I totally get it. Ramen and pizza are the go-to meals for college students. The .99 cent packs of noodles and Domino’s student deals are unbeatable when you are trying to save a little bit of money. I used to be one of those college students but eventually it disgusted me to think about how many dead carbs and how many of those processed, packaged, microwaveable noodles I had eaten. So all in all, I began to change what I ate completely and I was able to do it within a college budget.

The first thing I do in order to maintain a healthier lifestyle is to stop buying dead carbs from the store (by that I mean chips, candy, pastries, donuts, cookies, etc.) and replacing them by buying good carbs such as normal or sweet potatoes, spinach, broccoli (or honestly any vegetable) and fruit. You can find many of these items for under $3.00-$4.00 each at your local grocery store. Most likely, the cost of your favorite bag of cookies is similar to the cost of a few vegetables and fruits; so be wise!

Another way I am able to maintain a healthy diet on a college budget is by making sure I am not buying more than I need. When at the store, it is very easy to over buy and when that happens, you end up throwing out a lot of produce due to simply having too much. If you have time, make a plan of what you want to cook or prepare throughout your week so that you can purchase groceries accordingly. It has always been helpful for me to plan meals that have similar ingredients in them so that I am not purchasing more than what I am able to eat in a certain time frame. A sample of what I like to keep in my kitchen for a few meals is: chicken breast, broccoli, wild or brown rice, green beans, and sweet potatoes. All of these foods are easy to cook and they don’t spoil quickly. (Tip: The chicken can also be put in the freezer if you don’t think you’ll be eating all of it.)

The third way I am able to maintain a healthy diet/lifestyle on a college budget is by making sure that I do not have wandering eyes while at the grocery store. I’m sure some of you can relate; you have your grocery list and you are determined to get in and out of the grocery store but while you were searching for your items, you find things that seem really appealing and you figure that you would grab some “extra” merchandise … This is pure temptation you guys and it is also what runs up the total price on your grocery receipts (trust me). Just don’t do it!

Aside from these ways, I must say that it will not be easy the first few weeks of changing the way you eat. But after you begin to form a liking around certain healthy foods and options, you will become a master of maintaining a healthy lifestyle! Good luck and happy eats to you all!