Healthy Eating in College?

It is much easier said than done…

One aspect of college I did not anticipate was the overwhelming amount of free food. It seems there is always another opportunity to grab another snack, & generally those snacks are not the healthiest options. I’ve got a few tips for healthy eating in college; hope they help!

1. Stay hydrated! – Reusable water bottles are such a life-saver. I try to keep one in my bag at all times. I absolutely have to drink water throughout the day to avoid fatigue, to fight off headaches, & to stay focused on what I’m doing. If I haven’t been drinking water, I’ll realize around 10 pm why I’m so off…and although I can attempt to remedy the situation by drinking through a bottle or two right away…it’s never as good as if I’d been drinking consistently the whole day. On a related note, don’t drink your calories. There are few nutrients that you could possibly get from a “cup of whipped cream with some coffee topping”, as my friend Ben puts it. You want to aim for foods with protein and fiber that will make you feel full, and drinking your calories won’t help with that goal.
2. Establish a routine – If you want to make it to breakfast every morning, you can. Build that first meal into your schedule from the start, & the habit will serve you later in the semester when things get stressful. Aim for something high in fiber & protein to start off your day well. Also, avoid snacking too late at night – I find it’s easier to give in to mindless snacking while pulling those hopefully rare, yet always unfortunate all-nighters. I know my body & my brain would both be better served by going to bed & waking up early the next day.
3. Allow yourself only 1 trip/Grab a smaller plate – Meal planning isn’t quite a reality for most in college. It would require far too much time & effort (& money) to plan, buy, & cook every meal. Wandering around a dining hall can be a dangerous thing. I don’t know if this is the case everywhere, but it’s far too easy to take multiple trips through the food lines when you’re in an unlimited situation. Promise yourself before setting foot near the food that you’ll take only 1 trip each meal. You can only eat what you can carry with you before you sit down. Pretty much the same food will be there tomorrow, so don’t get too heartbroken over it. If you can’t always convince yourself to only take 1 trip, that’s ok! Everyone’s human. Try grabbing a smaller plate instead. Often, our eyes are bigger than our stomachs, so it’s all too easy to fill up whatever plate we hold in our hands. If you start out with a smaller plate, you’ll end up eating more reasonable portions.
4. Fruits & Vegetables – Aim to include as many fruits & vegetables in your food selection as you can. If your dining hall allows it, grab a piece of fruit on the way out. This will be a healthier snack later on as you study instead of reaching for chocolate or chips. Also, try to make vegetables at least half your plate at mealtimes. Whether this is a salad or several carrot sticks or some roasted vegetables, these will have some valuable nutrients to keep you going.
5. Free food trap – Just because the food is free doesn’t mean it’s food that’s good for you. The groups that give away free food know that it will attract many students, but they obviously want to get the cheapest food possible. This means it’s often packed with sugar or salt & far from being healthy. Sometimes paying more for quality is worth it. Try not to fall into the trap of frequenting free food opportunities, & keep your overall goal of staying healthy in mind.

Hope these tips help new college students avoid the freshman 15 & help any current students become a little bit healthier on their college journey!

xoxo, Erin