Class * Coffee * Class * Lunch * Class * Organization meeting * Social Mixer * Dinner * Intramural game
As college students, our lives can be busy on a good day, hectic on a bad one. With all of the new and exciting activities (and freedom) in life, one is likely to get a bit distracted with the shininess of it all and forgo healthy practices and choices in an effort to simply survive the craze.
This is exactly what happened my freshman year at a small university in Arkansas. Grappling for convenience, I submitted myself to the culture of the college. My eyes glazed over at the buffet-style dining hall that offered my favorite treats on the regular: cheese fries and pizza. I stuck to my schooling and studied late into the night, often passing on the opportunity to exercise, but certainly not the opportunity for a party. It was not until years later that I understood the cost this lifestyle had on me and my learning.
I now think of my time in college as a journey through a food desert. Of course I never starved in college, but my access to healthy, fresh, whole food was certainly limited. Those of you going to college soon, or already there, may find yourselves in similar situations. The good news is that even in areas where the food culture may not match up to your standards of healthy food, one can fabricate ones own food culture and make choices that will produce a myriad of benefits!
Here are a few of my suggestions, drawn from personal experience:
- Don't eat the mystery meat!
- Smuggle fresh fruit out of the cafeteria in your backpack- you have already paid for it after all.
- Always keep a whole snack on hand (ie. trail mix, apple, jerky) This can prevent over stuffing at lunch time due to extreme hunger.
- The blueberry muffins at the breakfast buffet may have antioxidants, but they also have a sizable amount of sugar and fat, go for the hard boiled egg instead.
- Stay away from soda!
Don't treat your body like a trash can, and it will serve you well in your busy adventure ahead.
Happy Eating!
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