As a college student, you will inevitably be bombarded with school works and other activities. Because you have so much to finish, you resort to convenient ways to stuff food in your mouth. To eat quickly, you have no choice but to buy from fast-food restaurants or eat chips to sate your hunger. As a result, you do not have a healthy college diet, and this can cause you more harm than good in the future.
The drastic effects of unhealthy college dieting can be resolved in several ways. It would help if you buy cheap essay or avail yourself of custom writing services. Because they will work on your projects, you can have more time to purchase or cook nutritious food. This way, you will not sacrifice your overall wellness. Besides this method, it would help if you follow the five ways to eat well in college discussed below.
Eat a Hearty Breakfast
When you were in grade school, your parents must have prepared your breakfast every day. They ensured that you had it before going to school because they know how vital it is. Dubbed as the most important meal of the day, breakfast gives you the energy and helps you concentrate on your tasks.
However, you might think that this is easier said than done as a college student living without your parents. While that might be true for most people, you must know that it takes effort to do this. It would be best if you weigh the pros and cons of skipping breakfast and grocery shopping for your supplies. The former saves you time to do other activities, while the latter requires you to take some time to buy and prepare. But by doing it, you can gain more benefits in the long run.
Therefore, part of learning how to eat well in college is evaluating which actions you can do to achieve your long-term goals. By eating a good breakfast every morning, you will feel energized and focused on your tasks. Later on, you will reap the benefits of making this a habit.
Keep Healthy Snacks in Your Bag or Pocket
Often, you will feel your stomach growl while studying. As it happens, you might think that the best way to fill your hunger is by eating sugary or fatty snacks. However, it would be best if you always have healthy snacks inside your bag. While grocery shopping, you should also include them in your list. Look at the nutritional facts and ingredients found on the packaging. For healthier options, you can look for dried fruits, vegetable-based snacks, or wheat bread.
You do not know when your hunger strikes, so it is better to be prepared. This way, you can resist buying from fast-food restaurants. Eating healthy in college also entails utmost discipline, even in simple things.
Visit the Dining Hall Salad Bar
If you live in a dorm, it is tempting to choose the salty, sweet, and fatty food, or basically the ones bad for your health. You might not even think of eating vegetables anymore because no one is telling you to do so. But you must know that fruits and vegetables are necessary for your body as well.
So, it would help if you look around the canteen or dining hall. As you do it, you might stumble upon the pre-cooked balanced meals or salad bar. If you do not like to eat them every day, you can try to have them every other day. This way, you will not feel forced to eat salads. Even if you are away from your parents, you must learn how to eat healthy in college dorms.
Avoid Junk Food
This is not new anymore, but you still struggle with it. Whether you like it or not, you cannot avoid eating junk food altogether. But there is a reason they are called junk food. They do not contribute good nutrients to our bodies, opposite to what the makers claim. These include sugary drinks, pizzas, white bread, French fries, chips, processed meat, etc. If someone asked if you want to order one, think more than once before purchasing. Remember the saying, “A minute on your lips, a lifetime on your hips.”
However, there will be moments you will crave it because you know how tasty they are. Or you will feel the “need” to eat them because you feel sad or tired. In those times, you can consume them moderately or occasionally because doing this in excess is harmful. By doing this once in a while, you will not be depriving yourself. But then, it would still be best to avoid them altogether.
Eat More Fruits and Drink Plenty of Water
As mentioned previously, you need to eat fruits and vegetables every day. You might already be familiar with the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” While this seems unrealistic, you must understand that fruits can keep our bodies healthy. They are packed with many vitamins and minerals our body needs. These include vitamins A, C, and E, zinc, magnesium, and more. Consuming them helps prevent vitamin deficiencies that can lead to fatigue, shortness of breath, weight loss, and so on.
Moreover, you must not forget to drink your eight glasses of water daily. In the midst of your busyness, you might neglect to do this. But you must find a way to remind yourself to drink accordingly. You can set a reminder using your smartphone to help you remember it. Furthermore, it would help if you always bring your water container or tumbler. This way, you can save money from buying expensive bottled ones. In educating yourself on how to eat healthy in college, you will also learn to be economical.
In conclusion, living a healthy lifestyle as a college student may be challenging for so many reasons. It can be because you are now trying to let yourself lose, exploring new things, or becoming busy. However, you must continuously find ways to eat healthy, like eating breakfast, fruits, healthy snacks, and drinking water. You can also look for a salad bar and avoid junk food. But remember that whichever tip you follow, your lifestyle changes will only take effect through your consistency and motivation. Always keep in mind that health is wealth.