College Advice

MidnightSaturn

My freshmen year was the first time I felt free in a very long time, having to wait to go to school while everyone else was ahead. This lead to me comforting myself with food. Instead of just gaining the "Freshmen Fifteen", I ended up gaining the "Freshmen Twenty-five!!!!". I've been doing healthier eating and exercising with weights and such. While I haven't lost any numbers, I can drastically see the difference in my body and confidence. The point of this post is simply this, with limited funds what are some healthier choices for food and dieting in college dorms? I'm allergic to wheat, so whole grains are out, and I know thats a big part of toning up, which saddens me I'd just really appreciate some things I could substitute to keep this progress going! Thanks!

arenkel

I'm also in college, and I understand your tight budget. I buy produce and bulk foods (dried beans, rice, etc) instead of processed foods as often as I can-- they're healthier and often cheaper. Frozen produce is also a good option; for example, I only eat broccoli in stir-fry, so I keep a bag of frozen broccoli in the freezer for those occasions.

I often cook in bulk and eat leftovers for the rest of the week. I like chili, soup, beans & rice, stir-fry, spaghetti... the list goes on. If I spend the time to cook it, I might as well cook a lot of it. That's just me being lazy though.

About your allergies-- have you considered alternative grains? I know allergies can be funky, and I'm no expert on them, but I'm sure there are things out there that are good alternatives for wheat. (That said, you may have to occasionally go without because substitutes may be expensive. I'd investigate, if I were you). Maybe someone else can help you out on this one?

Edit: Since you're living in the dorms, are you on a meal plan? Or do you have to cook for yourself? (For that matter, do you even have access to a kitchen?)

kgprice11

Basically restrict your intake and quantity.

arenkel

By the way, MidnightSaturn, you can friend me if you wish.

MidnightSaturn

I'm also in college, and I understand your tight budget. I buy produce and bulk foods (dried beans, rice, etc) instead of processed foods as often as I can-- they're healthier and often cheaper. Frozen produce is also a good option; for example, I only eat broccoli in stir-fry, so I keep a bag of frozen broccoli in the freezer for those occasions.

I often cook in bulk and eat leftovers for the rest of the week. I like chili, soup, beans & rice, stir-fry, spaghetti... the list goes on. If I spend the time to cook it, I might as well cook a lot of it. That's just me being lazy though.

About your allergies-- have you considered alternative grains? I know allergies can be funky, and I'm no expert on them, but I'm sure there are things out there that are good alternatives for wheat. (That said, you may have to occasionally go without because substitutes may be expensive. I'd investigate, if I were you). Maybe someone else can help you out on this one?

Edit: Since you're living in the dorms, are you on a meal plan? Or do you have to cook for yourself? (For that matter, do you even have access to a kitchen?)

I'm technically not allowed to have anything in the dorms besides a microwave, but I do have an extensive meal plan. The only thing that bothers me about it is I don't know what is going into the food. I know that they're supposed to be healthy-ish, but my mom works in a high school cafeteria and some of the things she says is in stuff they make makes me cringe at the thought of eating it. We don't have access to a real kitchen here unless we apply for the apartments on campus or get our own. I tried, but they filled up

I've been substituting fruit in my diet whenever I get a craving for something sweet, and I've been reducing my portions. I used to eat a LOT, almost as much as a man does, but now I'm down to where a little more than a fist size amount of food fills me completely up. That in itself is something I'm very proud of. I was thinking maybe I could get some fruit, make a smoothie the night before and put it in the fridge for breakfast (Seeing as I'm not a morning person, and I have early classes). Better than no breakfast, right? I was also thinking I'd get some protein bars to have for the days I couldn't get to the cafeteria since I've been adding emphasis on my protein intake. I figure its a starting path.

I'd have to really research the grains, simply because I tend to be allergic to a lot of stuff and so far wheat is the only food allergy I've found. I've kinda just been laying off the bread because I dont want to consume a ton of white bread either, I'm fumbling in the dark a little on that one lol

gogophers

Not sure how willing you are to try to work the system, but you may want to try to get some sort of doctors note or something saying you need to be able to prepare your own food so you can get into an apartment when housing changes again (or they may actually have apartments set aside for this reason, so you may be able to do it now assuming people haven't moved in for the upcoming year yet).

SamanthaAnnM

Hey! I'm a college student who gained about 15 lbs my freshman year from being too inactive and not being health conscious. If you have a mini-fridge that'll be really helpful. Keep around yogurt, nuts, berries and fruits, veggies, plain popcorn (not the buttery kind), whole wheat pitas and breads, hummus, organic nut butters (like peanut butter or almond butter). You can google search "healthy snacks for college dorm" and get lots of great ideas. Try to eat as few processed foods as you can but if you do (it's really hard to avoid it in a dorm setting), make sure you look at the label and see what you're really eating! Things like granola bars can seem healthy but have a lot of sugars and not be very filling at all. Basically like eating a candy bar! Don't buy too much food at once, I used to buy tons of food and then not eat it because I also had a meal plan. Buy a few small snacks a week, you can vary them so you won't get bored. So one week I might buy bananas and almonds. The next week I might buy some carrots and hummus and yogurts. Educate yourself as much as possible on what foods are healthy and what aren't. Know how to read nutrition labels.

