The Student Room Group

Suggestions for healthy snacks/meals - no fridge or microwave

I'm in the military and really need help with my diet! Prior to joining I used to eat healthy balanced meals but now all the meals I eat are rammed with unhealthy calories e.g. burgers, chips, potato wedges, cheese. In 10 months I've put on over a stone and that isn't muscle gain.

Meal times are:
0645 Breakfast
1230 Lunch
1900 Dinner

I find that I have tendancies to snack on biscuits throughout the day to keep going - unhealthy. With dinner being so late it's not easy to feel like you have enough energy to go to the gym.

I want to change all this! I don't have access to microwave or a fridge and need to come up with ideas for food that will keep me going through out the day. My sugar and fat intake is way too hight and I need to sort this out.

Any snack/alternative meal suggestions would be much appreciated!
Fruit, oranges, apples, bananas, grapes will all keep out of the fridge.
Mixed nuts will keep your protein, fibre and good fat levels up.
Oats oats and more oats. You can have oats for breakfast, and also take a tuppaware to school or work with oats in to make a hot snack at work. Make them with water, if you need the taste of milk keep a supply of protein power or powdered milk handy. Oats+water+protein/powdered milk + raisens = tasty & filling.
Buy small quantities of veg that you will eat before it goes mushy. Potatoss, sweet potatos, onions, tomatos, peppers, carrots, spinach and even lettuce can last for a few days in the kitchen cupboard.
Tuna and other tinned fish.
Baked beans, the food of gods sent down from mount olympus.
Tinned sweetcorn.
Brown pasta, keeps forever and only needs boiling water to cook, throw in the ingredients listed above and you got a meal.
Brown rice, as above.

Also, add snacks in between those 3 meals, you probably aint eating enough which is why the gym is killing you.
Reply 2
Original post by mikestraws
Fruit, oranges, apples, bananas, grapes will all keep out of the fridge.
Mixed nuts will keep your protein, fibre and good fat levels up.
Oats oats and more oats. You can have oats for breakfast, and also take a tuppaware to school or work with oats in to make a hot snack at work. Make them with water, if you need the taste of milk keep a supply of protein power or powdered milk handy. Oats+water+protein/powdered milk + raisens = tasty & filling.
Buy small quantities of veg that you will eat before it goes mushy. Potatoss, sweet potatos, onions, tomatos, peppers, carrots, spinach and even lettuce can last for a few days in the kitchen cupboard.
Tuna and other tinned fish.
Baked beans, the food of gods sent down from mount olympus.
Tinned sweetcorn.
Brown pasta, keeps forever and only needs boiling water to cook, throw in the ingredients listed above and you got a meal.
Brown rice, as above.

Also, add snacks in between those 3 meals, you probably aint eating enough which is why the gym is killing you.


Thanks for the reply. I don't think I made myself very clear. I live in military accomidation and don't have access to anything apart from a sink and a kettle. I don't have very much space for storing stuff and I can't influence how my meals are made. Due to the amount of duties and long hours I do I only have access to a little shop on base that doesn't sell fruit. I need something that's easy and doesn't require prep. I already eat loads of apples but apples are not enough.
Original post by **zebra**
Thanks for the reply. I don't think I made myself very clear. I live in military accomidation and don't have access to anything apart from a sink and a kettle. I don't have very much space for storing stuff and I can't influence how my meals are made. Due to the amount of duties and long hours I do I only have access to a little shop on base that doesn't sell fruit. I need something that's easy and doesn't require prep. I already eat loads of apples but apples are not enough.


Why aren't you eating in the Mess? Also, I've been in the Military, the accomdation should have cooking facilities in house, in the form of a small shared kitchen.

So when you said you dont have a fridge does that also mean you dont have posts, pans and a hob?
Reply 4
Original post by mikestraws
Why aren't you eating in the Mess? Also, I've been in the Military, the accomdation should have cooking facilities in house, in the form of a small shared kitchen.

So when you said you dont have a fridge does that also mean you dont have posts, pans and a hob?


I eat in the wardroom and the meal times I listed are when the wardroom serves food. Everything you get is pretty unhealthy with no taste and lots of fat. I've got time before dinner to go to the gym but I feel like I need to eat so I end up not going.

We don't have any cooking facilities as the accomodation is old. We don't have double beds or ensuit like most accomodation.

I only have a bowl, 2 cups, 2 spoons and a kettle. Maybe if I go to stores they'll give me a hexi stove and some mess tins. The naafi is really bad for food but it's all I have available. I get time about once a fortnight to go to sainsburys.
Original post by **zebra**
I eat in the wardroom and the meal times I listed are when the wardroom serves food. Everything you get is pretty unhealthy with no taste and lots of fat. I've got time before dinner to go to the gym but I feel like I need to eat so I end up not going.

We don't have any cooking facilities as the accomodation is old. We don't have double beds or ensuit like most accomodation.

I only have a bowl, 2 cups, 2 spoons and a kettle. Maybe if I go to stores they'll give me a hexi stove and some mess tins. The naafi is really bad for food but it's all I have available. I get time about once a fortnight to go to sainsburys.


Jeez it's nice to know my taxes are going to providing the serving men and women with high quality facilities. Feel sorry for you mate.
Reply 6
Original post by **zebra**
I eat in the wardroom and the meal times I listed are when the wardroom serves food. Everything you get is pretty unhealthy with no taste and lots of fat. I've got time before dinner to go to the gym but I feel like I need to eat so I end up not going.

We don't have any cooking facilities as the accomodation is old. We don't have double beds or ensuit like most accomodation.

I only have a bowl, 2 cups, 2 spoons and a kettle. Maybe if I go to stores they'll give me a hexi stove and some mess tins. The naafi is really bad for food but it's all I have available. I get time about once a fortnight to go to sainsburys.


Kind of glad I didn't join the Army after reading this...

Try cereal bars. They fill you up and some of them are low-fat and quite low-calorie and low-sugar. I quite like Weetabix Oaty Bars. Oats -- they release energy slowly and no need to cook these ones. They're also low sugar.

I also eat quite a lot of wholemeal pitta because they're quite filling too and very healthy, quite low calorie and definitely low fat.

Have you ever tried having dry cereal? I know it may not sound appealing to all (I can't have milk and cereal so I've grown up on dry cereal) but, depending on what you get, it can be low sugar and low calorie but fill you up.

Beef jerky is also packed with protein and can just be put in a cupboard, no real space needed. I absolutely love the stuff and it's quite filling too.
Original post by jazzykinks
Kind of glad I didn't join the Army after reading this...


I think he's Navy, and the situation is definately not typical. However, it's definately not acceptable though.
Reply 8
Original post by mikestraws
I think he's Navy, and the situation is definately not typical. However, it's definately not acceptable though.


Not at all, considering these people protect us and put their lives on the line every day. May still join after uni :wink: probably not strong enough though!
Dried mango. Fab stuff. Tastes like sweets and lasts a long time without a fridge etc, especially if you get the type with a ziplock resealable top.

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