On a college meal plan..... :(

Lsbohnert
Lsbohnert Posts: 22
in Health and Weight Loss
How the heck am I supposed to lose weight when I can't even eat healthy? Like they have a vegetarian side open sometimes but it's not even healthy I swear like they put so much salt in everything. And like i said sometimes it's not even open. The tofu is fried in a sweet sauce the chicken is cooked baked and looks disgusting because it has so much oil dripping off of it like all the other meat. None of their meat is grilled without salt or anything it always is disgusting like the fish is fried. I tried eating a burger without anything on it and almost spit it out because it was so salty.... I totally avoid the fries and desserts they put out every time also it's gross...The soups are always fattening also like potatoe soups or super salty also. There is a salad bar but it's only lettuce but you can put things on it like tomato and stuff but all the dressings are also bad for you like what am I supposed to eat plain salad all the time with the melon or pineapple they put out? Sometimes even the veggie wraps taste super salty for some reason it's so gross. I don't have a kitchen but only a small fridge in my room with a microwave and I don't want to waste meals because I only have 7 a week for the dining hall which still costs like 2000!!!!

Replies

  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    Oh, that's awful! It's a shame some schools still haven't caught up to better healthy eating.

    I don't know if it would do any good but you could discuss this with the person in charge of the dining hall.

    Is there a way you could get to a market to buy some healthy food to store in your room even if it's a little at a time?
  • Lsbohnert
    Lsbohnert Posts: 22
    Ya idk honesty it's sudexo, but I do stock up on a ton of fruit when I go to the farmers market and I got oatmeal stuff and granola bars for breakfast it's just so hard to get good food like when I went home I easily dropped a couple of pounds :/
  • KatissimusDorsi
    KatissimusDorsi Posts: 79
    I always think back to what our grandparents ate like. If your grandparents were like my southern ones, vegetables swimming in salt and butter and fried chicken were meal staples.

    Yet they were still thin and in good health. Why?

    1) No snacking
    2) Ate till full, not stuffed
    3) Walked a lot, lifted stuff around the house on occasion.

    Food doesn't have to be what you consider "healthy" in order to lose weight. Just has to be within your calorie range.
  • 19TaraLynn84
    19TaraLynn84 Posts: 739 Member
    I'm sorry if I'm mistaken, but didn't you post a very similar topic last week?
  • jakki_brown
    jakki_brown Posts: 142 Member
    I coped with Sodexo. If your cafe is set up anything like ours, you can ask for grilled chicken from the grill, eat salads, and wraps.. maybe stock up on some veggies at the stirfry station?

    Sadly, you can't help the salt, but you can drink tons of water to help flush it out.

    So many understand your frustrations!
  • Lsbohnert
    Lsbohnert Posts: 22
    I'm sorry if I'm mistaken, but didn't you post a very similar topic last week?
    No I've never posted about my meal plan before but it's ok :p
  • SymphonynSonata
    SymphonynSonata Posts: 533 Member
    Can you cancel the meals and bill? You could buy a small stove top or just go out nightly to different restaurants with agreeable selections for less than 2000/week.
  • 19TaraLynn84
    19TaraLynn84 Posts: 739 Member
    I'm sorry if I'm mistaken, but didn't you post a very similar topic last week?
    No I've never posted about my meal plan before but it's ok :p

    :)
  • Lsbohnert
    Lsbohnert Posts: 22
    Can you cancel the meals and bill? You could buy a small stove top or just go out nightly to different restaurants with agreeable selections for less than 2000/week.
    I wish haha no you have to have a meal plan if your live in the dorms on campus sadly :/ and it's not 2000 dollars a week lol it's 2000 for 7 meals every week for the semester
  • catherinemaxwell566
    catherinemaxwell566 Posts: 75
    Can you cancel the meals and bill? You could buy a small stove top or just go out nightly to different restaurants with agreeable selections for less than 2000/week.

    I think she meant 2000 per quarter, term or year not week lol
  • gleekymoho
    gleekymoho Posts: 19 Member
    hey, I just dealt with this. Can I friend you? Maybe I can help some.
  • Lsbohnert
    Lsbohnert Posts: 22
    hey, I just dealt with this. does your school have a salad bar with lean protein because that could help. Also, you might have to be a little creative and use a lot of portion control when it comes to the less healthfully prepared foods. I am not sure if this is applicable to you but I would sometimes also buy staples from the store, like eggs and then use vegetables I got from the dining hall to make my own meals. I could try to give you more tips if you shared a little bit more about what was usually available, what else you could possibly use (like grocery items) and what appliances you have access to (microwave, fridge, stove...)
    No we don't have lean protein sadly but their is a kitchen but it's pretty run down I've never seen anyone use it before.... I can't imagine having the time to cook their either though the good thing is next semester I will be a sophomore so I can live in the apartment style dorms on campus where I don't have to have a meal plan and there is a kitchen :D I look forward to it so much
  • Lsbohnert
    Lsbohnert Posts: 22
    hey, I just dealt with this. Can I friend you? Maybe I can help some.
    Ya totally :)
  • astagliano
    astagliano Posts: 6
    That sucks, I feel for you! I am lucky enough to live in a dorm with a kitchen in my apartment but it is still really hard trying to loose weight in college. My problem is all the food places to eat at that are literally outside my door. So props to you!

