You know how it is, in college you drink down caffeine to stay awake and study all night and in the morning you stick some ramen noodles in the microwave and eat it while you finish your homework. However, this is not how humans beings were supposed to eat. During your college years, eating healthy is very important. Having a bad diet for the four plus years you spend in school can ruin you. Forming good eating habits in college can help you to eat better for the rest of your life. Also, this is a very important time for your body. If you eat healthy while you are in college, then your body will be better for it. Your body is still young and able to recover quickly now, but if you want it to continue to serve you well later in life, you must eat healthy now.
Here are some quick tips for eating better while in college without going completely broke.
First of all, get a good idea of how much money you can use to buy food each week. Whether it’s fifty dollars (aren’t you lucky?) or ten, get an idea of your budget. Factor in meals you eat at the cafeterias on campus. Find out how much you eat each week. If you have to, experiment for a few weeks to get a feel for what you can live on. Find a medium ground between starving and over-eating that you are happy with and stay there.
After you have budgeted your money for food and have a good idea of how much you can give up each week, take a look at the tips below for eating healthier.
Don’t eat just because you are bored or studying. Sure, your mind wants something else to do besides the math or history in front of you, but mindless eating is never a good thing and it can lead to weight gain and over eating. Instead, try drinking water. Half of the time, when you think you are hungry, you are really just thirsty. So drink some water and see if it helps. If you are still hungry, then by all means, eat something. But make sure you are really hungry.
Invest in a few healthy foods. Almonds are a great thing. Yes, they are a little bit more pricey, but they can be worth it. You can keep them in a bag in your backpack to munch on during class or while studying someplace. Almonds can fight hunger and that can help you focus. They are also good for you.
Cut back on or cut out the energy drinks and coffee and sodas. Yes, these are the first things you reach for when you know an all-nighter or early morning is coming, but it is not always the best for your body. You may hate it now, but your body will thank you later for giving these things up. Plus, replacing sodas and coffee and energy drinks with water or fruit juices can save you some money. If you can, try to cut these three things from your diet completely. If you can’t, then try to cut back. A lot. Save the energy drinks for only when you absolutely have to have one. Save the coffee only for early mornings and save the soda for special occasions. Drink more water and real fruit juices.
Cut back on or cut out the snack foods and junk foods. Try to eliminate all of the junk foods and foods high in sugar or salt from your diet, such as potato chips and cookies and ice cream and candy. This should also save you some money, since most snack foods us college students enjoy can be a pricey buy at the campus cafe or vending machine. The more you can cut out of your diet, the better.
Choose to eat more fruits and vegetables. Eat more bananas, apples, oranges, grapes, and raisins (easy to keep in a backpack). If you don’t get these at the cafe, then see if it is in your budget to buy some. Also, eat salads more when you go to the cafe. Bonus points for loading up on the veggies on your salad and going without dressing.
Want to really save money and eat healthier? Buy a loaf of wheat bread and a jar of peanut butter and make yourself a peanut butter sandwich for meals. The peanut butter will fill you up and you’ll get some protein. Also, wheat bread is so much more healthier than white bread. It has more nutrients. You can also add jelly (duh!) or sliced bananas. And you can take the sandwiches with you to eat later. For another idea and a change of taste, if you have a stove, try grilling your peanut butter sandwich (like you would grilled cheese) and eat it with some jelly on top or by itself.
So, enough of what to cut out of your diet. Here are some foods you should add, most on the cheaper side: yogurt, apple sauce, eggs, rice (especially the bagged kind so you can microwave it), orange juice, fruit juices, milk, nuts, fruits, vegetables, ramen noodles (for a new twist on ramen, instead of using the seasoning packages they give you, you can mix in sliced tomatoes and add a light Italian dressing or you can buy a cheap jar of spaghetti or Alfredo sauce and mix this in for cheap Italian eating), wheat bread and bagels, jelly, peanut butter (great on bananas and apples), cold cereals low in sugar like Cheerios or Kix, popcorn, and lunch meats for sandwiches are some great starter ideas.
Bargain shop whenever you can. Cut back on ordering pizza and going out to eat. It will save you money in the long run that you can use for other things (gas money!). So clip coupons and make a budget. Make a list of foods you want before you go shopping and stick to your list so you are not tempted to over-spend. Drink more water and recognize the difference between being truly hungry, bored, or thirsty. Most of all, enjoy college and eat right.
