It’s hard to eat healthy when you can smell the delicious aroma of sweet and greasy foods from a mile away. With a ton of lunch trucks to choose from and barely any time to prepare healthy meals, class work and
homework tend to take precedence over nurturing your body. But the benefits of eating nutritious meals are well worth the extra work, and trust us, you too can improve your dining habits.
“You have one body,” English major Emily Rupert says. “Give it what it needs and not what your tongue wants.”
According to livestrong.com, roughly 3.2 percent of all new cancer cases are estimated to be associated with obesity. That’s about 41,000 new cases of cancer each year, the National Cancer Institute reports. So, in the long run, poor eating habits can affect a lot more than your waistline.
Typical scenario: you’re late for a class and quickly purchase a pretzel at Annie Anne’s. Without even realizing it, you just consumed 310 calories and you’re not even full. Easy alternative? Grab a handful of whole wheat pretzels to dip in honey mustard and pair it with a fruit cup instead. To motivate yourself, just think about how you’re benefitting your body.
This is the first step to eating healthy — watching what snacks you consume on a daily basis. When it comes
to meals, you should plan ahead. If possible, make your own meals the night before class, like a grilled
“I always wish that healthy alternatives weren’t as expensive,” Rupert says. “I feel like if it was more affordable, I would go for fresh vegetables instead of frozen.”
“Many healthy options are more expensive than unhealthy options, as well as less accessible than unhealthy options,” Jessica Cohen, a Political Science/Spanish major, says. “I feel that this is a shame.”