Hi everyone! Welcome to my first series of Healthy Living While on a College Blog. I am very new to this so please bare with me as I go. So let’s get down to business shall we? Let me tell you folks the “freshman 15” is REAL. Don’t count yourself short, because it will creep onto you out of nowhere. As I approach my senior year (CRAZY), I want to share some helpful 101 tips on how to be healthy in college.
Make smart choices in the dinning hall.
Self control is the most important thing when it comes to a college dinning hall. Here are some tips that I have found to be helpful when trying to decide what to eat.
- Fruits and veggies are your friend.
- Hit up the salad bar.
- Look at the nutritional cards before.
- Grilled not fried.
- Avoid overeating.
- Skip the desert or only once a week.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Even if you wake up at lunchtime or in a hustle to get to class, it’s important to try and squeeze a healthy breakfast that is full of high fibers. Eating a healthy breakfast will increase your metabolism and help give you that boost to get through your busy day. My new go to breakfast is an avocado on a lightly salted rice cake with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, Trader Joes Everything But The Bagel Seasoning, and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper. It’s all about the creativity!
Examples of healthy breakfast:
- Greek Yogurt
- Fruit
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Natural peanut butter
- Fruit
- High fiber cereal
- Granola bars
- Avocado toast – watch the carbs!
Have healthy snacks in your room.
It is okay to sometimes indulge on that McDonalds after a good night out or that late night pizza, but limit yourself to it once a week. One tip too is limiting yourself to 3 meals a day and a couple healthy snacks.
Healthy snack examples:
- Granola Bars
- Whole grain crackers
- Pita bread
- Trail Mix
- Oatmeal
- Nuts
- Fruit
- Baby carrots
- Celery
- Hummus
- Yogurt
- String Cheese
Knowing your limit.
Most students come to college not knowing their limit with alcohol. Most alcoholic beverages are high in calories. If you are of age, pay attention to the ABV of the drink you are about to pick up and as well as the calories. A night out of drinking can be exactly what you need after a long week but you need to be cautious of what you are putting into your body. Watch the beer belly!
Utilize your campus gym.
Getting into a gym routine is hard. I can speak for myself. But once you get into one you will feel so much better about yourself. Find a workout buddy. When it comes to exercising, you need to figure out what’s best for you. Whether it’s a spin or yoga class, running on the treadmill, or doing your own workout.
Remember too hydrate.
So many college students reach for the soda, coffee, or energy drinks to keep them awake which racks up the calories and we become dependent on them. Instead try to reach for a tall glass of water that will not only do the trick but will also keep you hydrated. A good tip is to carry a water bottle around with you everywhere.
Everyone gains a few pounds while in college. It happens. So put down the scale and stop looking in the mirror because college only happens once and you need to embrace every moment of it.
Healthy Living While on A College Budget 