in a dorm. While these appliances may fit, they don't make up for a full sized kitchen. Without proper guidance, athletes may end up relying primarily on heavily processed foods.
Nutritious Food Options in the Dorms
I've got some solutions. There are a lot of nutritious food options an athlete can use, even with just a crammed dorm room, a microwave and a mini fridge. To help me put together a list of products for dorm rooms, I recruited soccer players at Butler Community College to help show you the foods they use to optimally fuel for practice, games & class.
These product ideas and MORE are available to you for free! Simply click the button below, and you will get access to a FREE pdf handout with ways you can fuel your best in a dorm room.
Written by: Maddi Osburn RDN LD
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