BY JOE LOPOPOLO // NOV. 25, 2013 //

Tired of those boring old snacks that you receive in care packages from Mom and Dad? Try turning them into something better.

With a little creativity, you can come up with some great, easy-to-make snacks with little more than what you already have in your dorm room or apartment.

Take a soft tortilla, add peanut butter, banana slices and chocolate chips, then roll. It’s sweet, modestly healthy, and good.

There are a number of websites that offer creative suggestions for “homemade” snacks for college students. The best snacks I like to make are cheesy ramen noodles and cookies and cream popcorn.

For the cheesy ramen noodles, all you will need is a pack of ramen, milk, shredded cheese, and water. Throw the noodles in a bowl and pour about 1 1/2 cups of boiling water into it. Stir the noodles and drain the water, then put in 1/4 cup of milk and 1/4 cup of cheese into the bowl. Once again, stir until everything is combined.

There are other recipes for this dish that require fewer ingredients, but I’m a big fan of the above snack.

For cookies and cream popcorn, you need a bag of kettle corn, Oreo Cookies, and white chocolate chips. Melt 1/4 cup of white chocolate chips in a microwave (about 30 seconds). While the chocolate chips are melting, put some Oreo cookies in a Ziploc bag and smash them into pieces. Place both in a bowl, add your popped popcorn and stir.

Are these snacks healthy? Of course not! But they are creative, and tasty, and that should be good enough after a long night out on the town or to just get you through finals.