The mandatory Greek life meal plan is a blessing and a curse for hungry college students. Pizza bagels and quesadillas are a life saver on bad days, but it’s so difficult to stay healthy when you’re surrounded by junk food. However, with a little self control and some minor changes, it really isn’t that hard to make your meal plan healthy again.
1. Don’t Go Back for Seconds
Have you ever gone back for more food and then immediately regretted it after? Of course we all want more, but we have to listen to our bodies when we’re full. A huge key to dieting is portion control, and that extra serving of French fries is probably not the best idea. We get that sometimes you aren’t full from your meal, but it’s a better idea to just have a snack a few hours later. You can also try chugging a big glass of water to fill you up. If you’re still hungry after a half hour, then you’ll know it’s because you’re not full.
2. You Need to Eat Vegetables
Most sororities are great about having vegetables at every meal, but if you don’t like one of the vegetables being served, grab something from the salad bar or have extra veggies waiting at home. It’s so important to not miss out on this. If you don’t like the ones being served or your sorority isn’t giving you many options, you need to find a way to incorporate them. Also be careful of the “veggies” they serve with meals. If they’re drenched in butter, then grab something from the salad bar instead.
3. Stick with Water
Some sororities get pretty fancy with drink options. From pink lemonade to sweet tea to entire soda stations, it can be easy to get carried away. A huge way to help out your diet is to only drink water with meals. It’s better to eat your calories than drink them, and this is a simple step to prevent mindlessly consuming calories.
4. Opt for Whole Wheat or No Bread at All
Burgers for lunch is great, but eliminating that white bread can be huge. Just eat the burger patty with all the toppings–no bun–and it’s just as satisfying. If there’s a whole wheat option, always choose that over white bread. Making a conscious effort to avoid white bread can seriously do great things for your health.
5. Don’t Slack on the Weekends
When the weekend rolls around, it’s easy to just grab fast food or go out to eat with friends instead of grocery shopping and cooking meals.Take one day and *splurge* a little, but try to keep eating well-balanced meals. The weekend is your time to eat whatever you want, so choose wisely.
Little changes like these really can make a huge difference for your well being. Add some color to your plate, listen to your body, and always remember: just because something is in front of you, doesn’t mean you have to eat it! The sorority meal plan can be as healthy as you want it to be.