Many know the awkward meal schedule of back-to-back classes when you don’t have time to return home for some grub. When those $2 granola bars from the EMU start to add up and drain your bank account, these easy snacks might come in handy.

Whether you have access to a full kitchen in off-campus housing or are stuck with the classic microwave and mini fridge dorm room kitchenette, midday snacks don’t have to be as dull as that measly granola bar you bought in a 20 pack from Costco.

The first snack is a play on granola bars but without the dry mouth, crumbs in your lap experience. A little sweet and packed with protein and carbs to power you through the school day, these are a great snack to tide you over until lunch.

Snack One: Energy oat balls

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Servings: 3

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup peanut butter

• 1 banana

• 1 and 1/2 cup oats

• 1 tbsp choice of sweetener

• 1 handful of chocolate chips

• Your choice of additional mix-ins — chia seeds, nuts and dried fruit all work great!

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, mash the banana with a fork until chunk free.

2. Mix in the peanut butter and sweetener until smooth.

3. Add the oats and toppings and mix until combined.

4. Refrigerate for one hour until solid enough to separate and roll into balls.

5. Place in tupperware and leave in the fridge overnight to let the oats soften.

6. Enjoy!

For those with a sweet tooth, this second snack might suit you better. Imitating a Snickers bar without processed sugars and added proteins, date chocolate bark is a nutritious midday treat.

Snack Two: Date and peanut butter chocolate bark

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Servings: Up to you!

Ingredients (portions up to chef’s discretion):

• Dates

• Peanut butter

• Peanuts

• Chocolate 

Instructions:

1. Separate and pit dates. 

2. Lay out the dates flat on a plate and cover them in a layer of peanut butter.

3. Sprinkle peanuts over the top of the peanut butter.

4. Microwave chocolate until melted, stirring every 30 seconds to ensure the chocolate doesn’t burn.

5. Drizzle the chocolate over the dates.

6. Cover plate with tin foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate until chocolate hardens.

7. Tear or cut into pieces and enjoy!

I had this third snack every day for breakfast my sophomore year of college, but it’s also extremely portable for a midday munch. You’ve likely seen hundreds of overnight oats recipes, but this one hits every mark of nutrition and deliciousness; even after months of eating them every day, I couldn’t get enough.

Snack Three: Overnight oats 

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oats

• 1 cup milk of choice

• 3 heaping spoonfuls of Greek yogurt

• 4 tbsp chia seeds

• A shit load of cinnamon 

• 2 tbsp maple syrup

• Frozen blueberries 

Instructions:

1. In a tupperware container, combine oats, chia seeds and cinnamon and mix until combined.

2. Add milk, syrup and yogurt into the mixture and mix until combined.

3. Top generously with blueberries.

4. Place the lid on tupperware and place in the refrigerator overnight.

5. Optional: top with peanut butter when serving and enjoy!