Living By Yourself For The First Time? How To Avoid The Freshman 15!

July 26th, 2011 by Crystal Beran| Posted in Apartment Living, College Housing, Going To College, Healthy Apartments, Off Campus Apartments | 2 Comments »

Part II in our ‘Going To College’ Series! (For Part I – a College Packing List click here)

Eating. It’s at the forefront of the activities of every college student. Aside from sleeping and studying, it’s probably the one thing college students spend the most time doing. With all the stress of adjusting to a new environment, friends, work, and lifestyle, food is often something new students forget to think to much about – and consequently there is truth to the rumor of the Freshman 15.

Most students who live on campus will have some sort of meal plan, whether or not their dorm has access to a kitchen. Many schools require that their students eat at least some of their meals at the cafeteria or the various casual restaurants around campus. Whether you have limited access to a shared kitchen or have to rely solely on the food provided in your meal plan, there are a number of things to keep in mind in order to keep healthy while on a meal plan. Eating healthily, while not (usually) a subject in school – is definitely something you can learn how to do well!

Breakfast

For good health, breakfast, though it is often toted as the most important meal of the day, should be light and packed with nutrients. Studies show that people who eat a hearty breakfast don’t tend to cut down on calories for the rest of the day, which means that they tend to eat more than people who have just a light breakfast. Fresh fruit, hot or cold cereals that are low in sugar, non-fat or low-fat milk or yogurt and eggs are all healthy breakfast choices. Fatty meats, sugar filled cereals and breakfast pastries may be delicious, but should only be enjoyed as a treat, every once in a while.

Lunch

Meal plans offer many choices for both hot and cold lunches. Students may be able to choose between a variety of sandwiches, pastas, burgers, pizzas and salads. As with most meals, the college student’s favorites may not be the best for them. A salad with lots of fresh vegetables and a small amount of dressing is always a healthy choice, but be careful when adding too many things like cheese, croutons, seeds and meats to salads, because they can be deceiving in terms of calories. We aren’t suggesting you avoid them entirely – they are what make life delicious as well as diets well-balanced! Just try to be moderate in your choices. For instance, sandwiches made with lean meats, like tuna or turkey are other healthy alternatives, and an apple instead of a bag of potato chips is an easy substitution.

Dinner

There are usually a few alternatives for each dinners, including a vegetarian meal, a salad bar and a couple different meat options. In general, the healthiest meal choices are those that contain lots of vegetables, some starches and a small serving of lean protein, such as legumes or chicken. Heavy meals that contain a large portion of red meat, the generous use of fatty sauces and that go heavy on the starches should only be eaten every once in a while, not every day.

Snacks

Snacks are another important consideration for college students because the long hours studying and walking around campus can make students hungry between meals. Drinking lots of water can help cut down on the between-meal hunger attacks, but there are many times when a student simply needs more to eat. Snacking on chips, candy and soda will do nothing to meet the student’s nutritional needs, so alternatives such as cheese and crackers, fruits, nuts and cereals are a good idea instead. But do be sure to treat yourself once in a while!