Healthy eating at college: it's almost an oxymoron. Eating healthy in an atmosphere where you are always stressed and in a rush while simultaneously being offered free pizza around every corner can feel near impossible. However, you don't have to fall into every bad food habit there is and gain the dreaded "Freshman 15." But you don't have to diet or feel like you can't eat fun foods either. It's all about balance. Here are five tips on eating healthier in college that I learned my freshman year!
1. Treat dessert like a reward
You soon realize the temptation to grab dessert at lunch and dinner every day is incredibly tempting. At lunch they have the good brownies and at dinner they got out the cookie dough ice cream. You just can't win. Instead of eating dessert at every meal, try treating it as a reward. Maybe choose a certain day every week as the day you get dessert (at both lunch and dinner if you're feeling it!) That way you aren't eating more of those kind of foods than you should, but you aren't denying yourself of those foods either.
2. Don't hang around the dining hall when you're done eating
I did this and I would always end up eating more, even if I wasn't hungry. By sitting around and seeing people carrying out desserts or more food I would almost always get up and get one more thing, even if I was full. If you leave when you're done, then you aren't tempted to grab food out of boredom.
*TIP: When you leave, grab the fruit, nuts or whatever healthy foods they have laying out with you for snacking later!
3. Drink lots and lots of water
With every sugary drink available, sometimes water turns to the wayside. I found that whenever I drank water at meals and throughout the day, I was so much more energized and felt way less groggy. You may take a lot of bathroom breaks, but staying hydrated is worth it.
4. Stock your dorm room with healthy alternatives
Have I polished off almost an entire tray of Oreos in my room because the dining hall was closed and Oreos were what was available? Most definitely. Am I proud of that moment? No, not at all. If you keep healthy foods in your room, then that is what you eat because that is what is available. Keep your room full of healthy foods with long shelf lives so they don't expire quickly.
*TIP: I like keeping nuts, dried fruit, veggie straws, granola bars, multi-grain crackers or frozen fruit/veggies. The frozen fruit and veggies last way longer, and you can just heat up the veggies when you're ready to eat them!
5. Get the right sized meal plan for you
You honestly may not know right away how much you will actually eat per week, but try seeing how many meals you eat at home per week before moving back to school could help you decide which meal plan is right for you. I made the mistake of getting the biggest meal plan and having so many swipes left, that is was definitely a waste of money. Obviously don't restrict yourself either. Don't get the smaller meal plan just because you want to eat less. Listen to your body and eat when you know you need to. For me, sizing down my meal plan made me eat more mindfully because I could no longer swipe whenever I felt like it.
