Everyone dreams of being on a meal plan in college: never having to cook your own food, having 15+ options of where you want to eat that day and having what seems like an endless supply of swipes. But many people find this dream to be a nightmare once they start gaining weight in college from eating out too much. Here’s my recipe for how I eat healthy while on my college’s meal plan:
Weigh your options
First, look at your options. What places accept your meal plan swipes/dining dollars? What can you swipe for? All of these questions are vital in figuring out the best meal choices for you and your health. You don’t want to be eating salads for all three meals of the day, but you also don’t want to be eating grilled cheese for all three either.
Figure out what you like to eat, what your options are and how you can put a healthy spin on your favorite foods. For example, if you like hamburgers, maybe get a chicken wrap instead. It’s healthier, lower in calories and will give you more energy than a hamburger.
Choose whole grain!
For a healthy change, choose whole grain! At VCU, we have one salad/wrap venue and a salad/sandwich venue. Both places have the option of whole grain tortilla wrap and whole grain bread. Choosing whole grain over a flour tortilla or sourdough bread is an easy substitute that provides you with more nutrients, fiber, protein, antioxidants and vitamin B than the other bread choices.
Skip the cafeteria
If your campus has an “all you can eat” cafeteria like VCU’s famously known Shafer Dining Court, avoid this area at all costs! Large colleges usually have these types of dining courts because it’s cheap: they make large batches of food that are low in nutrients in order to feed lots of hungry college students. I only go to my universities dining court once a week if I’m craving some Lucky Charms.
Not only is dining court food usually low in nutrients and high in calories, fats and cholesterol, but many students seem to over-eat at these types of dining halls. Hungry college students have no time to waste, and usually cramp two, three, even four plates full of food down their throats before hurrying to their next class that they’re already late for. Eating like this is not good for the body and can adversely affect your health (duh).
Take the Fruit
At VCU, almost every swipe comes with the option of a piece of fruit or bag of chips. Take the fruit! Even if your swipe meal fills you up, save your piece of fruit for an afternoon snack, midnight craving or even a light breakfast the next morning. Consuming as much fruit (and veggies) as possible is always good for your body because raw fruits and veggies haven’t been processed unlike most of the swipe options.