by Stormy Campbell

Created on: December 20, 2010

With papers constantly due and never-ending tests, not to mention work and social obligations, it’s easy for college students to find themselves living off of day-old pizza and Easy Mac as well as a steady flow of caffeine. Health can often take low priority, and students ignore their diets until they find themselves constantly sick. While many factors play into a healthy lifestyle, such as exercise and sleep patterns, it’s easier than one may think to eat healthy while in college.

Some colleges require all students to have a meal plan at the on-campus cafeterias, while others just require meal plans from freshman or on-campus residents. Whether you have to eat at the dining hall for every meal or just on occasion, it can sometimes be difficult to pick out healthy choices. It’s ideal to always start with the salad bar and load a salad with several different vegetables such as a tomatoes, carrots, or cucumbers. Croutons, bacon bits, and thick dressings can all add flavor to a salad, but it’s important to keep portion sizes in mind and use these toppings sparingly. Almond slivers or other nuts are a great alternative to the fatting toppings, and light dressings such as vinaigrettes or olive oil are good replacements for heavy dressings such as ranch or caaesar.

A quick scan of a cafeteria may reveal some surprisingly healthy results. More colleges are now offering healthy alternatives to the college staples of burgers and pizzas. Depending on how the dining hall works, ethnic food sections or sandwich stations may contain several healthy choices. Even if your campus doesn’t offer these healthy options, you can still make healthy options by simply substituting healthy food for unhealthy choices. For example, if you absolutely must have a burger, skip the cheese and heavy condiments, get the burger on a wheat bun, and load up on the lettuce. Then, instead of fries, go for an apple or banana instead. Your meal that was once miles from healthy is now a reasonably good choice.

Lastly, when in the dining hall, watch out for the desserts. If you feel as if you must have a dessert and fruit just isn’t going to work, do so sparingly and make sure to only take one portion. If you’re used to dessert after every meal, cut down gradually. A dessert at three meals a week is much better than a dessert after every meal.

Students who live in the dorm are most likely not able to cook their own meals. However, a mini-fridge can be a great

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