Just Add Water

After working for Starbucks for more years than I'd care to mention, sometimes I've encountered the dilemma of what to bring for lunch when the store I was at did not have a microwave. You might be saying, "What, haven't you ever heard of a sandwich?" Well, yes I have, but sometimes at 3 a.m., assembling a sandwich just is not feasible, especially when you're more concerned about putting your shirt on right-side out in a sleepy daze. This is where instant oatmeal and soup come in.

All I do is bring a couple of packets of instant oatmeal or a Cup Noodles ramen soup, and just add hot water from the hot water tap on the coffee brewers. Now my taste is more refined, and instead of the Cup Noodles, I bring Nile Spice soup or Safeway's Eating Right brand. Most of the instant soups are pretty good, and they vary from traditional chicken noodle soups and soups made of couscous or beans. A word to the wise, though, I would not suggest the potato leek soup, because it does not taste so good, and it smelled like spoiled milk.

These just-add-water meals are something that can be done on campus, because there are at least five Java City's on campus that I know of, and I'm sure they would give you a cup of hot water or fill up your cup of soup. They are also great for when you need something to keep you going between classes, because they only take about five minutes to prepare, and they are small enough to fit into a back pack or purse.

Instant oatmeal and instant soup really will keep you going, too, because both contain plenty of fiber and protein. One packet of instant oatmeal contains one and a half gram of fat, three grams of fiber, which is important in aiding digestion and keeping your cholesterol low and four grams of protein, for energy. One cup of Eating Right's Black Bean Soup has one gram of fat, with 14 grams of fiber and (which is 56 percent of your daily recommended intake of fiber) 10 grams of protein.

For a complete meal, all you have to do is bring a piece of fruit to go with your oatmeal, and some carrots or celery and crackers to go with your soup, and it turns out to be a pretty balanced meal.