For the cafeteria: If it's all you can eat, remember that you don't have to eat everything! Our cafeteria always had pizza, burgers, sodas and desserts available. Avoid them as much as possible. Tell yourself you'll only splurge on something a certain number of times - like once a week. Look for a salad bar and fresh fruits. Remember that the dressing can really kill the calorie counts on salads so keep it to a minimum and stay away from creamy dressings like ranch. Don't go to the dining hall and get three huge meals a day...I know it's hard since everything looks delicious (I had real trouble with breakfast especially, the pancakes and waffles were so hard to resist!). If you wouldn't eat it every day at home, don't eat it every day there (like pizza!). Try to not eat all 3 meals at the cafeteria, use foods you have in your dorm for one meal. For example, I often skipped breakfast at the cafeteria and made sugar-free instant oatmeal in my dorm using the microwave. So many calories saved!

Finally, pay attention to what you eat outside of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Try not to go to 24 hr food places at 3 am when you're studying. Eat what you have in your dorm instead (or don't eat anything at all!). Don't fall prey to second dinners at the dining hall. And this one is important: even though it's college, drinking alcohol is REALLY bad for weight loss. So, if you do drink, do it in moderation and try for only once per week. Offer to be designated driver or something. Stay in and study. Go to the movies with friends. Not only is the alcohol itself bad, but you can get the drunk munchies and that's when you'll find yourself at Taco Bell at 3 a.m after a night out! I've been there many times.

Living on campus is really difficult if you are looking to eat healthy. Do the best you can, realize that this is only temporary, and if your school has a gym you should try and go 3-5 days per week, even if only for 20 minutes.

arenkel

Hey! I'm a college student who gained about 15 lbs my freshman year from being too inactive and not being health conscious. If you have a mini-fridge that'll be really helpful. Keep around yogurt, nuts, berries and fruits, veggies, plain popcorn (not the buttery kind), whole wheat pitas and breads, hummus, organic nut butters (like peanut butter or almond butter). You can google search "healthy snacks for college dorm" and get lots of great ideas. Try to eat as few processed foods as you can but if you do (it's really hard to avoid it in a dorm setting), make sure you look at the label and see what you're really eating! Things like granola bars can seem healthy but have a lot of sugars and not be very filling at all. Basically like eating a candy bar! Don't buy too much food at once, I used to buy tons of food and then not eat it because I also had a meal plan. Buy a few small snacks a week, you can vary them so you won't get bored. So one week I might buy bananas and almonds. The next week I might buy some carrots and hummus and yogurts. Educate yourself as much as possible on what foods are healthy and what aren't. Know how to read nutrition labels.

For the cafeteria: If it's all you can eat, remember that you don't have to eat everything! Our cafeteria always had pizza, burgers, sodas and desserts available. Avoid them as much as possible. Tell yourself you'll only splurge on something a certain number of times - like once a week. Look for a salad bar and fresh fruits. Remember that the dressing can really kill the calorie counts on salads so keep it to a minimum and stay away from creamy dressings like ranch. Don't go to the dining hall and get three huge meals a day...I know it's hard since everything looks delicious (I had real trouble with breakfast especially, the pancakes and waffles were so hard to resist!). If you wouldn't eat it every day at home, don't eat it every day there (like pizza!). Try to not eat all 3 meals at the cafeteria, use foods you have in your dorm for one meal. For example, I often skipped breakfast at the cafeteria and made sugar-free instant oatmeal in my dorm using the microwave. So many calories saved!

Finally, pay attention to what you eat outside of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Try not to go to 24 hr food places at 3 am when you're studying. Eat what you have in your dorm instead (or don't eat anything at all!). Don't fall prey to second dinners at the dining hall. And this one is important: even though it's college, drinking alcohol is REALLY bad for weight loss. So, if you do drink, do it in moderation and try for only once per week. Offer to be designated driver or something. Stay in and study. Go to the movies with friends. Not only is the alcohol itself bad, but you can get the drunk munchies and that's when you'll find yourself at Taco Bell at 3 a.m after a night out! I've been there many times.

Living on campus is really difficult if you are looking to eat healthy. Do the best you can, realize that this is only temporary, and if your school has a gym you should try and go 3-5 days per week, even if only for 20 minutes.

This is GREAT advice.

I'm out of the dorms now, but I know how it feels. The biggest dining hall on campus happened to be 5 floors down from my room, so it was rather easy to get food. BUT! With my tight schedule, I was only able to eat there a couple of times a day. I became very fond of veggie wraps (tortilla, lettuce, tomato, hummus) and salads. I definitely took advantage of the free produce-- I'd often snag a banana or two for breakfast the next morning. Every college is different, but mine's Housing Services had a really nice program where you could go talk to a dietician for free (kinda like office hours). Check into it-- if your college offers something like that, I'd do it. These people know the dining system inside & out, and can help you find healthy choices.

Another thing that worked for me was to not get a tray. I carried every plate, cup, and fork in my arms-- if I couldn't carry it, I didn't take it. That prevented me from getting more food than I needed, since I could really only carry one plate, a small bowl of fruit, and my drink (water or soy milk).

I completely agree with going to the gym as often as possible. Also, if you have the time between classes, walk around campus instead of taking the bus. And if you absolutely MUST have that late-night snack, walk there (from my dorm to 7-11 was a good 3/4 mile, and that distance definitely reduced the Slurpee cravings)