Coming back to college almost always means the return of late-night snacking, copious drinking, and very little motivation to hit the gym. And we wonder why we all look a little pudgier come winter! But this year, you don’t need to gain the freshman (sophomore, junior, or senior) 15, especially with access to these delicious, healthy recipes! I know a lot of you live off campus or at least have access to a kitchen somewhere, so instead of grabbing pizza for dinner or more of the gross stuff they pass off as food at Chef James, make one of these recipes for you and your friends! I promise you won’t regret it :)
Your new go-to breakfast… a green smoothie!
I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve gotten chastised for drinking these things. But after cajoling the offenders into trying my green concoctions, they immediately rescind their words. Why? Because I PROMISE you cannot taste the spinach/kale/veggies!!!! Green smoothies are awesome for breakfast because they’re fast, easy to throw together, and super-healthy. Drinking them will literally put a pep in your step and set you up for an awesome day of healthy eating.
You can find the recipe for the smoothie pictured above, which features tropical ingredients like mango, ginger, and coconut milk, here. But if you’re more of a smoothie traditionalist, check out this recipe for the Green Monster, which has bananas, nut butter, and almond milk!
Plant-based Lunch of Champions!!!
While it’s hard to say goodbye to meat forever, especially since it’s such a filling source of lean protein, there is nothing too difficult about enjoying a meatless lunch every once in a while. I personally love to go to Commons and get a big salad with eggs, chickpeas, tofu, edamame, and honey mustard dressing. But for the days when you want to be a domestic diva, try whipping up this Honey Walnut Power Salad. I’ve made this tons of times and I still haven’t gotten sick of it, especially because the simple honey-and-water dressing actually covers all of the lettuce, making it seem like less of a salad and more of a complete entree! If you feel like being extra healthy, simply leave out the gorgonzola and replace it with some creamy avocado!
Lean, Mean Protein for Dinner!
Have you heard of the Paleo craze? Personally, it can get a little too intense sometimes (seriously, what is wrong with black beans and hummus???), but I love that it advocates eating less wheat/gluten, sugar, and dairy and more protein, veggies, and fruit! I always feel so much healthier when I cut out carbs, and dinner is the perfect time to abstain from the pasta; unless you work out late at night (which, let’s face it, no one really does), you don’t need the quick-burning energy carbohydrates provide at dinnertime. Instead, you should focus on protein to rebuild your muscles from a day of work and veggies to keep your body fully nourished. This Paleo recipe for Chicken Mushroom Ratatouille looks absolutely delicious- I can’t wait to try it myself!
Yes… You can still nom on cookie dough!!!!
Whenever I’m eating really healthy, I still can’t quite give up sweet treats. I’ve had a sweet tooth since the day I was born, and I don’t think any amount of kale or quinoa will get rid of it. That said, it was necessary for me to discover healthy ways to indulge my sweet tooth. About a year ago, I found this awesome recipe for peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough bites that seemed way too good to be true. Turns out they were better than I could have ever expected! The secret ingredient is chickpeas, which I’m sure sounds disgusting. But trust me, once you blend everything together in a food processor and bake the cookie dough bites, all you’ll be thinking about is peanut butter, chocolate-y goodness!
See- look how yummy healthy eating can be! Make the time to home-cook some of your own meals and you’ll be looking sexy all year long, I promise!