How To Eat Healthy in College (or in Life)

DISCLAIMER: The title should actually be “How To Eat Healthier in College (or in Life).”

But you know what? That title just doesn’t sound as nice. Besides, for college students, you’re generally too busy (yeah, studying, if you say so) and/or don’t have the money to go grocery shopping frequently. So you probably rely on a lot of cafeteria, fast, and pre-prepared foods. We know this. We don’t really expect you to actually eat healthy all the time, we’re just hoping you will at least try to eat healthier.

In general: cafeteria, fast, and pre-prepared foods are loaded with saturated fat, carbohydrates, and sodium (too much of any of these is bad--JSYK).

NOTE: A healthy diet also helps improve mental alertness, concentration, and memory. Read this for more information (while it specifically addresses ADHD, it’s great advice for others too).

If you believe brain function is not important in your everyday life, well, I probably won't be able to help you. But feel free to keep reading anyway.

So what if you feel like a dork? Grow up already. Prepare your own lunch and take it with you. You’ll be less tempted by cafeteria and fast food and you can use a cold pack to keep the food cool. You can also put leftovers in it for a snack or another meal later.

What, you have a food card? Awesome. Save your food credit for days when you’re in a hurry (have tests or a hot lunch date). That way you can afford healthier food rather than eat the cheap crap (crappy food is usually cheaper when you’re are eating out, JSYK).

If you think about it really hard, I’m sure you can come up with several reasonably healthy foods that you don’t mind eating on a regular basis. Good. Purchase them. For perishables: try to eat them before the expiration date (it’s there for a reason). Most leftovers are okay for 3-5 days. Find out where you can get access to a microwave for food that needs reheated. Or eat it cold; some foods you’d think have to be heated actually taste okay cold—go ahead, just try it, you may be surprised.

1. STOP DRINKING SO MUCH SODA AND SWEETENED DRINKS! JUST STOP IT!!!! Juice and power drinks aren’t really better choices. Keep it to one or two sweet drinks and/or juices and power drinks a day (and no, that does not mean two of each category is okay per day, btw :-/). Don’t overdo the coffee either; try green or herbal tea without sugar or honey—it may take some getting used to but you will get used to it! Don’t be such a friggin’ wuss already.
2. WATER! WATER! WATER! Carry a water bottle with you every single day. If you don’t like tepid water and don’t have room in your so-called dorky lunch tote (or access to a fridge): fill the bottle about two-thirds full (never totally full, it might explode) and freeze it the night before. Top it off with more water before you leave.
3. Consider what you are likely to buy during the day and if you do buy something, save some of it for a snack or part of another meal later in the day. If the weather is warm/hot, know how long your cold pack will keep food cool and be very careful with things like mayo and milk-based products like ranch-dressing, cheese, etc. (botulism is not fun, trust me!).
4. If you have lunch with a couple friends, each of you bring one healthy course or food group. Also, get together once or twice a week with roommates or friends and take turns cooking for each other or cook together. Find creative ways to make high-fat meals healthier. EXPERIMENT.

1. Buy fruits and vegetables at the store (assuming you have refrigerator space). Never put bananas in the fridge btw, they actually turn brown faster. Several fruits and vegetables can be kept for short periods of time without refrigeration (if you’re reading this, you likely have internet access, google for more info).
2. Fresh are usually best but frozen are also good (remember: they can get freezer burn if you don’t eat them within a couple months). NOTE: You can freeze some fresh fruits and veggies yourself (assuming you have freezer space). If you know you will not finish them before they spoil, google how to freeze them (some foods do not freeze well).
3. Canned fruits and vegetables. PROBLEM: the syrup and sodium used to preserve them (this applies to the single-serve plastic containers also). SOLUTION: rinse and drain the contents repeatedly before eating.
4. Eat the fruits and vegetables that you buy. Add extra fruits and vegetable to everything you eat. EVERYTHING! What? Your yogurt/instant oatmeal already has fruit in it? What? Your soup/frozen side dish already has veggies in it? Trust me, THEY DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH! Same with those convenient instant noodle packets and frozen pizzas.

SPINACH: The best all-purpose vegetable there is (imho). It’s the healthiest lettuce you can eat. You can use fresh spinach for salads and for sandwiches. You can add fresh, frozen, or canned spinach to almost anything with a tomato or cheese sauce. You can even add it to chocolate brownies—YES, you heard me correctly, SPINACH IN CHOCOLATE BROWNIES!

GARLIC: It’s one of the healthiest things you can eat on a regular basis (it’s a natural antibiotic). Mince it and add it to just about anything (sauté first if you don’t want too strong a flavor): pasta sauce, mac & cheese, frozen pizza, soups…

GRAPES: Wash ‘em and freeze ‘em. Seriously. My teeth are pretty sensitive so I have to let them thaw a bit before I eat them but they’re the healthiest frozen treat there is.

NUTS & SEEDS: Obviously unsalted are best (another one of those things you can get used to if you bother to make the effort). While they are typically high in fat, they tend to be high in unsaturated fat—which is good for you!

A small serving with some fresh fruit is a great snack and will curb your hunger for longer than just the fruit.

OLIVE OIL (especially EXTRA-VIRGIN): Yes, it’s more expensive than vegetable oil, but it’s worth it! You can use it for cooking, drizzle it on salad (goes great with balsamic vinegar), and even dip bread in it.

If you are going to use it on salad or for dipping bread, I really recommend the Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, mainly because it tastes better (as well as being healthier). There are many kinds of herb-infused and flavored olive oils as well.

So, now you’ve read this article, you may be thinking: but I don’t have time to grocery shop, prepare food, blah blah blah blah blah. I used to think and say the same thing—and I got fat. Stayed fat the whole time I kept saying it too (go figure). Now, I’m at a healthy weight; I’m also happier and have more energy.

So, if you’re just gonna to keep complaining, all I can say is: Waa, friggin’ waa, call a wambulance. But thanks for reading :-D.