Having recently gone home for Easter weekend and observing how much healthier I ate at home, I realized that the college atmosphere is not always conducive to a healthy lifestyle. Being part of numerous extracurricular activities, balancing a full course load and multiple majors and minors, and just generally dealing with stress away from home can mean that there’s no energy left in a person to also eat healthy. Eating well is a conscious choice that people have to make every single day, and when you’re balancing a million things it’s often difficult to dole out extra energy to something that isn’t even fun (sometimes). I don’t know about you, but when I’m writing a paper at 11 p.m. after a full day of classes, meetings, and other activities, I want pizza and chips and candy and anything that will make me feel better.
The problem is, these things really don’t make anyone feel better. By no means do I eat well and live a perfectly healthy lifestyle — so I don’t want this to seem like another preach-y list of health tips that make it seem like I have everything together. But in my experience, when I have these foods in my room I’m slightly less likely to make a midnight vending machine run. Sometimes.
1. Banana chips
I’m a big fan of the banana chips from Trader Joe’s, because they come in a big bag and last quite a while. They’re portable, fun to eat, and really fill you up, plus they’re made with all natural ingredients and without artificial colors, preservatives or flavors.
2. The Good Bean roasted chickpeas
These are a little different, so bear with me. I was a little skeptical of these at first because they seemed kind of unusual, but trust me, they’re a goldmine. They have such a unique texture and flavor, and overall it’s a very cool and healthy eating experience.
3. Mini Babybel cheese wheels
Cheese isn’t exactly the healthiest food ever, but as I’m sure we all know, these guys are delicious and relatively low-calorie. If you’re really hungry and looking for something small and quick to hold you over until your next meal, I’d recommend these guys. Plus they’re super fun to peel open!
4. Kind bars
Most people have already caught on with this trend, but it’s worth saying again here because these guys are a pretty good alternative to junk food if you’re looking for something sweet and crunchy. I’ve bonded pretty hard with the coconut almond bars and the peanut butter dark chocolate bars, but I’m sure the other ones are delicious as well.
5. Kale chips
These are a little unusual too, and may seem like a little too much for the average person. After all, kale has become an almost pretentious health food that people love to love and hate. However, kale chips are a great medium ground: they don’t have a super green flavor, they’re crunchy, but they’re still healthy. At least try a bag and then judge after.
6. Wonderful Pistachios
Everyone loves these (and they used to have awesome commercials). Just be sure not to eat the whole bag, because nuts are high calorie and protein relative to their size.
7. Almond butter
Personally, I sometimes like almond butter more than regular peanut butter just because I feel the taste is better. Obviously not everyone will share this opinion, but if you’re looking for a cool alternative to regular peanut butter that tastes a bit ~*healthier*~ look no further.
8. Dried fruit
This commodity can get real expensive real quick, but dried fruit really is pretty good if you’re willing to splurge on a treat. I personally love dried pineapple, but you can find pretty much everything you can thing of in specialty realtors.
9. Pretzel chips and hummus
Whether you buy them separately or in Sabra’s conveniently packaged bundle, this is a classic combo that you can’t go wrong with.
10. Stacy’s pita chips
Finally, if you’re looking for something a bit crunchier and more like a junk food, try opting for these instead of regular potato chips—they’re a healthier alternative to a classic food craving that never gets old.