At one point in your college career, you’ve laid in your bed accompanied by a pool of Pringle crumbs, or have had to wash the Easy Mac cheese off of your sheets. For midterms and finals, we college students, tend to collect all the tastiest snacks in order to stay awake all night studying. You think you’ll go to the gym later to make up for the guilt of choosing unhealthy foods. Sometimes you even think of skipping your next meal, right? Wrong! Eating healthy or in moderation, all starts with the simple choices we make in our already stressful lives. To avoid the guilt of eating unhealthy, here is a guide for healthier snacking that could get you through a tough semester.
Decide whether you’re actually hungry or just bored.
“I literally don’t know why I just ate that” is something we say too often. There are many things that can disguise our hunger. Food is a great way to distract, comfort, and entertain us as college students. Seriously ask yourself, why do you feel hungry? There must be something triggering this temptation.
Choosing Water or Food?
Being thirsty is sometimes hidden within the temptation to eat. Try drinking a cold glass of water before you dive into a snack and see if you’re still hungry after. Works every time!
Maybe you are actually hungry…
If you figured out that you’re hungry for the right reasons, then that’s great! Now it’s up to you to decide what to nourish your body with for the day. Choose the healthy snack over the not so healthy option.
Munch on this, not this:
- Veggie chips, not Pringles chips.
- Fresh fruit, not candy.
- Yogurt, not ice cream.
- Rice cakes, not bread.
- Annie’s Macaroni Organic or Gluten Free, not Kraft Easy Mac.
There is a right time for snack time.
Set a time to snack in between meals. It’ll keep you pushing through the day and keep you relatively full until the next meal. Pick out some day-slaying snacks you can keep in your bag or make healthy crumbs while lying in bed that you won’t regret later.
Use that Mini Fridge and Microwave.
You have this cute, mini fridge and microwave in your dorm for some reason, so take advantage of it. College students don’t realize all the possibilities and snack options that can be created right in their very own dorm room. Use it to keep fruits and foods like peanut butter fresh, especially after opening anything with a lid. Using the microwave in your dorm room is so convenient. If you have a mug or bowl, it’s so quick and easy to throw a few ingredients in and voilà!
Here are a few ideas of foods to make in the microwave:
- Omelets: http://spoonuniversity.com/recipe/4-mug-recipes
- Brown (healthy) rice: http://homecookingmemories.com/brown-rice-edamame-pineapple-meals-in-a-mug/
- Steamed veggies: https://www.babble.com/best-recipes/the-best-way-to-steam-vegetables-in-the-microwave/
Okay, but what about Monday Bachelor nights?
Emotional, stressful, OMG moments of The Bachelor are the perfect ingredients for making us want to snack on everything in sight. If you’re with your friends, insist on eating some healthy snacks so you’re not tempted into falling for the unhealthy snacks. Pop open the Skinny Pop or butter-less popcorn and feel guilt free as you make fun of Nick crying every weekend.
Give yourself a cheat day.
We can only last so long until we want to eat a pizza roll, am I right? Pick a time, instead of spending the entire day to cheat on your healthy snack plan. Instead of eating your yogurt, go ahead and eat your favorite Ben and Jerry’s ice cream flavor. Snack cheating keeps us sane and young, choose wisely.