When going off to college, a lot of things are brought from home and stored in your already cramped room, but how much of that stuff will actually be used during the year? How much of it will be forgotten in drawers and cabinets? Here’s a list of 10 must-haves for your dorm room:
- FiveFinger Shoes— There will be a ton of walking in your college career, so why not make the most of it? The bountiful benefits of walking have been proven in countless studies, but it’s time to take your walking to the next level. Traditional shoes give your foot inches of padding and shock absorption. Walking barefoot or close to barefoot in minimalist shoes allow you to strengthen the small muscles in your feet, toes, and ankle while improving overall balance.*
- Fruits and Veggies— Yup! That’s right. Fruits and vegetables are essential for your overall health. But why do you need them in your room if they’re in the dining hall? The dining hall is usually only open at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you’re looking for a quick snack in between, a handful of grape tomatoes or a bunch of blackberries are great snacks that can be easily stored in even the smallest of dorm-room refrigerators. Also, interestingly enough, while you’re in the dining hall for your meals, you can actually snag some extra fruits and veggies to bring back to your dorm to snack on in later days. It’s a great way to save some cash!
- Brain Games— Sudoku, crossword puzzles, scrabble, and all other puzzle games that expand your mind are must haves. While a lot of your day is spent in a classroom, a lot of time at college is spent hanging out with friends, going to the movies, the beach, and working out. To keep your mind sharp, make it a routine to spend about 15 minutes a day (maybe during your breakfast in the morning!) exercising the most important muscle in your body, your brain. Studies, including this one on the brain training program Lumosity, show that improving your cranial capacity benefits you exponentially both in the short and long-term. Setting a regular brain-training schedule now can be great for when you leave college and head into the real world!
- Nuts- These little wonders are the perfect protein packed snack! Max talked about nuts a bit in the snacking post, but a handful of nuts are a perfect snack when you just need that quick boost in the afternoon before dinner. Macadamia nuts are the ultimate nut, packed with healthy fats and protein, but almonds follow as a close second.
- Blender- What a convenient tool which can be used to whip up a quick smoothie for any snack craving you may have. With the fore mentioned fruit you have in the fridge, some coconut milk, and scoop of protein powder, you can whip up a quick snack or a quick breakfast if you’re running late.
- Dark Chocolate- Full of antioxidants and fat, dark chocolate is a perfect vice that calms the nerves and takes care of that sweet tooth you may have. Always have some 73% or higher cocoa content dark chocolate on hand. The higher percentage, the better so if you can palate some 85% or even 90% chocolate, go for it and enjoy!
- Fish Oil- We’ve talked about the importance of Omega 3 fatty acids. The thing is though, getting 3 or 4 serving of high quality fish every week in college may not be totally possible. But never fear! Fish oil’s here! A tablespoon or two of fish oil a day can supply you with the perfect amount of omega 3s that will balance out those omega 6s that are ever-so-prevalent in the college cafeteria.
- Body Roller- Investing in a foam roller (which can be bought in some sports stores
or online), finding a pvc pipe, or using a lacrosse ball to self-massage will help alleviate myofascial pain caused by sitting around all day and from those Primal workouts you’ll get in. Massage has been around for thousands of years and now you can do it yourself! It’s a free service that only takes a few minutes a day and you’ll feel the results almost instantly! - Crock Pot- Another convenient and useful tool which can be used if you know you’re gonna have a busy day and won’t have time to whip up dinner. Throw a bunch of stuff in the crock pot, turn it on to cook low and slow, and a few hours later, voila! A perfect stew that’s warm and waiting for you when you get home. Here’s a few crock pot recipes.
- Music-Whether you get your music from the radio, CDs, or an iPod, music has its benefits. It helps calm the nerves and studies show that certain types of music actually give you better results the next day. The effects are different from person to person, so see what works for you. Plus, music is just great and no matter if you’re into classical, techno, dub-step, hiphop, jazz, country, or what-have-you, it’s great to listen to when you’re lounging around the dorm room and to use when you’re having a dance party!
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*You should always consult a health professional before adding these or other shoes like these to your everyday life.
This blog is phenomenal
In my college dorm I had:
- Frozen Fish (in the MINI FRIDGE FREEZER – I actually bought another mini fridge mid-way through college and made it a freezer, lol): Scallops, Salmon, Halibut, etc
- Frozen Meat (ostrich, GF beef, GF elk)
- Tomato Paste (I love eating tomato paste with a spoon! So you need a can opener!)
- Nori Sheets
- Canned Green Beans
- Frozen Veggies
- Cherry Tomatoes
Oh and a toaster oven!!
sounds like you really stocked up on great primal goodies! hopefully I can find a fridge/freezer big enough to hold all the great foods I want like you managed.
Hey Caveman College!