    You could try taking off the skin of the chicken with all the oil on it, that might help. For the salads, do they have oil and vinegar as a dressing option? Its good to have a few teaspoon of healthy oils each day, (olive, canola, sunflower, etc) they help absorb the nutrients from your other food. So it wouldn't be bad to have that.

    Can you get a mini fridge? You can stock up on greek yogurt which has a lot of protein so it will help keep you full. Load it up with fruits, healthy cereal,anything! .The oatmeal you bought is good too, to be honest thats what I have for breakfast almost everyday myself. It keeps me full for hours during long classes. Do the same thing as the yogurt. Put apples, or bananas in it, honey, peanut butter, you can even buy ground flax seed to bulk it up with. If you do end up buying yogurt, buy some chia seeds as well and you can make overnight oats, you don't even need a stove to cook the oatmeal with, its a time saver in the morning! Just google how make it.

    I have learned that you have to be SUPER creative in college to be healthy. I have made delicious meals out of things that i would never had put together before. Just buy some staple food you can keep in your dorm that you can combine in all sorts of different ways. Because if you get bored with eating the same things day after day you will loose motivation, keep it interesting.
  • Lsbohnert
    Lsbohnert Posts: 22
    That sucks, I feel for you! I am lucky enough to live in a dorm with a kitchen in my apartment but it is still really hard trying to loose weight in college. My problem is all the food places to eat at that are literally outside my door. So props to you!

    You could try taking off the skin of the chicken with all the oil on it, that might help. For the salads, do they have oil and vinegar as a dressing option? Its good to have a few teaspoon of healthy oils each day, (olive, canola, sunflower, etc) they help absorb the nutrients from your other food. So it wouldn't be bad to have that.

    Can you get a mini fridge? You can stock up on greek yogurt which has a lot of protein so it will help keep you full. Load it up with fruits, healthy cereal,anything! .The oatmeal you bought is good too, to be honest thats what I have for breakfast almost everyday myself. It keeps me full for hours during long classes. Do the same thing as the yogurt. Put apples, or bananas in it, honey, peanut butter, you can even buy ground flax seed to bulk it up with. If you do end up buying yogurt, buy some chia seeds as well and you can make overnight oats, you don't even need a stove to cook the oatmeal with, its a time saver in the morning! Just google how make it.

    I have learned that you have to be SUPER creative in college to be healthy. I have made delicious meals out of things that i would never had put together before. Just buy some staple food you can keep in your dorm that you can combine in all sorts of different ways. Because if you get bored with eating the same things day after day you will loose motivation, keep it interesting.
    wow I've never heard of chai seeds before il look it up thanks :) and ya it's so hard with so much unhealthy food everywhere like muffins and candy and pastries everywhere haha I love yogurt though so that's a great idea!
  • Erikalynne18
    Erikalynne18 Posts: 558 Member
    Luckily my campus is small so we did not have a food plan (the caf just has 3 little restaurants). We used to share a kitchen on each floor (so about 30 people). Sounds difficult but really everyone has such different schedules that it wasn't usually hard to share :) Also, so much cheaper!!

    My advice... perhaps you should speak to your student union about some healthier meal suggestions? A student union rep should be willing to listen to your concerns. Let's be honest, many people gain weight during college/university so there are many who could benefit from a revamp to the current meal plan. You are paying a lot of money for that food! Don't feel bad about wanting to voice your opinion :)
  • Alyssawinter1221
    Alyssawinter1221 Posts: 118
    Oh gosh. Be careful! At my university, all freshman live in these 3 bedroom apartment dorms and have a meal plan. THANK GOD I'm almost a junior and I live in an apartment now. I gained all of my weight in the dining hall last year... Like 30 pounds almost. How do I know? Because my parents are health freaks - I love them, but spinach and OJ every morning gets old. Lol, so I ate all the crap in the dining hall and my school has the best brick oven pizza ever!! Ugh.

    Moral of my story: go salad. Maybe sandwiches? We had a deli section. Breakfast was better bc you can get them to make you an omelette so maybe try that? I know it's hard! You can do it!! :)
  • Lsbohnert
    Lsbohnert Posts: 22
    Oh gosh. Be careful! At my university, all freshman live in these 3 bedroom apartment dorms and have a meal plan. THANK GOD I'm almost a junior and I live in an apartment now. I gained all of my weight in the dining hall last year... Like 30 pounds almost. How do I know? Because my parents are health freaks - I love them, but spinach and OJ every morning gets old. Lol, so I ate all the crap in the dining hall and my school has the best brick oven pizza ever!! Ugh.

    Moral of my story: go salad. Maybe sandwiches? We had a deli section. Breakfast was better bc you can get them to make you an omelette so maybe try that? I know it's hard! You can do it!! :)
    Did you lose all your weight when you got off the meal plan though? And ya there is a sandwich station but it's not always open good ideas :)

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