Women’s Health: Eating Healthy in the Dining Hall

Hey Guys! Welcome back to the Health Series! 

Today I wanted to talk about my favorite thing ever: FOOD! I love food. Honestly, give me a good meal and I’m set for the day. The thing about food is that even though it tastes good, most of the time it probably isn’t. As a college student, it’s hard to eat right because you have all these wonderful options right in front of you and there is no one around to tell you not to eat it. That’s both a “yay” thing and a “nay” thing, and here’s why. Your independence is a great thing as a college student, and that’s the yay part of it. You get to make your own decisions, for you, yourself, and you. But the nay part of it is that you might not really know how to make the best decisions for your body. Now, everyone knows that eating 5 slices of pizza in one sitting is not equivalent to eating a salad (I wish), but it’s important to know how to eat and how to maintain a healthy lifestyle when in college. As my parents love to remind me, and they’re not wrong, the decisions you make now when it comes to food, diet and exercise will have a big impact on your body when you’re older. So, let’s get started on how to eat better in the dining hall!

1. Breakfast: I know everyone loves to go straight to the grill to get your Bacon, Egg, and Cheese, but the dining hall also serves oatmeal on a daily basis. Ew, right? No way. There are ways that you can add to your oatmeal to make it more to your liking. If it’s a texture thing, I can’t really help you with that, but it’s alway safe to add more milk! I always add some raisins and milk, and sometimes a little brown sugar just to give it that extra flavor. Very little though, as I’m still trying to get my energy from the oats and not trying to increase my sugar intake :) 

2. Skip the tots, and go for the fruit! I cannot tell you how deep my love for tots is. I mean, whoever decided to make them that first time, what an amazing accomplishment, the world has been changed forever! Unfortunately, it’s not the greatest thing for you so what I do now is that I usually switch it up. Instead of having tots with my meal, I go for both a nice fruit salad and either orange or grapefruit slices. Not the same thing, I know, but fruit tastes amazing and it gives you vitamins and nutrients that tots definitely don’t provide. I still get tots once a week, twice if I feel like I’ve been eating well, but that’s the extent of it. This brings me to my next point.

3. Eat what you want, but not all of it. I’m not saying you should stop eating pizza, but 5 slices in one sitting may be a bit much. Have a slice (or two, dare I say) but notice how your body reacts. If you start to feel that you’re feeling full, maybe don’t finish that second slice. Trust me, I eat with my eyes, so I understand wanting to stuff your face, but the dining hall is open all day and you can eat whatever you want. Slow down, take your time, you have two semesters to try everything you want. 

4. WATER WATER WATER: I cannot stress enough how important water is for you. Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of soda and I don’t like that we serve it, but again, what you do is up to you. I love water because in addition to staying hydrated, it actually helps fill you up. You may think you’re hungrier than you are, and want to go for that classic Reuben sandwich at the Nosh, but drink a glass of water before heading to the dining hall, and see how you feel. I don’t know if this happens to you guys, but the line between being hungry and being dehydrated is very thin for me. Sometimes if I drink water, I realize that I’m not as hungry as I thought I was and I don’t end up eating as much. It’s helpful!

5. Lunch and Dinner: Something that I do when I enter the dining hall is walk through all the stations. I go to Magellan’s, the Grille, the Nosh, Chef’s table, you name it. I like to know my options. When I’ve seen everything, that’s when I head to salad station or the station with the most veggies. I like to start my meal off with greens. I’ll make a salad, or get a small plate and ask for all the veggies. This way, I start off my meal with the healthy foods and I don’t forget to eat them after having my real meal. Starting off with my salad also helps me be aware of how much I ate and if I really have to get a lot more food. Another piece of advice? Getting a smaller plate or asking for smaller portion sizes. If I really am still hungry, I always have the option of getting more this way. 

6. What if I don’t like anything?: If that’s true, than I am sorry. Personally, I love our dining hall. They have an eclectic menu that celebrates different cultures and foods that make it a diverse place to eat and learn. But, despite this amazing cultural experience, others may not feel the same. Honestly, besides the stations, there are many other ways of making food for yourself without the help of others. You can make new meals by putting together various items from each station to make something unique. Make your own toasted garlic bread. Make your own tuna salad. Carrots and celery with ranch, great party food! There are a lot of different options, so be openminded.

Honestly, I love that I decided to change the way I eat at the dining hall because I made the smarter and healthier decision without anyone telling me and I feel like I’m getting the most out of the Dining Hall experience. Don’t go for what is so obviously yummy (and unhealthy). Look around you, see what there is and try something new. Going for the same old thing gets boring after a while. Change it up! 

I hope you guys enjoyed this article on healthy eating in the dining hall! Next week I will be discussing something I love love love more than I do food: COFFEE! Coffee and college, are they truly meant to be? Find out next week!