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[Urist McScoopbeard]

I've found that cooking my own food means i eat less.

Microwaves are baaaad.

On that point does anyone have any suggestions on the easiest ways to cook for yourself at university? We don't have floor kitchens or room kitchens and hotplates are not allowed. Of course, you can have stuff like tea-makers, rice cookers, etc. which I have, but it's not really a good substitute and can get expensive. Thoughts on those self-heating skillets? Or whatever is out there these days???

[scrdest]

I've found that cooking my own food means i eat less.

Microwaves are baaaad.

On that point does anyone have any suggestions on the easiest ways to cook for yourself at university? We don't have floor kitchens or room kitchens and hotplates are not allowed. Of course, you can have stuff like tea-makers, rice cookers, etc. which I have, but it's not really a good substitute and can get expensive. Thoughts on those self-heating skillets? Or whatever is out there these days???

That seems pretty absurd. I'd be half-tempted to just light a campfire and make a spectacle out of this - I mean, what's the idea there? Was the administrator's family murdered by a rogue hotplate? If you can have a tea maker, what's the issue with an electric hotplate?

[gimlet]

I cook oatmeal, pasta, even rice&beans&vegetables in a thermos.   All you need is an electric kettle to boil the water and a thermos, ideally  a 16+oz wide mouth thermos food jar.  It's fairly forgiving too - if you forget and leave it an extra few minutes or even 20 minutes, it's not too mushy to eat.  I could even poach eggs in there if I really had to, but it's way faster to poach em in the microwave. 

Tips:  You usually want to fill the thermos, it cooks quicker and it's more consistent time-wise.   Unless you want to do multi-steps, use lentils+brown rice, they cook in roughly the same amount of time.

Between thermos and toaster oven, that covers about 90% of my cooking.  Microwave for the other 10% - usually for whipping up a quick pasta sauce or reheating stuff.  I haven't turned on the stove burners or big oven in over a year...

Toaster oven tips, if you're allowed those - get one big enough to fit a 9" pan and the 9"/10" premade pizza crusts (yea making your own is pretty easy and WAY better - it's just one step too much for me).  Frozen pizzas are generally nasty and high in sodium, it's super easy to grate cheese and throw on some tomato and olive oil, or get as fancy as you want.  If you don't have a pizza crust handy you can do it on bread, flatbread, ciabatta, etc   Or be even healthier and use frozen vegetables as the base.

[Levi]

On that point does anyone have any suggestions on the easiest ways to cook for yourself at university? We don't have floor kitchens or room kitchens and hotplates are not allowed. Of course, you can have stuff like tea-makers, rice cookers, etc. which I have, but it's not really a good substitute and can get expensive. Thoughts on those self-heating skillets? Or whatever is out there these days???

Oi, how do they expect you to eat?

Electric skillet like this?  They are great, I do a ton of cooking on them.  If you aren't allowed a hotplate I imagine this wouldn't be allowed either though.

[blackmagechill]

I've never had a problem with overeating (quite the opposite actually, I'm 5'11" 140 lbs, which is my lifetime high for weight), but I have had a problem with having a good diet when I'm by myself. I live with my parents so usually food isn't such a big deal, but when I'm home alone I have a take out menu in hand and end up either A.) Ordering enough chinese food for 3 people and eating all of it or B.) attempting to subsist solely off of mcChickens. Or I did anyway. Now, I steam stuff.

You can buy a good steamer with a window on the top for about ~20 USD, and from there you have access to food that is almost always super healthy and stupid easy to make.

If you can boil water and thaw a chicken breast, you can steam enough low fat low carb food to tear your stomach. And, if you you don't have a stickler for an RA (or whatever you call the guy who keeps the rules in your dorm at your school, I'm not super familiar with Euro terms), you can have a hot plate and do it right in your room. All it'll really cook is chicken and vegetables though, but if you get creative you can spice it differently enough to create variety, and, as previously stated, it's hard to make anything unhealthy with a steamer. Hope this helps.

EDIT: Didn't see the part about the hot plate ban. Perhaps you could try to boil water on an electric skillet? That sounds a little dicey though.

[Orange Wizard]

You can make casseroles in a rice cooker. Should be fairly good.

[Urist McScoopbeard]

The guidelines by which the school bans cooking appliances is very... vague. On the school's website, Im going to University of Miami btw, the 'appliances' section states this:

"Students are allowed to use popcorn poppers, microwaves, coffee pots, and hot pots if they have encased heating units. All other heating devices, including “George Foreman”-type grills, are considered a fire hazard and may not be used in the residential colleges or University Village. Students in residential colleges may provide their own refrigerator as long as it operates on no more than 1.5 amps and 175 watts.  Microwaves are recommended to be no more than 900 watts."

So I am entirely unsure. What is definitely banned is anything that has open coils or things like hotplates. However, "hot pots" is a kind of weird and vague phrase which may or may not include something akin to an electric skillet. Seeing as how all the dorms are stone/brick/cinderblock I find it a bit obtuse, especially since a VERY SELECT FEW rooms (for kids with allergies, or open to anyone if they don't fill) have kitchens in them.

What I would like to do is get an electric frying pan, which would let me basically cook anything that I wanted, or alternatively, a magnetic induction heater that works on frying pans to do the same.

A steamer is a good idea (looking' at thou, Blackmagechill) but I don't think Toaster will cut it. Of course, there are only two room inspections a year and RAs tend to be pretty lenient if it's not drugs/alcohol. What I DON'T want to do is go back to the dining halls. They are bad. SO BAD, that I feel physically healthier eating at the fast food places in the food court here, which is quite preposterous.

So ya... Ugh.

[HeroPizza42]

on the microwave part theirs a lot of recipe books on how to eat healthy cooking with it. Also rice cookers are awsome you just need some creativity.  My mom used to make hot dogs in a coffee pot at hotels when theirs a will theirs a way well sometimes. Also typeing on 3ds sorry if it comes out bad

[Orange Wizard]

considered a fire hazard

Oh wow.

[Levi]

considered a fire hazard

Oh wow.

Yeah, that just boggles my mind.  And the dorms don't come with fridges?  Is that common in the US?  I'm kinda surprised people would even pay for that kind of housing.

[nenjin]

Most universities have a student dining hall. You pay for a meal plan that is rolled into your monthly bill. Ideally, that's how colleges would prefer students eat.

[Urist McScoopbeard]

Most universities have a student dining hall. You pay for a meal plan that is rolled into your monthly bill. Ideally, that's how colleges would prefer students eat.

This, but they're shit.

[dwarfhoplite]

I have become increasingly skinnier lately because I can't afford to eat well. If you buy your own food it may be helpful to set a budget. The positive is that you not only lose weight but also save money.

[Urist McScoopbeard]

I have become increasingly skinnier lately because I can't afford to eat well. If you buy your own food it may be helpful to set a budget. The positive is that you not only lose weight but also save money.

That's badgood! Anyways, I've lost about 14 pounds after coming home for the summer, leveling out around ~200 pounds, hopefully down to 195-185 by the time I leave for Prague in July.

[wierd]

I have lost nearly 20lbs after starting my new job, due to the increased physical activity.