How to eat healthy....IN COLLEGE!?

              Lil Miss Strong's Tiny Tip #8: When it comes to Big Bad college, make substitutions, be mindful...but have fun! Because YOLO.


I'm in college, and a lot of you are too. As ladies, when we graduate from high school, college is incredibly exciting! But after the new roommates and dorm life wear off, we become paralyzed with fear about the "freshman 15" and realize what a challenge it is to eat healthy on our own. The problem is that for most people, dorm rooms don't have refrigerators and stoves, and cafeterias serve pizza and hearty home cooked foods. So how in the world can you maintain a healthy diet in college, stay lean and fit, and kill the freshman 15...or 20 lb. rumor? Here are my tips.

Protein bars, ezekiel bread, muscle
milk, protein powder...all great to
have on hand and in between
classes! ;)

First of all, as I keep suggesting, eating tiny meals throughout the day are best, because they keep your metabolism in check. If you eat 3 giant main meals a day...breakfast, lunch and dinner, you may tend to eat large portions, overeat because of hunger, and your metabolism can spike a lot throughout the day. If you eat about 6 small meals a day, you won't suffer from starvation after long classes. Some college lectures and classes permit you to eat a little something, but if you can't, pack a snack or meal in your bag for in between classes and breaks. Try to eat about every 2-3 hours.

The BIGGEST problem people have when it comes to eating healthy in college is money. Organic food is expensive when you're a college student and have a budget! Always look out for sales and markdown deals at grocery stores, and also buy storable foods in bulk because that can be less expensive. I thought it was a really great idea to buy bags and bags of potatoes my freshman year, and I ended up not using them...so I woke up one day...and all I had were bags of moldy potatoes everywhere and wasted money. Only buy bulk foods that you know you will use!

IF YOU WANT TO EAT YOUR OWN FOOD:
And you live in a dorm that does not have a refrigerator or stove, here are some foods that you can keep in your room:

- canned tuna and sardines = protein
- whey protein powder = protein
- oatmeal (packets) = carbs

Sweet potatoes are a great carb source....add
some honey and cinnamon for a dessert, or
plain yogurt for dinner!

- canned vegetables = carbs  
- apples and bananas
- brown rice = carbs
- potatoes/sweet potatoes = carbs
- olive oil = good fat
- peanut butter
- coconut water in cans
- nuts/bulk
- canned soup
- raw honey
- whole grain bread
- protein bars
- whole wheat cereal/bran

IF YOU HAVE A MEAL PLAN AND EAT FROM THE SCHOOL CAFETERIA:

Breakfast: Don't eat the pastries, white bread, sugary juices, lucky charms, french toast, waffles. IF IT DOESN'T DECOMPOSE INTO THE GROUND....NO. Yes, pancakes are amazingly good but staying fit takes discipline. You have to say no. Have a little bit of yogurt, add some fruit, and have an egg or hardboiled egg if they are at the salad bar. Oatmeal is also great...add some nuts and fruit.

Lunch: Pizza = no. Creamy pastas = no. Hamburgers and fries = no. Go for a lean protein with some good carbs and vegetables. Fill your plate up at the salad bar, and then find something like chicken, fish or turkey with some rice or potatoes. Make a sandwich with whole wheat bread, turkey, vegetables. Adding things like mayonnaise and cheese  (or creamy dressings on your salad) are little things that can definitely add up, so skip them.

Yes, pastries are SOOO good. But
eating them for breakfast before
class everyday is not. 

Snacks: Unsalted raw nuts, apples, low-fat cottage cheese, vegetables sticks and carrots. No chips, fries, cookies and crackers. We don't really think about it, but even snacking every night on a roll of ritz crackers while studying in the library adds up.

Dinner: Mix it up...don't eat the same thing every night. Lean meat like chicken and fish, salad, rice, potatoes. Try making little substitutions...a lot of people take a baked potato and top it with sour cream and bacon bits. That's caloric. Take your baked potato and top it with plain or vanilla yogurt or a little cottage cheese, and some spinach or bell peppers. It really makes a difference.

I learned one thing from college about food...It is really easy to get carried away and eat too much, but it's also very easy to be too strict and not enjoy your food. I got into a bad habit of eating the same thing every night because the cafeteria didn't have a lot of options, and I was working out really hard everyday. After awhile, my body couldn't really keep going on plain chicken and salad. I got so sick of eating sweet potatoes that I never wanted to look at one again. If you are too strict, you'll end up breaking down and binging at some point. There were nights when I'd get a carb craving and eat an entire box of special K cereal. You need to go with the flow with your food, and mix things up while maintaining a healthy diet.

Last but not least...one of the biggest causes of weight gain in college is partying, and no one ever realizes that. There are parties every night in college...bars everywhere, social drinking and alcohol (if you're of legal age, of coursee)...alcohol is very caloric and can really start to add up. If you are trying to really tone up and get fit, cutting alcohol or reducing it to a minimum is a very wise move.

Remember that college isn't an evil place that guarantees overeating and weight gain. You're now on your own...meaning you have to be the one responsible for your own health. If you don't want to overeat, or gain weight, then don't.

EAT WELL, LIVE IT UP, AND BE HAPPY!
-Little Miss Strong