Tracking cafeteria style food?

SarahEBeth94
SarahEBeth94 Posts: 4 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm only a week or so into my journey towards a more fit body, and I feel as thought I'm doing great. I love being able to eat a wide variety of healthy foods, but I won't be able to for long.

I have less than four weeks before I start a summer session for the scholarship program I'm in. This program includes living on campus for six weeks, a very busy day (~7am-11pm daily with almost no time for exercise), and cafeteria food for every meal.

How did everybody here deal with tracking cafeteria food that doesn't have labels? And how did everyone make healthy choices? Any tips are welcome!

Replies

  • lichensandseeds
    lichensandseeds Posts: 41 Member
    This is difficult-- I guess it kind of depends what type of cafeteria you are in and how much variety there is.

    Foods that would be easiest to track would be those that are cooked simply like hard boiled eggs or things like fruits and raw veggies. When you fill your plate, take a serving of whatever protein is available and then double up on vegetables. Watch for things that might be high in sodium or are cooked in a lot of oil.

    Also, if there are options like a stir-fry line or a salad bar, go for those (but make sure you're getting enough protein by choosing meats or tofu or eggs to go with veggies). I used to get creative at my college cafeteria by mixing things from the different lines-- such as adding bacon from the breakfast line to spinach from the salad bar to make a nice spinach salad.

    I also find that dessert in a cafeteria setting is really tempting-- especially when you want to socialize longer with your friends so you want something else to eat. Try not walking by the dessert section at all so that it isn't tempting and maybe get a cup of tea or extra fruit instead. It's okay to have treats every now and then, but I found that it was easy for me to want them every night.

    Overall, be wary of what you're choosing and enjoy getting creative with your choices, but don't stress too much! Sometimes we're in situations where it's difficult to make good choices about food and that happens.

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