Today, I had a great 4 mile run on the treadmill after class. I know I need to get back into a daily gym routine now that school has started back up, and the best way for me to do that is to bring my gym clothes with me to class! I carry my sneakers, sports bra, shorts, and shirt, along with my ipod, pens, and notebook all in my handy-dandy Longchamp bag. After class, I walk straight to the gym instead of going back to my dorm to change. It sort of forces me to go, which is just the motivation I need.

When I got back to my dorm, it was lunch time, and being the college student I am, the fridge was not exactly fully stocked. Last semester, I was so busy running from here to there, a salad – mostly this one verbatim – or a bowl of cereal would suffice. This semester, eating healthy meals (not just side dishes or snacks) is going to be a priority for me.

Living in a dorm without a stove or oven is limiting and eating healthy may be a challenge, but this hot plate my previous boss handed down to me make a world of difference. The other night, my roommates and I made penne with cannellini beans, spinach, and grilled chicken – courtesy of EatLiveRun – and today, I made an egg-white sandwich with a little mozzarella cheese over sauted spinach on rye bread. This sandwich took maybe 4 minutes total to put together from start to finish. So easy, delicious, healthy, and filling. I finished off with a juicy clementine. Mmmmm, talk about a healthy finish to an awesome workout.

I’m thinking about doing a mini series on how to cook healthy in the dorm. What does everyone think?