This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Northeastern chapter.
If you’re one of the few who has kept their health and weight loss resolution for three months, congratulations! Along with working out regularly, you have to integrate healthy eating habits into your life in order to achieve weight loss. You cannot shed the pounds by only going to Marino! You also need to modify the way you feel about food. It may seem impossible to eat a healthy diet in college: it can be expensive, but with these tips, you can eat healthy, on a budget, and feel better about yourself and your body.
Here are 13 nutrition tips to help Collegiettes continue their New Year’s Resolutions:
- Consider how many calories you are consuming in liquid form each day. Calories are calories regardless of how you consume them. If you cut out your morning glass of O.J., you can subtract 770 calories a week. Those beloved coffees that you suck down religiously at Starbucks and Dunkin may also be detrimental to your waistline. Grande caramel macchiato with skim milk at Starbucks is 190 calories and a grande white chocolate mocha with skim milk is 350 calories. Even simple flavored coffees from Dunkin pack more calories than you think. A medium caramel swirl iced coffee at Dunkin has 170 calories (without cream)! If you cut out these drinks and replace them with water, you will see results in a couple weeks.
- Try eating your sandwiches “open faced.” Use one slice of bread instead of two! One slice of whole wheat bread contains 80 calories. If you have a sandwich five days a week for lunch, you could be eliminating 400 calories from your weekly diet!
- What is a girl’s best friend when she is trying to lose weight? Protein! It keeps you feeling fuller for longer amounts of time. One easy way to get protein is through low-fat dairy products. Greek yogurt packs 10-15 grams of protein per serving. You can even buy some for as little as a dollar per container. Try products like Yoplait’s new Greek 100 line. With 10 grams of protein and only 100 calories, you can have a guilt-free snack that will keep you satisfied.
- In the spirit of protein, peanut butter is another easy way to add protein to your snacks or meals. The average serving of peanut butter has approximately 7-8 grams of protein. In the morning, instead of applying a serving of cream cheese to a bagel and only receiving 2 grams of protein, reach for the peanut butter! The protein will keep you feeling fuller throughout the morning. Peanut butter is also inexpensive and doesn’t expire quickly!
- Salad dressings and salad toppings may just be your enemy. If you look online at calorie contents of entrees at restaurants, you may be surprised to see that salads have as many calories as most of the other dinner meals. Salads can be a healthy lunch or dinner option, but make sure you do not overload on the dressing or toppings. Physically measure out one serving of salad dressing with a tablespoon before you put it on your salad. Also, try cutting back on unhealthy toppings like cheese or bacon bits.
- Measuring spoons and cups can be used for more than just cooking. One of the most significant factors contributing to America’s obesity epidemic is ridiculous portion sizes. Next time you go to make pasta or have a bowl of cereal, try actually measuring out one serving. You may be shocked to see how little one serving actually is.
- The problem with buying fruits and vegetables is that if you do not eat them fast enough, they will go bad. If you find yourself wanting to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet, try to buy frozen! Frozen fruits and vegetables do not spoil as fast as their fresh counterparts and they contain almost the same nutrients too.
- Frozen fruit and low-fat yogurt can combine for an amazing snack: a fruit smoothie! You can buy a blender for as little as $15 at department stores. If you blend frozen fruit, low-fat yogurt and milk or fruit juice, you can make a delicious smoothie! Making your own smoothie is a lot less expensive than buying them at cafes and also a lot healthier. Smoothies made at fast food chains tend to be made with extra sugar and some places even use ice cream!
- Gum and breath mints are an easy way to avoid snacking. If you are stressed, it is easy to mindlessly munch. Pop a mint or chew on gum instead. If you are an individual who tends to snack even after a meal, gum or a mint will prevent you from doing so.
- One of the ways people gain weight without realizing it is due to their late night snacking. When you reach for a snack after dinner, you are more apt to go for something sweet and salty rather than an apple or a handful of carrots. If you are a nighttime snacker, try “closing” your kitchen after 8 p.m. and only have a eat if you are actually hungry.
- Avoid restricting yourself to certain foods. When you prevent yourself from eating a certain food, you are more likely to binge. People who have the most diet success follow the 80/20 rule. Try to eat as well as you can 80% of the time and 20% of the time you can afford to slip up a little. If you are at a friend’s birthday, it is okay to indulge in a cupcake!
- In the spirit of indulgence, it is important to remember that just because you may have slipped up, you do not have to completely give up on your goal. Having a piece of cake or grabbing pizza with friends will not make you instantly gain ten pounds. Don’t let feeling guilt about what you eat control your life.
- One of the hardest things when it comes to eating and weight loss is determining when you are actually hungry. Food is a comfort method for many individuals. Before you reach for a handful of something, think about why you are doing it. Are you actually hungry? Are you just bored? Are you upset? Are you stressed? If you can figure out what is triggering your snacking, you may be able to control your impulses.