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= The Best Snack Foods for Penn State Main Campus Students =

Introduction
Students at Penn State Main Campus are often on a time crunch or a strict budget. Therefore, they may find that some of their favorite foods are no longer viable options for regular snacking and consumption. This article details some snack foods available at Penn State, and evaluates them based on their suitability as a snack for Penn State students. When determining what makes a good snack food for people attending Penn State, it is paramount that have relevant criteria to accurately rank them in reflection to the needs of Penn State students. The three main criteria that are going to be discussed in these rankings are availability of the food on campus, the cost of the snack food and convenience of the food (whether the snack is easy to make, eat, and store). The four foods that are focused on in this article are Oreo's, Doritos, Mac and Cheese Cups, and Chicken Nuggets.

1) Oreo's
Oreo's are a type of cookie made by Nabisco, and consists of cream sandwiched between two cookies. They come in countless varieties like thin, double stuff, strawberry, mint, pistachio, vanilla, and many others, but the basic Oreo is a hard chocolate cookie, which is almost biscuit or wafer-like in consistency, with a plain white cream. Oreo's are an ideal snack food for Penn State students for a variety of reasons. They can be found at any campus convenience store from Market Pollock Store to Market East, meaning that no matter where a student is on campus, a commons building with Oreo's is not far away. Oreo's are also available in major retail stores, such as Target and Wegmans. For a regular 14.3 oz (40.5g) box, the snack is priced around $2.99 in retail stores in State College, while they cost $5.00 on campus. The pricing for Oreo's on campus is in line with other snack foods, and while it seems steep compared to off-campus pricing, meal funds can be used to purchase Oreo's on campus for added convenience and less additional financial burden. Oreo's are an extremely easy snack to prepare, eat, and store. Since many dormitories on Penn State’s campus do not have private kitchens, and using a hall’s shared kitchen can be a timely hassle, Penn State students may be happy to know that Oreo's do not require any additional preparation to eat, and can be consumed straight out of the box. Oreo's are a very clean food to eat. They do not require utensils that need to be washed later, and do not leave any lasting residue on the fingers. The snack is also not particularly prone to spreading crumbs, meaning that students will not have to worry about cleaning up a mess after eating. Oreo's can be easily snacked on while studying, reading, watching videos, and other activities, because it is not a sloppy food. On top of this, Oreo's come in a resealable bag, so students do not need to worry about putting it into a separate container if they don’t finish the entire box. Oreo's are available everywhere, are not particularly expensive relative to other snacks, require no cooking, and are easy to eat and store, making them a supreme food for Penn State students.

2) Doritos
Doritos are a flavored tortilla chip. Although the flavors vary internationally, the most common flavors in the United States are Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch. Doritos are an ideal snack food for quick sustenance and delicious flavor. This is convenient for Penn State students because no matter what time of day it is, students don't often have the time to make a decision about what to eat. Students are often very busy with going to class and studying. Therefore most students will likely reach for something they know and love. Doritos have been produced by the Frito-Lay company since 1964. This means that the love for the brand spans multiple generations. Most Penn State students have already tried Doritos in their life, so most people already know if they like them or not. In this sense, Doritos are very convenient and cost-effective for Penn State students, as it is a well-known and familiar snack that many people consider a reliable treat. Many students do not need to waste their time trying a snack they may not like, and end up throwing away, when choosing Doritos. As for the cost of Doritos, a regular bag of Doritos retail price is only $1.00 cents and a party size bag of Doritos is around $3.00. However, most Doritos at Penn State come from vending machines which are usually $1.25 or at a Sisu convenience store which usually charge 2 dollars for a bag of Doritos. The convenience, availability and cost of Doritos make it a viable option as a snack, but the powder it leaves behind on your fingers can be seen as a messy negative. Also, the bags for Doritos are not resealable, and must be closed with a clip or something similar. Therefore, it is ranked below Oreo's.

3) Kraft Mac and Cheese Cups
Kraft Mac and Cheese cups are a form of easy to make mac and cheese dinner, which consists of premade macaroni noodles and cheese powder in a small cup. Kraft Mac and Cheese cups appeal to college students for a variety of reasons. The cost of a 4-pack is around $3.98, making it a good option for college students working with a budget. Mac and cheese cups are very easy to prepare as each cup comes with a cheese packet inside. All one would need to do to enjoy a cup would be to add around 1/3 cup of water to the bowl and microwave it for 3 minutes and 30 seconds. Once this is done, simply mix in the cheese, stir, and it's ready to go. Unlike traditional mac and cheese, which requires one to boil water, these mac and cheese cups are ideal for college students without access to stoves and/or are in a crunch for time. Additionally, once a cup has been used, it can be thrown away. These Mac and Cheese cups can be purchased at various downtown grocery stores, including McLanahan's Downtown Market in State College, as well as on-campus at the different markets located at dining halls. Kraft mac and cheese cups also come in 8 and 12 count packs if you wanted to buy in bulk. With the relative low cost and ease of use, mac and cheese cups are an ideal snack for busy college students. However, due to there being some preparation required, mac and cheese cups rank lower than Oreo's and Doritos.

4) Chicken Nuggets
Premade, frozen chicken nuggets are just like any other chicken nuggets, with ground up, tender chicken on the inside, and a golden brown external crust. However, they have the added bonus of being just a freezer away, taking away the annoyance of going out to order fast food, or waiting for it to be delivered. In college, most students want to eat something that is quick and easy, while also not having to break the bank in order to eat it. This is why chicken nuggets are often a preferred, store bought snack food. At State College, these chicken nuggets are usually Tyson chicken nuggets that are sold at any Sisu convenience store on campus. As already stated, these chicken nuggets can be found at any Sisu convenience store on campus, but also if students are willing to go off campus they might have bigger bags of these nuggets, making them readily available both on campus and off campus. The price of 20 chicken nuggets is around $4.58 at any Sisu and market around campus. This is a good price for 20 nuggets which could last a student more than just one time. Another criteria being used to rank these snack foods is convenience. It is very convenient to purchase chicken nuggets at University Park, but the difficulty to prepare them may be a different story. However, any avid eater of chicken nuggets would know that it is fairly easy to prepare them. One simple way is to follow the instructions on the box and put them in the microwave for the amount of time indicated. Although, some dorms have ovens where students could put these nuggets in for about 5-10 minutes (depending on what temperature they are cooked at), giving students an ideal way to cook these nuggets. Microwaving chicken nuggets could be a big factor when ranking chicken nuggets as an overall snack food, but they are still a great snack food at University Park. Since Kraft mac and cheese cups come in a disposable container, while chicken nuggets don't, chicken nuggets rank lower due to the added inconvenience of buying a disposable plate or washing a plate afterwards.