Eating in college is hard; there are so many unhealthy foods in the dining hall, you make 3 bags of microwave popcorn every Friday night, and there are bound to be 24-hour delivery places around. Everyone is afraid of gaining the "Freshman 15" and while gaining a little weight your first year of college isn't a huge deal, here are simple ways to cut back on calories so maybe your "Freshman 15" can be your "Freshman 5".
1. Replace Soda With Seltzer
While it doesn't have the satisfying taste of artificial colors and corn syrup, seltzer is bubbly and flavorful enough to replace soda. Diet soda could be another alternative, but the artificial sugars are something you probably want to stay away from.
2. Buy Microwave Popcorn Without Butter
Microwave-able popcorn is basically a dorm staple, but it's not super healthy. The sodium and fat content are extremely high, especially when you get the "Butter Lover's" variety. Instead, buy plain microwave-able popcorn and add your own small amount of butter, sugar, or my personal favorite, salt and pepper.
3. Use Skim Milk
Milk is a super easy thing to change. Whether you're using it for cereal, putting it in your coffee, or just drinking a glass, switch to skim milk to cut out unnecessary fat.
4. Give Yourself Enough Time to Eat
Instead of waking up 10 minutes before class and shoving a Snickers bar down your throat, try waking up a little earlier and making yourself a healthy breakfast. Fruits, oatmeal or granola are good options to keep you full until lunch. Also, eating breakfast speeds up your metabolism so you can burn more calories of the not-so-healthy choices you might make later in the day.
5. Use Seasonings
If your dining hall offers vegetables that's a great option, but sometimes they're just steamed and bland. I'd much rather eat Cap'n Crunch for the third meal in a row than eat plain steamed broccoli, too. However, if you buy yourself some seasoning to bring to the dining hall with you, like salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc. eating your vegetables will be a little more bearable.
