Eating healthy is a common challenge for college students, and it’s absolutely been a challenge for me. Once I got started studying at UNCO, I had to choose what I want to eat for every meal, every single day, for the first time in my life.
In my college dorm, I have limited access to cooking, so I’ve been resorting to unhealthier options like processed foods. Now I’m on a journey where I’m attempting to eat healthier for every single snack and meal.
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
The first method I’ve been using to eat healthy is getting more fruits and vegetables, both from Holmes Dining Hall and for my dorm. This may seem simple, but it’s greatly improved my lifestyle!
At the beginning of the school year, I wasn’t paying much attention to getting fruits and vegetables in my diet, and I noticed both my physical and mental health getting worse. So I started to get at least one plate of fruits and/or veggies every time I went to the dining hall. As for my dorm, I started buying more fruits and veggies with my groceries.
I’ve also been buying fruit bars and dried fruit slices, and I’ve especially enjoyed dried fruit. It lasts way longer than fresh produce, and it feels similar to eating snacks like chips, but much healthier. Having access to more fruits and vegetables to snack on has been a great help to my health!
LESS PROCESSED FOODS
The next way I’ve been adding healthier foods to my college lifestyle is by replacing processed foods like candy and chips with more organic foods that have fewer added ingredients, like yogurt and eggs.
That doesn’t mean I haven’t been eating processed foods at all, though. I’ve been following the 80/20 rule: Eat healthy and whole foods 80% of the time, and less nutritious foods that I enjoy 20% of the time. It’s a great balance while still letting me eat an occasional sweet treat. Giving myself less access to processed foods has made me a much healthier eater than I was when I started college.
HIGH-PROTEIN SNACKS
Lastly, I’ve focused on eating more high-protein foods. Protein is a great source of energy and fills me up rather than keep me hungry. Recently, I’ve started buying more protein-filled snacks for my dorm like eggs, cheese sticks, and protein bars. Since I don’t have access to a kitchen, cooking eggs regularly would’ve been a challenge, so I buy pre-cooked hard-boiled eggs instead. I didn’t even know that pre-boiled eggs were an option before this, but they’re great!
I discovered more methods of eating high-protein foods at on-campus dining locations as well. I take a look at the menus beforehand in order to determine which foods I can get with the highest amounts of protein. Some examples of foods from the Dining Hall that I’ve found have the most protein are chicken, eggs, and food items with dairy in them.
There are other great locations on campus to get protein besides Holmes, too! Burger & Co. meals have a high amount of protein from their burgers to their chicken tenders. The burrito bowls at Crisol Latin Kitchen or a slice from Empire State Pizza can also be great additions to your daily protein goal.
Those are some of the ways I’ve improved my diet and started to eat healthier in college, and these improvements have been amazing for my physical and mental health. I’ve noticed signs of improved health such as less fatigue, more energy, and a better overall mood!