Let’s face it, college can be stressful. Attempting to balance school with a busy social life makes it difficult to find time to fit in healthy meals. Having snacks on hand in the dorm makes it easy to keep hunger in check during cram sessions the night before a midterm, but it is important to keep nutrition in mind when stocking up on these foods. While the occasional late-night splurge on cookies or other processed and unhealthy snack foods may not completely destroy a Collegiette’s™ waistline, making a habit of unhealthy snacking (especially late at night) can quickly lead to unwanted pounds.
So, just what can you snack on to satisfy your hunger, while keeping unwanted weight gain at bay? Well, here are some examples of common dorm-room snacks, and healthier (but just as satisfying!) alternatives that every Collegiette™ should try!
Unhealthy Snack: Cheez-Its®
Healthy Alternative: Orville Redenbacher SmartPop! ® Popcorn with Kernel Season’s Nacho Cheese Popcorn Seasoning
Cheez-Its® are the ultimate late-night cheesy snack, but a glance at their nutrition facts makes it clear that they are not the most nutritious. One serving (27 crackers) contains 8 grams of fat and 2 grams of saturated fat (the bad kind!). Orville Redenbacher SmartPop! ® Popcorn with Kernel Season’s Nacho Cheese Popcorn Seasoning sprinkled on top is a lighter and more nutritious option that still packs a salty and cheesy crunch, without all the extra fat and calories. One bag of the SmartPop!® popcorn has just 100 calories and only 2 grams of fat. Plus, popcorn is an excellent source for whole grains, making it a perfect option for a crunchy treat.
Unhealthy Snack: Chocolate
Healthy Alternative: Swiss Miss® Diet Hot Chocolate
Nothing cures a sweet tooth better than rich, creamy chocolate. Although chocolate in moderation can have several health benefits, it is still very calorie dense and often loaded with sugar and fat (especially milk and white chocolate). So the next time your sweet tooth begins craving something chocolatey, grab a mug and try making some hot chocolate instead. You’ll still get your chocolate fix, while saving enormously on calories. Swiss Miss® Diet Hot Chocolate only has 25 calories, but it still packs a ton of chocolatey flavor. Plus, with winter coming fast, nothing can beat a nice warm cup of cocoa!
Unhealthy Snack: Easy Mac
Healthy Alternative: Lean Cuisine® Mac & Cheese
The inventor of Easy Mac must have had hungry (and broke!) college students in mind while creating the product because it really is one of the easiest and fastest foods to make in a dorm. While Easy Mac is convenient, it is full of preservatives and unhealthy ingredients. A healthier (but just as easy to make) option is Lean Cuisine’s® Macaroni and Cheese, a frozen meal that has no preservatives and is just as tasty. One meal makes 10 ounces of creamy mac & cheese and packs in 14 grams of protein, making it a great option for a quick meal or snack to share.
Unhealthy Snack: Potato Chips
Healthy Alternative: Special K® Sea Salt Cracker Chips
Potato chips are the perfect snack for college students: cheap, delicious and crunchy. But because they are fried, chips contain excessive amounts of fats and are often high in calories per serving. Special K Sea Salt Cracker chips are a lower fat alternative to traditional chips that still deliver a satisfying crunch. They are made with real potatoes and contain just 110 calories for 30 chips, as opposed to regular chips, which can have 10 grams of fat for only 15 chips.
Now that you are armed with some healthy options to exchange for those unhealthy snacks, get shopping and stock up your dorm with some of these delicious and nutritious foods!
What are some of your favorite healthy dorm room snacks?
Sources:
Special K Chips (photo): Special K,
http://www.specialk.com/_res/i/products/product-detail-package/special-k-sea-salt-cracker-chips-cereal-detail-pack-main.jpg
Hot Chocolate (photo): 123rf.com, http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/robynmac/robynmac0909/robynmac090900037/5514745-a-brown-mug-of-hot-chocolate-with-marshmallows-on-top–resting-on-purple-mohair-rug.jpg
Macaroni & Cheese (photo): Lean Cuisine, http://www.leancuisine.com/Products/ProductImage.ashx?ImageType=platenapkin&ProductID=78&width=795&height=420
Girl Standing on Scale (photo): Blogspot,
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lAJ-7XLpPwM/SxbOhCVor_I/AAAAAAAABBU/lWo0ACM2Qds/s1600/Head%20Scratch%20Girl%20On%20Scale.jpg
Nutritional Information:
- Sunshine Cheez-Its :http://www2.kelloggs.com/ServeImage.aspx?BID=84609&MD5=313cff8fcfffb866f…
- Orville Redenbacher Hot Chocolate: http://www.orville.com/our-popcorn/microwave-popcorn-smartpop.jsp
- Swiss Miss Diet Hot Chocolate: http://www.conagrafoods.com/consumer/brands/getBrand.do?page=swiss_miss#…
- chocolate nutrition facts: http://www.chocolatenecessities.com/nutritional_information.php
- Kraft Easy Mac: http://www.livestrong.com/article/348124-kraft-easy-mac-nutrition-inform…
- Lean Cuisine Macaroni & Cheese: http://www.leancuisine.com/Products/Details.aspx?ProductID=78
- Potato Chip nutrition: http://www.fritolay.com/our-snacks/lays-classic-potato-chips.html
- Special K Cracker Chips: http://www.specialk.com/cracker-chips/sea-salt/