Having trouble with my sugar and sodium in take! HELP!!

lots2love89

Hello,

I am new on here and recently started using this website Thursday, Feb. 9th. The first 2 days I wasn't tracking my sugar/sodium intake because I didn't know how to customize it. Well once I was able to I was surprised by how much sugar and sodium I've eaten. It was worse the first 2 days so I have lowered it since then but I am still in the red for sugar and sodium. I've remained in the green for everything else for the most part. I also live in a college dorm and have access to a microwave, mini fridge and that is about it. I am not on the meal plan but buying and cooking my own foods. What are some healthy foods that I can get that are quick/easy for a busy college student like myself but also not too high in sugar/sodium and everything else I am watching?? I appreciate any help!! THANKS! :happy:

Skeemer118

I'm not sure what kind of budget you're on but I'll give some insight into what I eat.

1) - Steamfresh frozen veggies. I know you have a mini fridge but if it has a little freezer area maybe you could get a few of these. They steam in the microwave in like 5 minutes.
2) - Sugar free pudding/jello. The chocolate sugar free pudding saves my bacon when it comes to my sweet tooth. The sugar free Jello is like 10 calories. The pudding is like 60. I do the single serving cups & they are shelf stable. Some people argue the sugar substitutes vs. regular sugar being healthier so you'll have to go with your gut on that debate.
3) - Whole wheat low cal bread. I take a sandwich almost every day to work. Nature's Own low cal whole wheat bread saves me a ton of calories at 40 cal per slice.
4) - Just say no to as many processed foods as you can. Chips = tons of sodium.

Best of luck to you!

EDITED TO ADD - Try not to drink your calories. While Coke or Mt. Dew might fall into your calorie range they are jam packed with sugars. About 40-ish grams a can.

Starlage

I agree with the above suggestions and I'd say don't watch your sugar intake. MFP's is way too low anyhow. Just don't eat sugary treats don't have sugary drinks. As long as you're not diabetic natural sugars in regular foods don't really matter. It's mostly your overall calorie intake the matters the most!

Pepper2185

Regular oatmeal - throw in a dash of cinnamon or some fruit if you need sweetness.

vjrose

A bit of label reading will help a bunch, I actually found brown rice in a microwave pouch that was only 15mg sodium per serving. Mrs Dash marinades can flavor almost anything from rice to meat ot veggies with low carbs and no salt, (yeah not kidding even my salt loving hubby likes them). Fruits that keep like oranges and apples or even get a couple of green pears and let them ripen up. The key is to watch "added" sugar. That is the sugar on the label. Unfortunately MFP does not distinguish, I often go over on sugar but I eat at least three pieces of fruit a day but very little added sugar. So feel free to subtract fruit from the sugar total to get a better idea. Recomendation is not more than 30g of "added" sugar a day. 2500 sodium is pretty easy if you start reading labels, there are a lot more somewhat lower sodium products, if you are a soda girl then that might be a challenge, sugar and sodium are both a trap in soda.

sun33082

Try to buy as little processed food as possible. That's where a lot of sodium and "bad" sugar come from. If your sugar is from fruits and veggies and dairy, then you're probably ok. Sodium and sugar are hidden in all kinds of pre-packaged, processed foods. Try to buy as raw/natural as possible and add your own sugar and salt. You'll never add as much at the manufacturers do. Read labels, both nutritional and ingredients.

DataBased

I agree with Skeemer. Stay away from processed food, which includes packaged meals, jar sauces, macaroni and cheese mixes, etc. I buy single ingredients and make my own now, which doesn't help you in your dorm one bit. But read each label - it will shock you how much sugar is in almost everything you buy, including lunch meat, bread, even milk!

This site makes us far more aware of what we're putting into our bodies than we've ever been - which is extremely helpful!

lots2love89

Thanks so much for all the tips! I appreciate it. I actually don't drink soda anymore because it just doesn't sit well with my stomach. I suppose thats probably from years of drinking it though...I mostly drink tea, the occasional coffee and I love water with those crystal lite packets but I noticed some of them have the artificial sweeteners so I might start squeezing lemons and adding my own sugar to them to at least I know its not flavored with chemicals. I am trying to find some quick stuff I can microwave and that isn't unhealthy. I do have a small freezer section which fits maybe 2 frozen items. I am going to get some of those Kashi microwavable meals for when I am really busy. I noticed the sodium and sugar is pretty low (some only have 230-380mg of sodium) and they have lots of fiber/protein. I buy canned chicken since I can't cook raw chicken in my dorm and its quick and I cook rice in my microwave as well. I'll definitely get some of the Ms. Dash seasonings since I love flavor but don't want to have too much sodium. I didn't realize MFP didn't really distinguish between bad sugar and good sugar so I'll definitely check that and see how much over I actually am. Thanks again for the tips. If you think of anymore let me know. I am adding low sugar/calorie pudding cups to my shopping list. I definitely have a sweet tooth so that'll help curb that for sure. :happy: