Eat Healthy In College Skip The Freshman 15

Eat Healthy In College Skip The Freshman 15 The Freshman 15 doesnt have to happen. Start good habits: eat healthy in college (https://www.flickr.com). Just remember: everything in moderation. Don’t let this fight against a few pounds make your life dramatically different, especially if youre hating it. And if my plan isn’t working for you, figure out what does. As kids’ TV tells us, everyone’s different! These should work for any diet just remember balance: get in some whole grains, plants, healthy fats, and protein! For space, I admittedly leave advice without evidence, but research is good for you, right? 1. Watch out for hidden sugar. I was a pretty healthy eater in high school, but my college coaches emphasized how important it is to watch added sugars and that was probably the biggest change in my diet. We tried to keep it to under 10g in a serving as a MAX (hint: look at your flavored yogurt, juice, peanut butter, instant oatmeal packets … and your nutrition bars). Overall, the less, the better. My favorite truly non-sugar alternative is stevia, but watch out the easiest “stevia” to buy is sprinkled into a bag of artificial sweetener. Look for pure stevia extract. Also, if you’re a regular flavored coffee drinker, try asking for half the flavor. That’s usually plenty for me. I don’t like sugar-free syrup because they’re all artificial sweeteners. 2. Eat more veggies.  When you fill up half your plate with vegetables, you’ll finish full and not need another roll. Now, you don’t believe me if your go-to veggie is a romaine salad. But try roasted brussels sprouts, baked sweet potatoes (pro tip: microwave ‘em in your hall just like a normal potato!) or a hefty, colorful salad filling a whole second plate. You’ll be surprised. The extra vitamins won’t hurt either. Remember, healthy eating gets easier as you get in the habit. 3. Eat breakfast and snacks.  Please don’t just eat lunch and dinner and the 10:00 p.m. snack. Just read up on eating schedules regular moderate meals are better. Personally, I like to try to eat first thing and then basically every two hours, until two to three hours before bedtime. By the way, you won’t fail college if you don’t eat Top Ramen every day. I haven’t had a bowl in years. Microwavable mac n’ cheese … okay, yeah, once in a while.   4. Snack smart. Try for protein and fiber in a snack, so you stay full until the next meal.  Also, try eating vegetables like carrots or fruits like apples or bananas as part of that!  You can do snacks cheap, too; just avoid buying all individually wrapped snacks. For convenience, though, my all-time favorite affordable granola bar is Kashi Sea Salt Chocolate Almond  (try Costco for the best price). On bars, look for more protein than sugar!   5. Just say no sometimes. To drugs, yes; but also to free donuts (they’re everywhere). Same goes for the late-night fast food run and daily coffee shop runs. I don’t know enjoy your friends, commune over food! It’s great! But keep treats special. If you eat two desserts a week, they’ll taste sweeter. Believe me I had around one small dessert a month during track season. Think: is this treat worth it? If I’ve had it before, how does it taste? Will it really make my day better right now? Generally, I don’t eat treats that aren’t “worth it” everyday, stale, generic. Go for a world-famous cookie or a decadent homemade brownie. Donuts have zero nutritional value, but youll see them at least once a week free or way cheap. Be satisfied with imagining that predictable taste or splitting it with a friend most of the time, and treat yourself once in a while! (commons.wikimedia.org) These are guidelines of healthy eating in college that worked for me. Please don’t hold to them like religious law. Sometimes I get caught up in healthy eating like it’s a measure of my moral success. It can make me crazy and obsessed. All I encourage you to do with this article is take courage: you can come home from semester 1 healthier, if you want to, by being conscious of what you eat.