This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UAB chapter.
We all know that eating healthy in college isn’t always the easiest thing to do. So, here are some Tips and Tricks on how to do better about it!
1) Buying healthy items when Grocery Shopping
- Stocking up on items such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and yogurt can be an easy way to transform your diet. These products usually come in bulk, so you can get the most for your money. Also, these are great essential items that you can put in smoothies, breakfast bowls, personalized yogurt mixes, healthy desserts, the sky is the limit!
2) Shopping at Low Cost Grocery Stores like Aldi
- Aldi is the literal grocery GOAT. They have some of the freshest produce for low low costs. They also sell most of their items in bulk, so again getting the most for your money. Once I started shopping at Aldi, I reduced my monthly grocery bill from $125 to about $80, true story!! Don’t be turned away just because they don’t serve all name brand items because in all honesty they are legit exactly the same.
3) Freezer Usage
- I never really knew how much I would love my freezer until I came to college. You can freeze any perishable food items that you don’t want to use immediately, like chicken breasts, vegetables, and bread, to keep them fresh for months longer than on the counter or in the fridge. Just be sure that you freeze your food by the “use by” date on the package.
4) Make a LIST
- What I’ve started doing is, I bought a magnetic white board from dollar tree and put it on my fridge. Then, as I begin to use items I put them on my list for my next grocery haul. That way I won’t be buying things that I don’t need/ already have. It’s very tempting to go to the store and start buying things you don’t nee, but just want so stick to the list at all times!! Also, NEVER go to the grocery store hungry. It”ll make you want to buy things you really don’t need but want just because you are hungry.
5) Look Up Healthy Recipes
- I have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to finding healthy food and smoothies recipes that can easily be made in a college dorm room. Even just googling certain foods that you want to find recipes for is a good way for trying something new. Adding the ingredients from the recipes to your grocery list is a great idea and can also lead to other creations with the left over ingredients!
6) Budget, Budget, Budget!
- I cannot stress how important this is to do when balling on a budget in college. Start by listing all of your forms of income as well as your regular REQUIRED expenses and go from there. This way you can see exactly the amount of money you’re working with and won’t blow too much at the store.
Happy Healthy Eating!