Ten College Foods You Miss

As a university and sorority alumnae, some of my fondest memories of my college career involve sitting around eating, drinking and chatting with my friends.
And while my friends and I sometimes made a conscious effort to be healthy, we often fell victim to the ease, convenience, and cheap options readily available on campus.
Now, out of college, I find myself often craving these nostalgic foods that I used to indulge in.
1. Mac and cheese: Call me a sucker for the blue box, but there is only one other meal (see below) I would rather indulge in than a big bowl of cheesy good stuff. Whether it was Easy Mac or the little cartoon shapes, my friends and I could hardly ever resist our childhood favorite.
2. Cereal: Almost every American remembers Saturday morning cartoons with a big bowl of Fruity Pebbles or Frosted Flakes. The only exception was college kids’ cereal consumption consisted of weekday nights when grocery shopping was too inconvenient or expensive and it was just easier to grab a box of Cheerios.
My friends also have requested I note the notable and consistent presence of the Special K Diet that all of us seemed to try at least once during our four years of school.
3. Bagel Bites, Hot Pockets and Pizza Rolls: These were portable, cheap, delicious and my go-to meal when even Mac and Cheese seemed like too much of an effort for a Tuesday night dinner.
4. George Foreman Grill: Often enough we would grill up steak, chicken or an occasional grilled cheese on this miniature grill that was perfect for our dorm rooms or apartment counter tops.
5. 24-Hour diners: There is nothing that compares to cheese fries or chicken fingers around 2 a.m. Every college town has one or two, and while I would like to say they’re popular for late-night studying snacks, truth be told, almost everyone goes there to drunk-eat after they have been at the bar all night.
6. Canned meals: Lets face it, as gross as Chef Boyardee, Spaghetti-Os or tuna fish sound, many of us swallowed our pride and shoveled down the cheap, processed tomato surprise that lingered beneath those tin pop-off tops.
7. Cheap beer: One way to tell a freshman from a senior was freshmen would always order a beer at the bar, while seniors asked for their drinks by name “give me a Natty Ice or a Bud Light Bottle.” I have no shame admitting that some of the most fun nights began with Blue Ribbon off the tap and ended with a can of Milwaukee’s Best.
8. My roommate’s food: I am pretty sure I was even in the Facebook group -remember when those were popular?- called “Confessions, I stole or ate my roommates food.” Don’t try and deny that you never scooped out some Ben and Jerry’s while your roomie was taking a test and hoped she wouldn’t notice the handful of chips you’d scarf down while she was studying. Now, living alone or occasionally with one other person, when you don’t have any food, you actually don’t have any food.
9. Ramen: Maruchan Ramen Noodles are a legend, there is no debate. Every year, millions of those $.07 to $.13 packages are being cooked on college campuses for students who can’t help but love their Ramen.
10. Pizza: A single slice, a whole pizza delivered, a mini one that was frozen, it didn’t matter where it came from, how it was prepared or even what toppings completed my perfect pie, my friends and I never found anything we would rather eat.
Are you missing the same sentimental college foods as I am? What are some of your favorites that you feel guilty eating now that you have a real-world salary and an ever-looming pressure to maintain healthy eating habits?
Via: The LA Weekly