So you might be thinking it would be a great idea to start the new year off strong by eating healthy. But, eating at the dining halls can be very difficult. This seems to be a lot of college students’ opinions. Well, there are actually a lot of ways to make your meals healthier at the BC dining halls. Here are a few of them:
1. Embrace the chicken with two sides
I know this isn’t what everyone wants to hear, but the chicken with two sides is actually a good healthy option at Mac, even if everyone is probably sick of it by now. It’s a low calorie and low carb option compared to the pasta with meatballs. The chicken is only 263 calories and if you get vegetables or a baked potato as your side, you can feel full without feeling guilty. There are also sauces like pesto and barbecue sauce that can add a little pizazz to that grilled chicken.
2. Try the salads and bowls at Eagle’s Nest
I’m not the biggest fan of salads, but at Eagle’s you can customize your salad with a variety of toppings and dressings, which makes eating a salad a bit more bearable. My go to dressing is a little bit of oil and vinegar. I would avoid the popcorn chicken and get grilled chicken or tofu instead if you’re feeling very motivated to be healthy. Otherwise, treat yourself because you’re eating lettuce with it anyway! Other healthy options at Eagle’s are the bowls. You can choose brown rice, quinoa, or kale as your base, and you can top it with all sorts of vegetables like beets, squash, corn, cauliflower, beans, and more. I finish my bowl off with sesame dressing and some chicken for that added protein. Skip the dressing and avoid the mac and cheese topping if you want an even healthier bowl.
3. Soups are underrated
I tend to forget that all of BC’s dining halls have soup options, which can be pretty healthy. If you stay away from the creamy soups and go for the chicken noodle (114 calories) or tomato basil (126 calories) or vegan lentil (68 calories), the soups can be a good lunch option. My personal favorite is the vegetarian minestrone soup. You can always season with more salt and pepper if you need to, and doing your own seasoning helps control how much sodium you intake.
4. Enjoy boiled eggs or omeletes for breakfast
The custom omelets at Mac or Lower are always a satisfying and healthy option. I usually go for an egg white omelette filled with peppers, onions, spinach, and ham, and this is enough to keep me full until lunch time. The hard boiled eggs are also good when you need something quick and easy, and they’re only 72 calories.
5. Skip the sugary drinks
BC has a wide array of colorful Odwalla drinks, Honest Tea, Simply Lemonade, and Orange Juice drinks, but these tend to be high in added sugars. One of the healthier drink options is the Suja Kombucha, which has 7 grams of sugar, compared to 25 grams in the Honest Tea Peach Tea. Kombucha also has many health benefits as it helps detoxify your intestines, jump-start your immune system, and aid in digestion. If Kombucha isn’t your cup of tea, water is always an option!
At the end of the day, eat whatever will satisfy you…even if that means getting mozzarella sticks at 11 pm.
Sources:
http://www.lovethispic.com/image/273021/bowl-of-fruit-salad
https://giphy.com/gifs/90s-food-eating-NnPxQx0lTujKM