This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at WM chapter.
When it comes to eating healthy and continuing to eat healthy, life can get challenging. You are already trying to balance classes, work, exercising, hanging out with friends…who has time to think about what your eating? So let’s simplify it with some basic eating habits that can leave you feeling healthy and ready to take on the day.
1. You can’t change your entire lifestyle in one sitting!
- Rome wasn’t built in a day, so take each day, one step at a time.
- Focus on the end result, which in this case, is a healthy lifestyle!
2. Take advantage of the variety of fruits served in the cafeteria.
- When you’re choosing, fruit, think outside the box! Try having a glass of Orange juice for Vitamin C every day, or a fruit smoothie for lunch. Also, spice it up and try out other fruits like mango and kiwi. They have Vitamin E, which helps support a healthy immune system.
- Boys and girls, lets keep up our iron levels by choosing some spinach at the salad bar. Spinach is an excellent source of iron. Couple it with a hard-boiled egg, which you can top off any salad with. The protein and iron from a healthy salad will also keep you nice and full and less likely to grab for something unhealthy.
- Remember, potatoes are a blessing and a curse! Instead, try to get your proteins by substituting almonds, chestnuts, and peanuts for potato chips and French fries. Eggs are a good source of protein too.
3. If you love sweets, like me, and can’t live without them…….
- Try fruit snacks and kettle popcorn as a replacement for candy. If you are a chocolate lover, switch your milk chocolate cravings with semi-sweet dark chocolate. Dark chocolate has been known to help your heart health. Another sweet substitution for ice cream is some zangy fro-yo.
- Sports drinks certainly give you the kick you need sometimes, but they are not made for every meal! They tend to be high in sodium, which can spike your blood pressure. Vitamin Water is a healthy, no calorie replacement for sugary sodas and juices. For a simpler option, you can also add a hint of lemon or lime to regular water. And nothing beats a cold glass of water!
4. Lastly, free your mind from the pressure of quitting cold-turkey on your favorite foods!
- Less is more. Attempt to eat your favorite foods only once in a while (which also makes them more satisfying!).
- Another cool idea, is to try to create a low-calorie version of your choice foods.
Keep in mind that even small eating habits take time to change. Just do what’s right for you and your body!