by T.Yeap

Created on: August 31, 2009   Last Updated: September 05, 2009

Going away to college means that you are going to be independent and taking charge of your own destiny. Most people experience the weight gain phenomenon because of unhealthy habits and lifestyle that they take on throughout their college years. Eating healthy is not as hard as most people would have thought . What's considered "healthy"? Everyone has their own opinion about it but the U.S government dietary guidelines define a healthy diet as one that 1) Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat dairy products; 2) Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts; and 3) Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars. This is not only for college but can be used for the rest of your life to lead a healthy lifestyle through the golden years. Here's a look at how you can incorporate each food groups into your healthy eating at college:

FRUITS & VEGETABLES

Try to include fresh fruits into your meal as a dessert if you normally crave sweets after meal. Any type of fresh fruits will do the trick. If you have to use canned fruit, try to buy the kind that's packed in its own juice . Avoid canned fruits that are packed with syrup because it's loaded with sugar. If that's the only kind you can find in the grocery store, rinse it with water before you consume excessive sugar that has no nutritive value to it. Any kind of vegetables are good for you as long as you picked the correct cooking method. Basically veggies that are steamed, boiled, and slow cooked are a better alternative than fried or buttered. Eating vegetables raw as salad will be the best way to obtain the most nutrients and antioxidants because nutrients decrease with cooking process through evaporation. Also keep in mind that when eating salad, keep the salad dressing on the side and dip it as you go. Do not pour the dressing over the salad because you will be surprise how little dressing you actually need for a bowl of salad. Average person requires about 5 servings of fruits and vegetables combined in a day. 1 serving of fruit = 1 small fruit, 1/2 banana, 1/2 chopped/cut up fruits, 1/2 cup of fruit juice; 1 serving of vegetables = 1 cup of raw vegetables and 1/2 cup of cooked vegetables.

WHOLE GRAINS

Everyone is talking about whole grains and the reason for that is whole grains are complex carbohydrates and your body takes longer to digest the component, therefore providing a steady sugar production after meals. In addition,

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