College is a freeing experience for many students, and the removal of parental control is often greeted with a great deal of relief. However, this new-found freedom often translates into poor and unhealthy dietary habits, the dreaded “freshman fifteen,” health problems, bad skin and lowered grades. Eating out and frequenting dining halls, in addition to eating junk food, are some of the easiest ways to disrupt formerly healthy eating habits. Fortunately, it’s simple to eat well, even away from home.
College Dining Halls
Most colleges and universities provide their students with a meal plan and one or more dining halls at which to eat. Unfortunately, most of the food served in dining halls is loaded with preservatives and starches; buffet style dining presents opportunities for sicknesses to spread, and the choices offered to students are not always the healthiest.
Since students have the opportunity to make their own meals, it also becomes much easier to make ice cream and some soda into a substitute for dinner. While the freedom of dining choices given in dining halls is refreshing, it also leaves a lot of room for poor dietary choices.
Students and Junk Food
Ordering a pizza and eating chips is a mainstay meal for many college students, along with pop and energy drinks like Red Bull. Students frequently rely on short bursts of energy provided by sugar and caffeine to get them through the day, and then stay up late into the night before they crash.
The constant fluctuation of energy levels can wear down a student’s immune system and make them more susceptible to catching illnesses. Junk food and energy drinks will also quickly contribute to the freshman fifteen, and surviving on pizza and other snacks is not likely to keep a student healthy for long.
Forming Healthy Eating Habits
It is important to discuss eating habits with students before they leave for college. If they have a mini-fridge or access to a kitchen, students should be conscious of the types of things they fill it with. Pop, beer and lunchmeat will not help keep a student healthy.
When attempting to form eating habits that will contribute to a healthy weight and immune system, start by filling a min-fridge with fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods. Replace Red Bull with fruit juice or water bottles and buy bags of salad instead of bags of chips. By making healthy snacks available, a student is more likely to eat them as opposed to going out for fast food or ordering a pizza.
When eating out or in a dining hall, students should monitor what they put on their plates and how much of it they eat. It’s easy for one dish of ice cream to become two, and cutting back on unhealthy desserts can help students maintain the weight they want.
In addition to avoiding the freshman fifteen, students who snack on proteins and foods like nuts, apples and other healthy things are more likely to concentrate better in class, get better test scores and generally earn higher grades in their academic years. Maintaining a healthy diet is one of the easiest things a student can do to help them achieve their academic goals.
Simple Recipes for College Students
Making a healthy meal can seem like a challenge for a student who is used to parental cooking. However, going grocery shopping once a week and exploring the different types of foods that are available can help students learn how to manage their diets. One of the easiest meals or snacks a college student can make is the prepackaged macaroni and cheese.
Although macaroni and cheese itself is unhealthy, the pasta can be a base for a healthy meal; by using only half of the packaged cheese that comes with the product and mixing in vegetables like onions, garlic, cucumber, zucchini and spinach, it’s a matter of a few minutes for a college student to create a healthy meal.
Exploring other creative ways to prepare food can give students greater control over their diet, which in turn will encourage them to seek out healthy ways to eat. (Source: 15 Diet Tips for College Students)
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