How to Eat Healthy as a College Student
Tips on Making Wise Choices and Setting Good Habits
Oct 9, 2009
It might be extra tempting to go along with friends for those frequent late-night burgers and ice-cream dessert breaks, but think about what that could look like a few months down the road. With that kind of habit, it's easy to pack on 10 pounds—think two five-pound dumbbells glued to the body. Thus, it’s important to make a choice to eat wisely now in order to stay healthy and prevent future regrets.
Tips on How to Eat Healthy as a College Student
The freshman 15 or any other type of weight gain in college is a result of lacking self control arising from stress, freedom and excitement, or simply because burning the midnight oil makes one hungry. However, it’s still possible to eat healthy and be healthy without being the lone ranger. Here are some healthy tips for eating healthy and keeping the weight down:
- Accountability: Make a plan to eat healthy and involve a couple of friends so that it becomes a joint effort. Having accountability makes it easier to keep goals. Schedule a time everyday to go to the gym altogether.
- Write it down: There is power in the written word. Writing down specific goals including what to eat for meals and snacks and when to exercise is extremely helpful. Since long-term goals and resolutions are difficult to follow, make an eating plan on a sheet of paper every morning before the day starts.
- Think natural: When there is choice between an apple and chips, always choose the raw option. The more processed something is, the more fat content there is. Fruit and vegetables have high water content so it leaves a person feeling full without the extra calories. At the cafeteria, stay away from soda and juice and choose water instead. But if it’s a must, cut it down to once or twice a week.
- Eat a healthy breakfast: It’s been ingrained in many that breakfast is the most important meal of the day since it prevents a person from binge eating at lunch or eating oily chips from the vending machine. Put this wisdom into practice. A good selection includes fresh fruit, eggs, cereal, skim milk, oatmeal, yogurt and wheat bread instead of white. Starting with a healthy meal makes a person less prone to eating junk food later in the day.
- Limit the portion size: Don’t pile on the plate just because everything looks good. Make sure there is some empty space left on the plate. When eating, don’t eat to the full capacity; stop when feeling 70 percent full. For snack foods like potato chips, remember to take them out of the bag and portion it out onto a bowl or napkin.
- Chew. Chew. Chew: Eating slowly and chewing a lot make a person feel full faster, which prevents a person from overeating.
- Don’t buy on impulse: Remember to go to the market on a full stomach instead of an empty one. Choose snacks that have the least amount of saturated fat. This includes pita chips, pretzels, rice crackers, cereal and granola bars. Keep nuts on hand but avoid salty ones. A bag of toffee covered almonds is an okay option.
- Get a smart caffeine fix: Try to drink tea and coffee without the sugar and cream, or just add nonfat milk. If a Frappuccino is a must, tell the barista to use nonfat milk, zero-calorie sugar and no whip cream.
Eating healthy as a college student may be a bit difficult at first, but with self discipline and daily goals, it is more than possible. Keep the momentum and stay motivated by varying workouts and coming up with helpful incentives. Posting a picture of a fit model or celebrity inside the snack cupboard or refrigerator is a good way to stay motivated.
Resources:
- EatingWell.com
- MayoClinic.com
Further Reading:
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