How to Eat Healthy While Being A College Student
Lets face it, eating healthy in college is a struggle. You’re always on the go, grabbing whatever is the closest to eat because you woke up late and are rushing to class. The life of a college student is busy. Monday-Friday you have class, work, and any other school events and clubs you’re involved in. Its so easy to grab the food that is most convenient and fight there. And then when studying, all you want to do is snack to help keep you awake. So we naturally gravitate towards the candy, cookies, ice cream, and whatever we want. We go into the cafeteria and there is an endless amount of all different kinds of foods ranging from pizza to sushi to burgers to pasta. I mean how are we suppose to keep our diet structured when we feel like we can’t even do that with our day to day living? So is it even possible to eat healthy while in college?
My answer to that question is absolutely. All it takes is a little planning, self control, and research. Here are a few different ways that I have found it easy to eat healthy while in school.
The first thing is: You MUST research. Before you do anything you need to get on the computer and figure out what foods your body needs and what are the best options of those foods to eat. If you don’t have the basic information of what is good for you and things to be aware of then there is no way that you will be able to supply your body with the nutrients in needs for day to day life. Also, make sure you are getting your information from reliable sources. Make sure they are doctors, nutritionists etc and not just people who wrote on article on buzz feed. Now this also means doing research on the foods at your school. So for example, for us at CBU look up the health and macro nutrient facts for Chick-fil-a, El Monte, and Briscos. Find out which foods have a lot of sodium and fats that you don’t want and stay away.
My next suggestion would be to meal prep. Look at your whole week on Sunday and figure out what days you will be limited for time for meals or maybe have a class during lunch or dinner time. Make meals ahead of time and bring them with you. Do you have an early morning class that you always roll out of bed a couple minutes before it starts, therefore you miss breakfast or sit in class starving? Make your breakfast the night before. Hard boil and peel some eggs the night before and have them in a baggy in the fridge so that you can grab and eat them on your way to class. Or make oatmeal and warm it up in the morning with a little bit more liquid. This way you don’t end up grabbing the quick greasy breakfast burrito or have to sit in the cafeteria while you eat, therefore making you late to class.
Okay, come on Lancers, confession time. We all take advantage of the desserts that come with a meal swipe. I mean, how do you not? Sometimes it feels life if I don’t take the dessert from Chick-fil-a that I am losing money since it comes with my meal swipe. And we tell ourselves, “well its just on cooke/ice cream/ brownie/soda.” But reality is that its just one dessert almost everyday. That adds up! So my next tip; say NO to dessert. When that really nice chick-fil-a lady asks you if you want an ice cream or a cookie with your meal, just say no dessert. Don’t grab one to have a bite or two an then throw it away because we almost always end up eating the whole thing. Now don’t get me wrong, its okay to have those things every now and then. But its all about moderation. Pick your times ahead of time and pick wisely.
The last thing I have on how to make eating healthy easier in college is control the stress snacking. You know what I’m talking about. Those late nights studying at the library. Those are the nights where we pig out on junk food. And personally, I am someone who loves to snack while I do homework. Snacking while doing homework is not bad but its all about choosing the right foods to snack on and the right amount. Instead of chips and cookies, grab a handful of almonds or some fruit. It all comes back to doing your research and finding foods that you like that are good for your body.
I know sometimes it feels like it is impossible to eat healthy while in college, but it is possible! And don’t worry if you aren’t always able to do it right. If you forgot to make breakfast the night before, it is better to eat that breakfast burrito from the CX than nothing at all. Treat your body well and make sure you are listening to it and paying attention to what works and what doesn’t work for you.
Here are some ways to figure out what is in your Chick-fil-a and El Monte
www.chick-fil-a.com/food/meal
www.calbaptist.edu/files/5414/2023/9983/Nutritional
Makayla Crowley
Student Worker
College of Health Science