With limited time and limited budgets, college students face obstacles in building and maintaining healthy diets. Developing healthy eating habits may be challenging, but by making it a priority, a nutritious diet will become easier to integrate into your day-to-day life. Here are some tips to make healthier food choices:
- Don’t skip breakfast. Even if you wake up at noon, begin every day with a healthy breakfast that includes a high fiber starch (or fruit) and lean protein or healthy fat. Not only will it help to help rev your metabolism, stabilize your blood sugar, control your hunger, and boost your energy, but studies have shown that students who eat a healthy breakfast do better in their classes. Even if you don’t have time to have a “sit down” breakfast, keep healthy items in your dorm room for on-the-go breakfasts.
- Stay hydrated. Make sure you're drinking enough water. Carry around a sports bottle filled with water and drink it throughout the day to keep from becoming dehydrated. If you work out, you’ll need even more.
- Sip smart. Replace sugary beverages with better choices! The best thing you can drink is water. You can drink it plain, sparkling, or naturally flavored with fruits or herbs. You can also drink coffee and tea without added sugars.
- Fat is good for you, but make sure you’re eating good fats. Good fats are found in nutritious foods, such as avocados, raw nuts, coconut oil, and fatty fish. You want to avoid the bad fats, which are those found in fried and processed foods.
- Snack smart. Snacks are necessary for combating hunger between meals. Eating a small and balanced snack when you’re feeling hungry will ensure you’re fueled for your day and keep you from overeating at your next meal. As an alternative to unhealthy treats such as chips or candy bars, keep healthy snacks such as raw veggies, yogurt and fresh fruit, popcorn, pretzels, low-fat string cheese, raisins, trail mix, applesauce, and granola bars in your room.
- Eat your colors. The best way to get all of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients you need is to eat a variety of colorful fruits and veggies. Add color to your plate each day with the five main color groups:
- Red & Pink: beets, cherries, cranberries, red apples, tomatoes, red sweet potatoes, watermelons, etc.
- Blue & Purple: blackberries, blueberries, eggplants, grapes, plums, etc.
- Yellow & Orange: apricots, peaches, pineapples, yellow squash, yams, pumpkins, carrots, etc.
- White & Brown: bananas, brown peppers, cauliflower, garlic, dates, mushrooms, onions, etc.
- Green: kale, pears, cucumbers, green onions, spinach, zucchini, avocados, etc.
- Reduce your sugar intake. Eating too much sugar is one of the worst things you can do to your body. It can have many negative effects on your health. Here are some things you can do to reduce your sugar intake:
- Cut back on sugar-filled drinks
- Avoid sugar-loaded desserts. Opt for dark chocolate, fresh fruit, Greek yogurt, or dates.
- Avoid sauces with a lot of sugar, such as ketchup and barbecue sauce
- Avoid processed food
- Read labels
- Don’t keep sugar-filled snacks in your dorm
- Practice mindful eating.
