I never used to go to the gym very much at home: don’t ask me why. Something about my high school schedule never left enough time for lifting or even walking through the gym doors. However, ever since beginning college last year and having my dorm be Defoe-Graham — three short steps away from the Rec — I’ve been going to the gym more.
Although the gym has had numerous benefits for me and my physical and mental health, it’s been tougher than I imagined to manage the other side of health: eating. I still have a dining plan as a sophomore and really no money to spend on food anywhere else. That being said, I’m here to share with you the best ways to meet your protein goals on campus, even with just a dining plan.
Dining Halls
Now listen, I’m not going to say the dining halls on campus are the best food out there: I’m no liar, but it also depends on what you get out of it. The fact that they’re all you can eat makes it easy to enjoy a large lunch or dinner at the price of just one Tiger Tap.
For the girls on a bulk, this is helpful. For the girls who have no idea what that means, the dining halls help get your protein and carbs in. The International Bowl station offers dishes from around the world, and I usually go there and then head over to the salad bar to add chicken to my bowl. This allows you to try the flavorful bowls while also being able to add enough protein to make it worth your while. The salad bar also offers a really nice healthy alternative to the grill and hot food section, which can be nice in balancing out your diet. They have lots of protein sources in the salad bar, like chickpeas, eggs, chicken (as I mentioned before), tuna, parmesan cheese and sunflower seeds.
Wheatstone and Panera
I’m just going to address the elephant in the room: Wheatstone and Panera are practically the same thing on campus.
The selection of salads, sandwiches and soups are great, of course, but I mainly focus on the parfaits. Both places offer Greek yogurt parfaits with fruit and granola, with Wheatstone’s being $5.79 on the dining plan and Panera’s being $5.89. Although they’re a little on the expensive side, especially with a dining plan, I believe it’s a great bang for your buck because Greek yogurt has great protein. Combined with specifically the Panera granola, which has cranberries and pumpkin seeds, this is a great breakfast, or even just a snack.
Mizzou Markets
Lastly, the Mizzou Markets on campus have lots to offer. While they’re geared more towards snacks like chips and candy, there are things that can help you reach your protein goals as well. For example, I really enjoy the Chobani strawberries and cream protein drink. For $4.49, you can get 30 grams of protein, which isn’t a bad price for a decent amount of protein.
In addition to the drinks and protein shakes, obviously, I like getting the cheese sticks, which have 16 grams of protein for a pack of two. They also have meat sticks, which are a little high in sodium, but taste pretty good and have lots of protein. They also have their walls of protein bars, and I’ll tell you exactly what brands you’ll be able to stomach. Most protein bars taste like cardboard and rock dust, but the Barebells and Puff Bars are both really good, and I can personally stomach at least one a day.
Final Grams of Advice
Something else no one talks about is how hard and stressful it is to hit your protein goals while also working on classes and, of course, just going to the gym in the first place. It’s important to remember that if this is even something you’re worried about, you’re doing better than a lot of people, and you should give yourself some credit. Just doing your best is plenty and these are just some protein tips and tricks to help you!