This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at WM chapter.
You started the spring semester with your idealized self in mind: a happy, balanced girl eating happy, balanced meals in a happy, balanced world. A week or so later, it’s back to the usual pizza and disappointment. Sound familiar? Most of us are easily tempted by the many unhealthy options that can be found across campus, but there are easy ways to boost your health at college.
- Eat three meals a day. Breakfast is essential in balancing your intake of food over the course of the day and giving you the first few nutrients that you need to be energized. If you think you’ll have a large amount of time between breakfast and lunch, try to get breakfast from as many food groups as possible. My favorite arrangement is a bagel with cream cheese, a bowl of fruit, and a nice glass of cranberry juice. Yum!
- Keep track of your food groups. For college aged women, it is essential to have 2 cups of fruit, 2 ½ cups of vegetables, 6 ounces of grain (half of which should be whole,) 5 ½ ounces of protein, 3 cups of dairy, and 6 teaspoons of oils (such as those found in nuts, fish, and salad dressing). It sounds daunting, right? Don’t worry – as long as you keep track of what you eat throughout the day and try to vary your food groups during meals, you’ll be fine.
- Take a multivitamin. Over winter break, I found that I was craving more and more junk food and would always feel full after taking even a bite of healthy food. I started researching this and learned that I had many symptoms of an iron deficiency. So, I purchased a vitamin in order to supplement it, and I feel far more energetic and willing to eat healthily now. I recommend One A Day Women’s Petites – they’re small, they contain every vitamin and mineral you could possibly imagine, and they support specific health concerns for women.
- Eat a salad every day – but not just a salad. As was said before, varying the food groups is essential, but salads are packed with nutrients that can give you an extra boost for the day, as long as you eat it with something from another food group, such as a cut of ham or a healthy sandwich. Load it up with powerful vegetables: carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and spinach, for example.
- It is OK to break once in a while. Very few people can resist the temptations of that chocolate bar or pack of potato chips every now and then. As long as you try to maintain your meals, so that you’re living healthily and feeling good, don’t feel guilty about the occasional “junk.” We’re all human, after all!