Maintaining a healthy diet can be challenging for college students. College can be pretty stressful between classes, assignments and actually having a social life. Worrying about eating your greens is probably the last thing on your mind, but it might be easier than you think to avoid those “Freshman 15”.
As a college student living in residence or with a meal plan, the food options are endless. Students can grab a quick bite between classes or get full dinners at the end of the day. However, the options are not always the healthiest or the most balanced. Although many campuses are making an effort to improve the food choices on campus, there are still far more unhealthy options available.
Fanshawe College students share their biggest challenges when it comes to eating healthy.
Dietitian with NutriProCan, Bissan Ghaith believes colleges can have a positive impact on students’ lives by creating a healthy eating environment. “They can do this by implementing reward programs, where students can benefit from buying healthy items a certain times in a row. For example, buy six and get the seventh for free.” Ghaith says colleges have the opportunity to make healthy purchases not only accessible, but also easy to identify for students. “A student who does not have experience grocery shopping, cooking or preparing foods in their homes, might find it more challenging to prepare healthy meals when living on their own.”
“Colleges can have nutrition messages in prominent areas, like a poster which shows the healthy plate model” – NutriProCan Dietitian, Bissan Ghaith (credits: Canada’s Food Guide)
Think about the benefits
“Stress and emotional eating can play a big role in why students may reach for ultra-processed foods, especially since sugar tends to trigger the reward centre in our brain”, explains Ghaith. With the high amount of fast food or take-out options all around, it’s no wonder an unhealthy choice is easily made. But next time when it’s time for a bite, think about the endless benefits that come with eating healthy. “You think better and perform better at school, boost your immune system, prevent chronic diseases, maintain a healthy body weight and even save money,” Ghaith points out.
Saving money
Besides time and convenience, money can also play a part in food choices. The high costs of tuition, textbooks and housing may prevent some students from being able to afford healthier options. Luckily healthy food comes in many shapes and prices, although it might need a little more planning or awareness. Ghaith gives an example, “Organic out of season vegetables can be pricey, but frozen local products can be very inexpensive”. Some grocery stores also offer student discounts on certain days. “Use those days to stock up on basic foods like rice, pasta, dried legumes and other long shelf-life foods.”
Other ways of saving a few bucks might be cooking large portions and freezing leftovers for later or cooking with friends and splitting the expenses. Enjoying your meals with your friends might be the perfect way of combining that social life with a little healthy food.
Start simple
Old habits might seem hard to break, so start small. If you don’t eat a lot of veggies, start by adding them to one meal a day. If you’ve been skipping meals, try to plan them beforehand. Love dining out? Learn to cook your favorite meal yourself. This will save you a lot of money too.
The food areas on campus are also the perfect opportunity to try new foods. Why not be a little adventurous and try something new every week? If your smartphone is glued to your hand, consider trying a nutrition app. Some apps offer tips, advice and recipes. Using an app might be just what you need to keep you motivated.
Eating healthy can seem complicated, but it really is all about making those little changes. And it definitely doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your hamburger or slice of pizza once in a while.
