Eating healthy is probably one of the hardest parts of living on a college campus. From campus events with free ice cream, to carb filled dining hall food, temptation is everywhere. That being said, although we focus a lot on how to eat healthy in college, a lot of people have trouble just eating in college.
I don't necessarily mean this in the sense of an eating disorder. A lot of college students have some sort of dietary restriction or another due to health problems, religious purposes, or other personal reasons. While this sometimes could mean your friend just doesn't join you on your trip to ice cream, sometimes it is a lot more.
My best friend back home, for example, keeps kosher. At home, she never realized this was difficult, but her dining hall at school has a very small kosher food section. She can only attend one of 5 dining halls on campus and usually does not get enough nutrients or protein. The lack of food for people with dietary restrictions is one issue on campus, but not the only one.
There was one time my friends and I were at a local brew pub and sport's bar on campus. I really didn't want to go, but had no excuse not to. Looking at the menu made my heart race and when the waiter came by to take our order, I didn't order anything. Each and every one of my friends turned to me, each of them confused and worried. This was not unusual behavior for me, I often ate small meals or weird combinations of eggs and plain turkey. But for whatever reason this time my friends confronted me about it and started teasing me while I explained why I cannot eat the pizza or mozzarella sticks.
During high school, I had stomach surgery, nothing too serious, but it has greatly affected my life. For a while after surgery, I couldn't eat a lot of foods and even now I have adverse reactions to a lot of food such as dairy, fat, and simple sugars. Partially due to this and partially because it has been so long since I have touched any of this, I stay away from most process foods, red meat, carbs, and dairy.
On a regular basis, I tell people that I am not gluten-intolerant, lactose-intolerant, or anything like that. I had stomach surgery and due to that and other personal reasons, I stay away from a lot of food because we are college kids, I am almost always laughed at and told how stupid I am.
I am not the only one in this situation of weird dietary restrictions, and even people who have more common issues such as lactose allergies, etc. are tired of the laughs and confusion. I feel bad enough when my friends all get a pizza and I can't eat it; all the stares and jokes make it worse.
Yes, I may not eat bread. But you know what, that is my business and it really doesn't matter what you think about my personal choices. The taunting makes it that much harder. I am doing what I need to do to in order to be healthy, and really that is all that matters.
