The stereotypical “American meal" that people think of probably includes a greasy hamburger, french-fries and a Coke. There's nothing wrong with this kind of food every once in a while, but the bottom line is this type of eating is not healthy and certainly won't get your body ready for bathing suit season.
We live in a sugar society and a world full of unhealthy food at our reach. It's so easily accessible, especially in college, which is why it doesn't take much to gain the infamous freshman 15. For the first time in your life, you're living on your own and making decisions about what you should and shouldn't eat. You may overindulge in the dining hall and especially in sugary and salty snacks for long study sessions. The more you laze around and watch Netflix in bed, the more prone you are to crave junk food and less prone to go on a run.
College is a time of change and adaptation, which can often trigger overeating and using food as a comfort to deal with stress or boredom. When you're always in a rush, trying to juggle days filled with classes, homework, clubs, and social activities, controlling what you eat may not be on the top of your priority list.
But college is also the place where you can start breaking bad eating patterns and replacing them with healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime. College kids need scheduled mealtimes and high-energy food to keep them going.
A lot of people don't eat healthy simply because they are uneducated about it, they don't know what to eat, or what portion size to eat. There are all kinds of crazy diet plans out there, but the fact is college kids don't have the time, attention or money to devote to all of that. Luckily there are plenty of nutritious food options that help curb your appetite and are known as “brainpower foods" that are perfect for snacking and stocking up on.
15 Power Snacks
- Trail mix
- Yogurt
- Popcorn
- Banana with peanut butter
- Granola bars
- Edamame
- Carrots with hummus
- Cheesesticks
- Dark chocolate
- Apples
- Avocados
- Kale/spinach
- Blueberries
- Eggs
- Smoothies
By eating healthy along with being active and going to the gym a few times a week, it is 100% possible to beat the freshman 15. You will feel better about yourself and much less guilty about that late-night pizza you splurged on. But most importantly, don't worry so much about the number on the scale; let your happiness be determined by how you feel about yourself.
