As a college student, you’re likely to experience a new way of living, including a change in your eating habits. One of the biggest shocks to new college students is that you no longer have your meals made by your parents, and you find yourself being forced to be independent. With that being said, there are certainly ways to help ensure you are eating healthily while living away from home. Here are five ways to eat well in college.
Eat Breakfast
No matter when you wake up! Regardless of when you raise your head from your slumber, it’s essential that you’re getting breakfast into your body. The health benefits of eating breakfast are clear in that they provide you with the fuel for the day and will help you reduce your snacking. It can be good to have things like porridge and fruit for breakfast, that way you’re getting the food you need to provide you enough energy, but you’re also eating the good stuff too.
Make Healthy Choices in The Dining Hall
When it comes to your meal plan, make sure you’re making healthy choices in the dining hall. With cafeteria food, there are likely to be some foods that will tempt you from your plan but never fear, there will be plenty of choices. Go for something like a grilled chicken sandwich instead of a cheeseburger.
As much as it might be tempting to eat something that you know is going to be bad for you, try to stick with the healthier alternatives and stay on track. Or, if you live in off-campus housing at Ohio University you can do some research that will help you make healthy decisions at the local grocery store.
Don’t Give in to Caffeine
Caffeine seems to be a good solution for those who are needing to wake themselves up, but the truth of the matter is, if you’re getting enough sleep, then you won’t need to drink caffeinated drinks like coffee or energy drinks. If you do, try to cap yourself at one or two per day. Too much caffeine can be bad for your heart and for other parts of your body too.
Buy Healthy Snacks
Healthy snacks are going to ensure you are looking and feeling your best. When we snack, it can often be out of boredom, but you can help that by switching out the unhealthy food for something a little healthier. This might be nuts, popcorn without butter, jerky, etc.
Portion Control
When it comes to looking after your body, there are things that you can do to help control your intake. Portion control is really important; try not to overeat or overindulge when it comes to unhealthy snacks or food. Try to save what you can’t eat, to finish later. Control what you load onto your plate and what snacks you consume throughout the day. Eat a variety of foods so that you’re supplying your body with the nutrients and vitamins it needs to function properly.
College life can be stressful and hard to adapt to as you are adjusting to a variety of different aspects of life, but you should still be able to keep healthy with the food you eat.
