We’ve all been there. You’ve just had a fabulous girls’ night out where you danced your worries away and scored a cute new guy’s number. You make your way home with your best friends, finally kick off your heels – and it hits you. You are suddenly so ridiculously hungry that you will stop at nothing to consume the greasiest food in a 5-mile radius. At this point, you could make devouring half a pepperoni pizza by yourself look as effortless as your outrageous dance moves from earlier that evening. You’ve officially succumbed to the “drunk munchies.”
When you consume an alcoholic beverage (21 and up please!), your body responds by lowering the glucose levels in your blood. This may result in feelings of lethargy, increasing your body’s cravings for carbohydrates and thus making you incredibly hungry at the end of the night. Often times, we collegiettes fail to recognize the sheer amount of calories we consume during these late night activities – the beer and the pizza together could add up to almost an entire day’s worth! We’ve got your back at Her Campus, and we’ve compiled our own edition of “Eat This, Not That” for your late-night Harrisonburg dining experiences!
When you crave: Domino’s Pepperoni Pizza (290 Calories/Slice)
Instead, choose: Lean Cuisine Traditional Pepperoni Pizza (380 Calories/Pizza)
Honestly, who eats just one slice of Dominoes? (My record is five….) When you’re tempted to reach for the box, you should instead stock up on a few frozen Lean Cuisine pizzas. They’re yummy, you don’t have to tip the delivery driver and you can eat the entire pizza without feeling guilty! These pizzas come in a variety of toppings and are cheap in cost; they’re even high in protein!
When you crave: Jimmy John’s Club Lulu (755 Calories)
Instead, order: Jimmy John’s Turkey Tom Unwhich, hold the mayo (217 Calories)
Jimmy John’s is the downfall of all female college students at 2 a.m. on a Saturday night. It’s freaky fast and it’s in sandwich form, so it’s healthy right? The French bread and mayonnaise add an astounding 500 calories and 60g of carbohydrates to your sandwich, so do away with them and get your sandwich as an “Unwich” (wrapped in lettuce instead of bread). You’ll get the same great taste without all the extra carbs.
When you crave: Dave’s Taverna Express Chicken Souvlaki (632 Calories)
Opt for: Pita chips and your favorite brand of hummus (Varies)
Dave’s Express is known for its awesome Greek food and delivery until 4 a.m. However, all that tzatziki is wreaking havoc on your balanced diet! When you want that Greek-inspired taste, purchase pita chips or whole-wheat pita bread from your choice of grocery store and pair with your favorite flavor of hummus. You can even heat it up or add veggies for some added flair. Hummus comes in an endless variety of flavors, so you’ll never get bored! My personal favorite is Sabra’s spinach and artichoke hummus.
When you crave: Basically anything from Cookout
Try eating: Anything that is leaner and less processed. If chicken nuggets are your thing, Purdue makes great frozen chicken nuggets that can easily be cooked in your oven at home (The Simply Smart brand racks up only 150 calories per serving). Morningstar offers microwaveable veggie corndogs that are 150 calories per corndog and taste just as great as the real thing. Some grocers even offer “healthier” microwave burritos in single servings that are less than 300 calories each.
It can be tough to stick to a healthy diet in college, especially when we have a tendency to reach for the phone and order whatever looks good at the time. If you plan ahead, however, and pick up a few items to keep in your kitchen you can wind up saving a lot of calories and money on the weekends. Think smart, but remember it’s always OK to “treat yo’self” every once in a while. Happy munching!