8 Ways to Eat Healthier in College

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Eating healthy in college can get overwhelming. Everywhere you look is pizza and other unhealthy foods calling your name in the dining hall. Though you want to overcome the temptations of unhealthy food, you’re not quite sure how to go about it. Buzzfeed gives us these 8 ways to eat healthier in college. For more tips, visit Buzzfeed.



1. Eating healthfully does not have to mean dieting.


“My biggest advice is to not start dieting when you get to college,” Ryan Andrews, R.D., Coach at Precision Nutrition in Toronto, Canada, told BuzzFeed Life. At least, not on your own. That’s because without the proper supervision of a nutritionist you may end up adopting unhealthy eating habits, body image issues, or other health problems.

However, if you are interested in losing weight, gaining weight, or changing your body composition, make sure to check in with a doctor and nutritionist first so that they can help you set realistic goals and offer support and guidance along the way.

2. Focus on adding whole nutritious foods instead of restricting the “bad” ones.

Instead of thinking about what you shouldn’t eat, think about what you should eat. “It’s best to take a whole food approach and focus on adding fruits, vegetables, whole grains, proteins, and good fats,” says Andrews. “You should still eat as little processed foods as possible, but with a whole food approach you don’t have to worry as much about calories and extra bad stuff because you’re hitting all the nutritious food groups and getting the vitamins and minerals you need.”

3. And choose healthy foods that you actually love to eat. (They exist.)
“You should enjoy your food and go into it thinking ‘what do I like and how can I build healthy meals from that?’ and it’s so much easier,” says Andrews.

Plus, certain foods affect people differently, Andrews says, so it’s also important to pay attention to how different foods affect your body and energy levels. Just because a food seems healthy, that doesn’t mean it’s right for you and your digestive system. “Before you worry about cutting fat and sugar, learn the basics of which nutritious foods make your taste buds and body happy.”

4. Don’t let your class schedule dictate your meals.

Ideally you would be hungry when you get up, break for lunch, and sit down to dinner — but sometimes your six-hour clump of classes isn’t conducive to that. So try to plan your meals around your schedule to the best of your ability and stick to it, Rachel Paul, M.S., R.D., founder of The College Nutritionist, told BuzzFeed Life. Then don’t forget to pay attention to body cues and eat when you’re hungry — even if that means packing a lunch and some snacks for your five-minute breaks.

5. Stock your dorm with all of the snacks that aren’t junk food.

“The two years I lived in dorms I would stock up on apples, baby carrots, cans of vegetable soup, oatmeal packets, things like that and just keep them by my desk.” — Emily Anne Hart, Facebook

6. Always keep an emergency granola bar in your backpack for when you’re hangry.

“Hanger is the ultimate downfall of healthy eating. When I wait to eat until I’m starving, I end up grabbing any quick foods I can, including candy, chips, or other junk foods! Always have an emergency snack in your purse or backpack, such as a Lara Bar, so you never get to that ‘hangry’ point! — Ellie Jane Holcomb, Facebook

Some granola bars are better than others, so Paul recommends bars with whole ingredients, about 10 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, and no added sugar.

7. Sneak protein into every meal or snack to stay fuller longer.

8. Beans and rice are a perfectly acceptable, cheap, and nutritious meal.
“Beans and whole grains are often forgotten but they’re super important because they’re full of fiber, protein, and they’re satisfying,” Andrews says. “You can do Mexican beans and rice, lentil soups, chickpeas from the salad bar — even tofu and tempeh because they’re soybean-based.”