Eating well at college is never easy with late-night studying (and partying!), and with your meal plan, eating well in Hewitt can certainly be difficult. However, your bikini bod isn’t the only thing at stake! The foods you eat affect your energy level, concentration, and memory because your body and brain need the right nutrition to function properly. Lucky for you, here is a cheat sheet to healthy eating at Barnard!
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Grilled Chicken v. Chicken Salad
An often-overlooked part of Hewitt is the grill station. Try filling your sandwich or topping a salad with grilled chicken for added protein. While chicken salad may seem like a perfectly good substitute, the mayo and extra seasoning adds unnecessary fat…no good! Also, cutting and eating the perfectly portioned grilled chicken that Hewitt supplies one bite at a time allows you to feel when you are actually full. Chicken salad, on the other hand, fills up a sandwich with much less chicken (the protein) and has less substance, leaving you unsatisfied and hungry for more.
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Omelette v. Scrambled Eggs
I’m not sure what goes into those Hewitt scrambled eggs but you can be sure that the make-your-own omelet station is much fresher! At the omelet station, you can choose to make an egg-white omelet even and fill it with fresh vegetables of your picking. You also watch the omelet being made, allowing you to know exactly what extra ingredients go into it—definitely a plus with dining hall food!
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Pasta Salad v. Pasta Station
Less is more when it comes to Hewitt pasta. I know those action stations can be tempting with Alfredo and other such sauces, but these sauces add lots of fat and calories to that otherwise delicious meal. Try adding a little olive oil, salt/pepper to your pasta for seasoning and reach for whole-wheat pasta whenever offered. Hewitt delicacies can often be found in the salad section with the garbanzo beans, etc. Pasta salad often makes an appearance there, so test it out for a pasta dish sans the creamy sauces!
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Thin Crust Pizza v. Regular Pizza
Who doesn’t love thin crust pizza?! Luckily, it’s less caloric than normal cafeteria pizza because of the thinner crust, less cheese and fewer toppings. Feta cheese and pesto pizza? Margarita pizza? Yes, please!
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Flavored Coffee v. Cappuccino, Latte, Hot Chocolate.
When you’re exhausted and in need of serious caffeine but don’t want to guzzle down your eighth cup of coffee, that hot chocolate/vanilla latte/cappuccino machine can start to be very tempting! However, these drinks have less caffeine and more fat and calories than plain coffee. Not to mention that they can actually make you feel more tired because of the heaviness of the drink. However, Hewitt offers flavored coffee that varies by day such as vanilla and cinnamon. It’s the best of both worlds—a little flavor, a lot less calories and a lot of caffeine!