Healthy College Food?

no_more_baby_bearin_hips

Hey guys,
I was wondering if anyone has any secrets to eating healthy in college. I live in the dorms and eat at the criteria because that's what my college requires of residences. I only have a microwave, so fixing my own meals isn't really going to work...unless there's been a recent scientific breakthrough that I haven't heard about, and hotpockets actually are great for you :P Any advice is greatly appreciated THANKS

quirkytizzy

When you can't control the kind of food you eat, portion control is often a good way to make a healthier choice. Welcome to the boards, lots of members will have great advice for you!

nickyfm

I did a semester abroad to college in the States, and my dorm's cafeteria was awesome. It always had a salad bar and sandwich bar open, and they had a bowl of fruit out. They would also often make grilled chicken or roast turkey for dinner.

Assuming your dorm has something similar, stick to this. All the raw veggies and fruits are your best friend. Also oatmeal and hard boiled eggs in the morning is great. Try to stay away from their sugary cereals and fried lunches/dinners

Hope this helps

aproc

When I lived in dorms, I made sandwiches, eggs in the microwave, sweet potatoes and kept plenty of stuff like nuts, fruit, etc in my dorm room. I only ate one meal a day in the cafeteria. Just find the leanest meat you can and veggies. If everything was total crap, I'd make a huge salad at the salad bar and get some chicken if they had it.

julialongoria9

I completely understand what you're going through. When I buy groceries I try and buy a lot of raw vegetables and fruits. I also bought a rice cooker which helps out a lot.. super cheap at wal-mart. Protein is harder for me to get just because I don't cook any meat in my room. I buy canned tuna and canned beans. But you should be able to get some stuff at the cafeteria. STAY AWAY FROM FAST FOOD. haha

AggieFan2011

I remember when I lived in the dorms freshman year it was really tough to find ways to eat healthy. Is your only option for campus food the cafeteria though? I know on my campus we have a sandwich and wrap place as well as a couple of other places where I could find healthier options than the food at the cafeteria. Also, buying things like fruit, veggies, nuts, and yogurt to keep in your room to snack on will help. A healthy breakfast I like is a banana wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla with peanut butter on it. That's something you could make in your room and then at least avoid one meal of campus food.

Also, portion control was mentioned and that is definitely important. If you can't control what you eat you can at least control how much of it you choose to eat. Good luck! I know it's a challenge, but it can be done.

Kaydana123

Do you have a fridge?

It's perfectly possible to create healthy and tasty meals in a microwave. Rice (no, not the expensive single serving "microwaveable rice", the normal stuff!) works particularly well in the microwave. Add stock, veggies and spices to the rice while it's cooking and you can make a cheap, tasty, healthy meal with just a microwave and the bowl you're going to eat out of!

amyplaysflute

I live in a dorm and right now I eat a lot of fruit because there's always fresh fruit available. Healthy cereal, fiber one bars, and wheat thins are great to have in the dorm. One of my staples is easy mac.. not exactly healthy but if I have an apple and some wheat thins too, it becomes a low calorie meal.

kimosabe1

to to the store and buy snacks like crackers, fruit or other healthy options.

AsrarHussain

I would buy my own food that way counting callories is easier

no_more_baby_bearin_hips

Thanks guys I'll have to try some of these. I had no idea you could cook rice in a microwave! I'll have to make a trip to the store latter and pick up some stuff

tehzephyrsong

Ask for smaller portions in the cafeteria. Go with the vegetarian option as much as possible and avoid anything fried, which can be hard, I know. The Freshman 40 hit me hard when I started college, because sometimes the chicken tenders and fries were the only thing available that looked palatable (and also clocked in at about 1100 calories, easily).

For breakfast, reach for:
- Egg white omelets with veggies
- Low-sugar cereals (granola, plain Cheerios, corn flakes, Grape Nuts...)
- Skim milk
- Whole-wheat toast (English muffins are also surprisingly low calorie for bread)
- Peanut butter
- Sugar-free syrup
- Olive/vegetable oil spread instead of butter
- Oatmeal
- Grits
but pass on:
- Most breakfast meats
- Biscuits and gravy
- Breakfast potatoes
- Jelly
- Cream cheese
- Waffles
- Butter
- Pancakes
- French toast

For lunch and dinner, reach for:
- Lean grilled meats (chicken breast, for example)
- Raw or steamed vegetables
- Fresh fruit
- Low-calorie soups
- Whole-wheat bread for sandwiches
- Veggie burgers
- Beans
- Baked chips
- Baked potatoes
- Vegetarian chili
- Whole-wheat pasta
- Tomato sauce (just a little)
- Vinaigrette or oil+vinegar for salad dressing
but pass on:
- Fried chicken
- Fried potatoes...fried anything, really
- Mayo- or oil-based salads (potato salad, pasta salad, etc)
- Burgers
- Sandwiches on sub rolls
- Wraps (seriously, tortillas have more calories than you think--stick with bread, or eat half and save the other half of the wrap for later)
- Cream soups (cream of X, chowders, cheesy soups)
- Dipping sauces
- Creamy salad dressings
- Desserts
- Pizza
- White pasta
- Creamy pasta sauces (alfredo, etc)

Besides all that, try to eat in your room as much as possible (stock your fridge with fruits, veggies, yogurt, other good things), and get off the meal plan as soon as you can. Is it required of students who live in the dorms, period, or just freshmen, or what?

And finally, there should be a student wellness and recreational center somewhere on campus, offering students access to gym equipment for free or very cheap. Start going to the gym if you don't already. Track everything and do the best you can until you can get off the meal plan.

no_more_baby_bearin_hips

The meal plan is required if you live in the dorms (thankfully I won't be next year!) Thanks for all the great ideas! I do go to the Rec. center when I have time, which honestly hasn't been a top priority lately (probably a huge contributor to the extra 20 :P) but I'm making sure I drag my butt there at least 3 times a week now. Thank you so much for showing me the healthier choices in the cafeteria, because as much as I would like to, I'm not always going to be able to just cook in my microwave lol You rock!

tehzephyrsong

No problem The healthy options are there if you look for them - a lot of colleges are really stepping up the nutrition and wellness efforts these days, too. Oh! One more thing. If your cafeteria doesn't already post the nutrition info, submit a request that they start doing that--there should be a suggestion box somewhere, or just ask one of the employees if you can talk to the supervisor, if you've got some time. I dunno what company your school goes through for its food service, but mine uses Sodexo; a lot of Sodexo items are already in the MFP database.