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College Girl’s Grocery Guide 2.0
Are you a list-maker? I am most definitely a list-maker. I can’t even count the times my mom & I go to Target for 3 little items, come out with about 23…and forget something we came for in the first place. Which leads to a second trip to Target, where we buy more unneeded (but super cute!) things we don’t need. Lists save the day.
My list-making habit is only perpetuated by the post-it feature on my laptop. Those things come in handy! Currently I have a “Books to Buy” list with about 18 titles I can’t really justify buying until I finishing reading the last dozen I bought; a “To-do for School” list with boring tasks I’ve been putting off. A list of the blogs I read daily, and another list of songs that I’ve heard on Pandora that I want to buy. And every Saturday morning I have a Grocery List, naturally. Though they pretty much always look the same. (I should just save them each week and re-use them. I’ve never thought of that until now…..light bulb moment here!)
Here are the staples of my grocery shopping that I regularly buy to keep my kitchen stocked with HEALTHFUL and energizing goods:
Last year I blogged about my Dorm Room Kitchen and Dorm Room Grocery Guide. I am no longer living in a shared-room….look who’s moving up in the world! ;) This year I will be moving into an apartment with three friends. We have a kitchen! No need for a meal plan anymore. My cooking options just expanded!
Campus dining seems to be heavy on the processed, sugary junk foods and light on the fresh healthy options. At my school, the cereal selection ranges from Lucky Charms to Fruit Loops to Coco Puffs. There are 5 times as many trays of desserts as their are baskets of fruit. It’s a diabetic nightmare. Eating every meal in the campus cafeteria/buffet is doable, and there are healthy options but I like knowing what’s going into my food. Plus cooking is just kind of fun :) 
Along with these groceries, kitchen must-haves include a coffee pot (I mean…duh.), blender, steaming bags, and a toaster.
What would you add to this list?
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The Ab Lab
As you might have noticed, I have a tendency to use “cutesy” titles. Rhyming, Alliterations…I just can’t help myself when I come up with something clever like the “Ab Lab.” When you convert your dorm room (or bedroom) into a personal fitness studio for today’s workout you will have created an Ab Lab ;)
Sometimes workouts need to be quick and convenient. The best go-to exercie for me: CORE! You don’t need any equipment and very little space to work the major muscle group. Core exercises for the Abdominals, Obliques and low back are some of my favorites (the torso twist machine at the gym? So fun.) If you decide to make this a dorm-room workout, you should invite your roommate to join you. Buddy System!
Crank up the music, lay down a towel (sweaty carpet = bad roommate) and get ready for an oh-so-challenging 5 minute Plank Workout:
1. Basic Plank – 30 seconds
2. Right Side Plank – 30 seconds
3. Left Side Plank – 30 seconds
*30 Second Break*
4. Alternating leg raise (as demonstrated below): 10 reps each side
You’re not done yet! 30 second break…
5. Right Side Plank with Hip Raises – 20 reps
6. Left Side Plank with Hip Raises – 20 reps
7. Alternating Leg Raise Plank – 10 reps each side
8. Crank Out 1 Last Basic Plank – 30 seconds
It’s quick, it ain’t easy, but it’s totally building a beautiful core :)
Now that we’ve got that covered, can I show you my “kitchen”? I’ve already told you about the food aspect of preparing for dorm life, but I also came loaded with kitchen supplies to make sure I can cook all the meals I want.
Of course I’ve got the coffee bar. My room would be incomplete without. Space is everything in a micro-sized living situation so organizing everything was so important. After my roommate and I brought out all of our kitchen gear, we assembled into what I call the Kitchen:
The easiest way to ensure you’ll make healthy choices when living on your own is to stock yourself with all the options you’ll need! If you’re starving and grumpy and all that’s left in your fridge is a carton of eggs and some mustard, you’re more likely to run down to the vending machine for some quick food. I always have apples and bananas on hand, plus other snacks and goodies to make sure I’m never in a need-food-now situation that will leave me feeling guilty afterwards.
Can you tell I like organization..?
If you do the PLANK workout, tell me how it went!
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