Some students find college as a fitness and health minefield. They can make time for the gym, and physical activities like soccer, basketball, rugby, or athletics. However, you can skip all those activities in favor of impromptu hangouts, cram sessions, or video games.
In most schools, dining halls are a source of adequate and accessible vegetables and fruits, waffle fries, pizza, and soft serve. So what should students do? PeachyEssay, one of the leading essay pro writers, has shared ten healthy eating tips for the busy college student.
Most of these college students are always pressed for time, tackling a lot of stress and eating on the go. However, they may find it hard to escape bad behaviors like missing meals or regularly visiting fast food eateries. Nevertheless, having a healthy and balanced diet can help a student feel healthier, manage stress, and perform extraordinarily in the classroom and in the co- curricular field. It really isn’t that hard to kick start this journey.
There are many advantages of adapting to a healthy diet while in college. Junk foods are loved by many hence making it hard for students to eat healthy. However, healthy diets are commendable! The most notable reason is that it is good for the functioning of the brain. Research shows that those who avoid fatty and sugary foods, eat a balanced diet and food rich in nutrients usually process new information faster and store the information better.
Healthy eating habits are also associated with better sleep, less anxiety, and good moods. In addition to your physical health, healthy eating habits will make one more energetic and hence he or she burns out fat successfully. This helps to do away with extra pounds. These people also have a lesser chance of developing diseases like stoke, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes.
1. Do not skip breakfast
Always have a good breakfast especially if you have morning classes. Breakfast fuels your brain and improves your concentration in class. Research shows that missing breakfast weakens your scholastic success. Whenever you have no time to sit down and enjoy your breakfast, take a bagel, piece of fruit and a glass of juice. These items can be easily kept in your residence hall room in a refrigerator.
2. Consume foods low in fats
Always choose wisely if you must eat fast foods. For pizza, go for the one with half the cheese, an even size roast beef sandwich, baked potato or green salad with low levels of calorie dressing. Avoid high fat foods like French fries, fried sandwiches, or fried chicken.
3. Stock up on your snacks
Keep healthy snacks on hand. This way, if hunger strikes during a late night study discussion, you will not be tempted by vending machine candy, chips or ice cream. Potentials include fresh or dried fruit, rice cakes, pretzels, whole wheat crackers, or unbuttered popcorn. If you have a refrigerator, consider storing fresh vegetables with low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese dip.
4. Eat a balanced diet
Ensure you eat plenty of foods that are rich in calcium. People in their early and teenage ages need to be building up stores of calcium in their bodies to prevent osteoporosis that occurs in old age. If you don’t usually take milk, try to incorporate adequate amounts of low-fat yogurt, low-fat cheese and green leafy vegetables in your meals.
5. Exercise frequently
If you are on a weight loss journey, do it reasonably. Starvation and/or diets that provide a quick fix usually fail and are dangerous. There is no known truth to the concepts that say eating foods in any particular combination will stimulate weight loss. The only safe way to lose weight, feel good while doing it, and keep it off, is to eat a balanced diet and do work outs.
6. Reduce sugar intake
Reduce your sugar intake because sugar provides calories in your diet but few other nutrients, and it contributes considerably to tooth problems like tooth decay. Use it cautiously and consider sweetening coffee, tea, cereal, and fruit with diet sweeteners in its place.
7. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables
Develop a habit of visiting the dining hall salad bar. The dining hall salad bar can be either an advantage or a disadvantage to your diet depending on how you choose from it. With no doubt, leafy greens, fresh vegetables, and fresh fruits are very advantageous. However, if you go for a lot of creamy coverings, bacon bits and mayonnaise-based salads, the calories and fat may be equal or even go beyond those of a burger and fries. So choose wisely!
8. Reduce alcohol intake
Limit your alcohol intake. If you love taking alcohol, bear in mind that it provides calories but has no nutritional value. A light beer, a glass of wine or an ounce of liquor each has about 100 calories. There are also health complications connected with drinking alcohol.
9. Keep yourself hydrated
Drink a lot of water. The body requires at least eight glasses a day, and, if you exercise on a regular basis vigorously, you may need more. To remind you, carry a water bottle along to class and keep it handy during late night study sessions.
Replace that soda or juice with water. The soda or juice contains calories and sugars while water contains none of them and keeps you hydrated. Enjoy your food. Food is a lot more than nourishment for our bodies, so take the time to enjoy and savor it!
10. Eat small, frequent meals
This can be as simple as eating a small piece of pizza at lunch hour and the other piece a few hours later. Also, it could be a glass of milk for breakfast and carry with you some nuts as mid-morning snacks.
Conclusion
Apart from the healthy eating tips named above, sleep is very important. Not just sleep but adequate sleep. When you are in a deep sleep, you release hormones that are important in maintaining good weight. Lack of sleep will definitely lead to disaster.
