With all of the academic things we have to worry about on a day to day basis, making sure you’re physically healthy can’t always be a top priority. Health is much easier to maintain when you’re properly fueling your body. Here are a few tips that I use to make sure my diet is balanced.
*Disclaimer: if you don’t do these things that doesn’t mean that you’re unhealthy, everyone has different definitions of what’s healthy for them these are only tips that I have found to work for my diet.
Protein is important because it’s the building blocks of your body. Higher protein intake leads to less cravings throughout the day and makes me a lot more overall satisfied with my meals. I try to roughly track how much I am taking in each day, the exact amount everyone needs varies from person to person, so if you do want to start tracking protein intake, its best to consider factors like muscle mass, activity level, current health, etc. Start by calculating approximately how much protein you’re getting daily, there are plenty of sources around campus such as chicken, beef, tofu and even some vegetables can provide a good amount of protein if you don’t have enough.
Make little switches to more nutrient-dense foods rather than what may just taste better. I switch out white rice to brown rice instead and switching to whole grain bread. I have noticed a difference in making these changes because I know I am getting more valuable nutrients with my meals as well as I stay full for longer.
This one was probably one of the bigger lifestyle changes I had to make. In my dorm room, I only keep healthier snacks and less junk food. When I am at the store getting snacks for my dorm I tend to stay near the fruits, granola bars and protein while staying away from things I know I’ll snack too much on if they’re in my room. When I have a craving for sugary food it’s not necessarily always fun to open up my fridge to see only grapes and hummus but this has stopped me from snacking and overeating plenty of times.
Water first for thirst. Most unwanted sugar and calories can come from what we’re drinking. Water is zero calories, fills you up, and quenches your thirst so try to make this the first choice when you’re feeling thirsty.
Finally, remember that this can be hard to keep up with your diet at all times so if you’re considering it, yes get the pizza or yes get the ice cream with your friends. It won’t destroy any healthy progress you have made. Cravings happen and sugary/greasy food just so happens to taste really good. As long as it doesn’t become a habit there is no problem with eating out.