5 Habits to Eating Healthy in College

Newsflash: The freshmen fifteen are real. You may have already learned that and probably the hard way. Luckily, you have a few years ahead of you and plenty of healthier decisions to be made. Contrary to public opinion, eating healthy does not have to be costly or time-consuming, and with a few behavior modifications to our daily routines, we can make great strides towards a healthier lifestyle. Here are a few tips to eating healthy while in college: 1. Remember breakfast? That’s still important- Remember how important it was to sit around and have breakfast in the morning before heading to school? But, there’s no time for elaborate meals when you’re already late for your 9 AM in college. Hence, breakfast to-go! Try the three-ingredients or less approach. Here are some ideas: two whole wheat slices of bread, two teaspoons of peanut butter (one for each slice) and one banana sliced. Rice cake, organic honey and raspberries. Low-fat vanilla yogurt, granola and fruit of your choice. In any case, keep it simple and keep it tasty!

Image Source: Two Peas & Their Pod

2. Water is your new best friend- Take your favorite water bottle wherever you go! This will get you in the habit of staying hydrated which is a key component of a healthy lifestyle. 3. Don’t drink your calories, it’s not worth it- Remember that water bottle? Use it. It is very easy to choose a coke to go with your meal,  or to “balance out” your salad–nice try! But it just isn’t worth wasting all those calories on a drink that will do very little to provide any real hydration. So, SKIP. 4. Start well, end better- I know the proverbial saying, “it’s not how you start, it’s how you end” is quite popular, but when it comes to establishing healthy habits, this is far from the truth. When in the Dining Hall, try starting on the healthier side by choosing your favorites veggies, nuts and fruits first and when there is little space left on your plate, add the “bigger” items such as meat, grains and other carbs. This should steer you away from making regrettable portion choices! 5. Healthy Snacks are the real MVP- Hunger is a bad advisor! Prepare for those moments of insatiable hunger by bringing some back-up with you. Try carrying granola bars, dried fruits, nuts and pre-packaged veggies for snacking. Something so simple could help keep you on track when you need it most!

*Image originally appeared here: 3 Tips for Healthy, Handy Snacks

So, there you have it! A few tips here and there to keep you from straying away from a healthy lifestyle even with the time constraints and odd sleep cycles associated with college life. Eat up, but eat well, whether in your dorm or in your college apartment!