| Going to college is a grand experience. It's the first | | | | haphazard pasta meal. A friend of mine used to give |
| time many young adults get the chance to begin | | | | away his seasoning packets to those who liked their |
| taking care of themselves, no matter what the | | | | soup extra salty, and then use the noodles mixed |
| consequences. One of the main things that worries | | | | with cafeteria vegetables to create his own |
| parents when their child heads out into the world of | | | | vegetable soup. There is, in fact, an entire culture |
| college is, of course, their diet. What are they going | | | | devoted to forming recipes around these instant |
| to eat if the cafeteria closes too early? What if they | | | | noodles. And college students might be the most |
| don't like the cafeteria food? What if they didn't | | | | creative consumers of all.But the need for so much |
| even sign up for cafeteria meals?Parents needn't | | | | creativity is not as dire as it once was. Nowadays |
| worry. College students today have developed their | | | | microwaves are ridiculously cheap to own, and many |
| own underworld of cuisine, involving quite the array | | | | college students don't think twice about having one in |
| of foods, time-tested by students in the past, and | | | | their dorm room. This has caused manufacturers to |
| catered specifically to college needs by clever | | | | cater to the college students' needs like never |
| manufacturers.The main staple of dorm life these | | | | before. Macaroni and cheese that doesn't involve |
| days is, of course, the microwave. College students | | | | buying milk, and rice dinners in a bag that include all |
| take microwave food to a whole new level. The | | | | the seasonings, are a huge step forward for |
| smell of microwave popcorn is right at home in a | | | | students living at school, where access to milk and |
| dorm, even at 3 am. I had a roommate at college | | | | butter (and having somewhere to keep them if you |
| who ate microwave popcorn for breakfast. Quick, | | | | buy them) is not as easy as it looks.Sure, not all of |
| easy, cheap and filling- what more could you ask | | | | this instant and easy food is healthy. Some of it is |
| for?There is also the infamous instant Japanese | | | | downright bad for you. But parents needn't worry |
| noodles (the Japanese name for this product does in | | | | too much. Your child might spend a few semesters |
| fact translate to "student cuisine"). One of the | | | | believing the food groups consist of salt, fake |
| biggest things I learned at school was how many | | | | chicken, cheese in a pouch, and potato chips... but it |
| ways there are to eat this ubiquitous, 25 cent meal. | | | | will make them appreciate you all the more when |
| There's the traditional method of boiling it into soup, | | | | they come home.Visit The Tasty Chef for more |
| of course. There's also the option of straining the | | | | great tips, techniques, and insights pertaining to |
| water out before adding the seasoning, creating a | | | | cooking and recipes. |