Saying, “Hey, it’s because I’m a college student,” is an acceptable explanation in more than a few scenarios, but we too often use it as an excuse to eat junk food during our busy days (insert: every day).
Collegiettes™ are on-the-go 24/7 and can often find little to no time to do anything beyond schoolwork, endless clubs and commitments, and making it to class on time.
So when it comes to finding time to eat, trust me when I say it’s a huge weight off of your shoulders to know you have healthy and satisfying snack options in your apartment or dorm that you can grab on your way out the door. Here are some tasty and healthy snacks that you should keep on hand as the healthier choice, and nix the candy bar or bag of chips.
1. Oats & Peanut Butter Fiber One Chewy Bars
Just as it says in the commercials we’ve all seen a thousand times, it really does have about one third of your recommended daily fiber, and it’s whole grain. This option will keep you going longer than any candy bar, and without the inevitable sugar crash that accompanies the latter.
2. Kashi TLC Soft-Baked Snack Bars
Despite many of our aversions to food we know is good for us, Kashi really comes through in a pinch. Not only is the snack bar incredibly tasty, it only contains 110 calories per bar! That should make any snack-loving girl smile.
3. V8 100% Vegetable Juice
Many people, especially college students, don’t usually eat enough veggies to fulfill their recommended daily intake, but just drinking a cup of this juice can remedy that situation. This liquid wonder gives you two servings of vegetables, which will provide you with a natural energy boost that you wouldn’t get from grabbing a pricey Red Bull.
4. Kind Plus Almond Cashew + Omega-3
Just the name of this one sounds healthy. Omega-3, found in fish oil, is a healthy unsaturated fatty acid, and its benefits are multi-faceted. It’s good for your hair and nail growth, as well as muscle growth.
5. Triscuit Original
This is a great snack food for those two and a half hour night classes, or for a late night study session. These whole-wheat crackers can be found at the Market Basket store on the first floor of the Student Center, and they prove a great snack for the calorie counters, as each serving is only 120 calories. These taste great, especially with a bit of hummus spread on them, and they will definitely hold you over for longer than a bag of potato chips.
Keeping these munchies around is just an easy way to make snacking a little less daunting, and the benefits far surpass the temporary euphoria we all get from that mid-day Snickers bar. The candy is just as easy to grab off of the shelves as the healthy alternatives, but it will always creep up on you later in the day and make that late afternoon class unbearable to get through. Make a few changes in your cupboard, and you’ll start seeing changes in the way you feel.