When I came to campus, one of the things I was looking forward to (shockingly) was the food. This being my first year of college, I had no expectations for what the food would be like. In my opinion, the dining hall is not the worst place to eat. It could be better, and trust me, there are some bad days, but overall, it’s convenient and ready for you whenever you need it to be. Unfortunately, campus food does not usually fall into the healthy category. After about a week of shoving my face with pizza, burgers, and plates full of fries, I realized that eating healthy makes me feel so much better than all of my junk food cravings. So, about three weeks into college, I decided I would be healthy. Flash forward about 3 days, and I gave up. Eating healthy was so much more complicated than I expected. Finding foods that weren’t tossed in oils and had limited saturated and trans fats and sugars felt impossible. So here are some of the tricks I learned over the past three weeks that helped to try to stay as healthy as possible.
1. Recognize that while it’s not impossible to eat healthy on campus, it will not be clean of everything.
The first tip is that unless you are eating salads without any dressings seven days a week for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, it’s not realistic to be eating as clean as you might at home. Each meal comes with its pros and cons. The key is not to eliminate everything but to be careful of how many “cons” you are consuming. For example, If one meal is high in fat, try to limit the amount of fat in the next meal.
2. Look at the nutrition information to know what you are consuming.
To understand what you’re eating and how to limit it, you need to know what is going into your food. Looking at the daily dining menus and checking the nutritional value is essential to recognize what goes into your body.
3. Try to stay away from fried foods.
If you can, look for a grilled option rather than fried, especially when it comes to chicken.
4. Opt for a vegetable or fruit at every meal.
Vegetables and fruits contain many nutrients and vitamins that we rely on every day. The more you eat, the better you will feel.
5. Be careful of fruits in juices or vegetables tossed in oils and butter.
Especially in the dining hall, some fruits are sitting in juice that is filled with sugar. In addition, vegetables often contain lots of fats, including oil and butter. If these are your only options, still grab them, but note that so you can limit it to your next meal.
6. Give in to your cravings every once in a while
Everything in moderation is also essential to a good diet. If you want ice cream once a week, go for it!! The key is not to eliminate unhealthy foods in your diet but to moderate them as much as possible. Trying to eat healthier can often feel daunting, and many of those feelings come from knowing you can’t eat some of your favorite foods. So, if you’re craving something, eat it as long as you’re moderating what you’re eating.
There is so much more nutrition information, but these are the most important things I found helpful at college. Hopefully, these help with healthy eating on campus!