I am heading to college in 5 days. What snacks would you recommend keeping in a dorm room?
I have been primal for about 3 weeks and since the switch I have felt the need to snack more often.
What do you recommend?
Thank you!
Hey Jordan,
You can check out our snacking post here: http://cavemancollege.com/2012/06/26/snacking-on-campus-and-how-it-just-may-be-the-most-important-dieting-decision-you-make/ . If you feel the need to snack more than before, try eating bigger main meals. Try to limit your snacking. Grok on!
AAAAArgh — pet peeve — people who write wallah instead of voilà (see #9 Crockpot).
If you can’t remember how to spell it properly then just substitute “there it is” or “there you have it”
Sorry I’ll get off my soapbox now.
Haha Thanks Cathy. Clearly, as you can see, we are not english majors
Voila is French!!
A good deal of the English language is French. If you want to use a French word, learn to spell it! Or maybe grunting is more your style?
Haha definitely!
What about flax seed? Can it supply enough omega 3? I get it for fairly cheap
Janus,
Flax is tricky. There’s actually a great explanation of issues regarding flax and flax seed on marksdailyapple. He discusses all kinds of healthy/not healthy seeds. Here’s the link: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/quick-guide-edible-seeds/#axzz28eTrFLR0
Thanks!
This is a solid list for 9 out of 10.
But no fish oil. NO, NO, NO fish oil. Mark my words, in 10-20 years you are going to see a huge increase in cancer rates courtesy of fish oil. There is no need to supplement a diet with omega 3′s – everything contains omega 3′s and you don’t need much. What you are doing is taking large, unnecessary amounts of THE MOST fragile fat in nature – a fat that when isolated away from its whole food form is almost certainly oxidized inside your body. And it doesn’t help that it’s mostly all taken from farmed fish. Ray Peat does a phenomenal job explaining why fish oil is potentially deadly.
http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/fishoil.shtml
It’s truly a health debacle that will in time rival that of margarine, canola oil and the other “cholesterol-free, low saturated fat” oils. Just. Eat. Fish. Canned fish is easily obtained on a college budget. Or don’t eat any fish at all. You don’t need to. There are plenty of omega’s in even CAFO land meats.
Thanks for the comment ChocoTaco,
We’ll definitely take that into consideration as new research is always being done
The main problem with fish oil is that, if you’re already eating 100% healthily, it isn’t needed. But most people are living Omega3 DEFICIENT and DO need to boost it by at least a bit.
I take the odd teaspoonful when I’m ill, overworked or when I haven’t eaten much (my hunger response is only JUST becoming normal, so I sometimes undereat accidentally). It does wonders for me, though I’d never have it as a daily thing, only something for the odd boost where I mess up with my diet.
I think the biggest problem actually lies in those who DRINK the stuff, expecting even more benefits. Human logic: you were Omega3 deficient, a bit of oil helped put you back on track… “so MORE must make you SUPERHUMAN!”
>Wallah!
Voila. Fixed that for you.
Oddly, I have almost everything already! d:
1: Sadly not yet. Still looking into getting some.
2: In a fruit-bowl in my room!
3: Huge fan of sudoku, solitaire, freecell, chess and majhong. Got all!
4: Paleo-cereal/trail mix in the kitchen, dried dates and nuts in my room.
5: Blender ready for smoothies and milkshakes (Lacto-Paleo gal!).
6: Dark chocolate in the box in my room with my dried fruit and nuts!
7: Fish, olive and lemon with vitamins D and E. Makes my fiance sick. /:
8: No body-roller. Got kettle-bells, light dumbells and a “situps wheel” (or whatever the damn thing’s called!).
9: No crock-pot. I’m a rather quick cook and smoothies, milkshakes, hard-boiled eggs and hams make for excellent “quick” lunchboxes!
10: Plenty of that too!
NO DRIED DATES! Too much fructose! Fructose is your enemy! Get rid of them.
Agreed. Organic dried dates (especially brought back directly from Israel) are a great Primal vice, however they should definitely not be eaten on a daily basis. Stick to antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables.
“wallah! ”
Really? REALLY?! {shudder}
VOILA — French for ‘look there’ or ‘view there” Voi = look, la = there… (Pronounced “vwa’-la”)
How could you have left off the iron gym? Or a kettlebell?
Josh,
There’s only so many things we can put into a 10 item list. Kettle bells are a great tool and should definitely be included in your collection of primal items if your space allows for it. Great point!
These are great. We don’t live in a dorm, but my husband and I are both students. Thanks for sharing!
Very good list. It influenced me to spend my money on frozen berries and 100% dark chocolate.
100%?!? Thats pretty legit.
I actually just got some frozen berries as well! My school sadly has no berries at any meal (except super sugar added ones which just aren’t what I’m looking for). If you can handle 100% chocolate, I tip my hat to you!