Survival 101: best bookstore food choices

Real talk:

Figuring out how you’re going to feed yourself during a day at school is just as much extra thought as doing your homework. Sometimes too much extra thought. Remembering to pack an amount of food that will sustain you all day is hit-and-miss at best, and sometimes you end up starving while trying to study.

Enter the MHCC Bookstore, sometimes the only source of food on campus.

Open until 6 p.m. with a coffee shop inside open until 3ish, the bookstore is located at the center of the Gresham campus. It offers all the essentials – scantrons, blue books, textbooks, chintzy “Doctor Who” knick knacks. It has coffee and comfortable couches and Mt. Hood apparel, but not any actual nutritional food. Take it from me – I’ve been living out of the bookstore for the past three years and it’s a fickle bitch.

So, as I’m finishing up my last two terms here, I’ve decided to pass on my knowledge:

1. Celebrate the fact that you eat meat, if you do. Jerky and sandwiches.

Really. Celebrate that. You get to choose from the wonderful selection of jerky, pre-packaged sandwiches, hot pockets, and all those different types of cup-of-noodles that us non-meat eaters don’t. Of course, your best bet is to go with the jerky and sandwich options as they will provide the most nutrition for your buck, and that’s what matters here. Sadly, a hot pocket isn’t going to give your brain the nutrients it needs to function while studying, so I recommend the first two options.

2. Skip the bagel; go for the heart-shaped oatmeal bar.

Seriously: This has been my secret weapon. Sure, it’s a bit chalky and takes a while to eat, but it does taste good and keeps you full and energized for hours. I usually pick this up with my coffee first thing in the morning and won’t need to eat again until lunchtime. My favorite flavor is apricot.

3. Chocolate. Is. Your. Friend.

Okay, but not that shitty, fake-ass chocolate, like Snickers or Twix. If you’ve got a serious sweet tooth and need a fix, I highly recommend the Chocolove XOXOX chocolate bar. It has a higher percentage of cacao, which means it’s going to pack more nutrients for your body. Plus, it’s tasty! The only kicker is that it’s five dollars a pop, so I suggest splitting it with a friend.

4. Energy/power bars!

As a vegetarian, I’ve gotten though a lot with energy bars. A solid source of protein and vitamins, these puppies are going to get you through your day at school. Thankfully, the bookstore has a wide variety of them from, PowerBar to Clif Bar. Pick your poison and rest assured you’ll be able to get through your math class without collapsing.

5. My suggestion for taste: mac ’n cheese, with pita chips.

When I want to feel like I’m getting a full meal, I usually grab a bag of the parmesan pita chips and a container of microwavable Kraft mac and cheese. Eating these two together is a wonderful flavor combination, and it’s more filling than any other “meal” from the bookstore. Plus, it won’t leave you feeling gross, like a hot pocket will.