How do I eat well at college?!!

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ellebelle203
ellebelle203 Posts: 7
in Food and Nutrition
I'm finding it very difficult to eat the right things at school. The options are sparse and everything's fried and carb loaded! What should I look for?
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  • ahviendha
    ahviendha Posts: 1,291 Member
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    I often ask for alterations at campus places. For example this one grill has a veggie panini and makes turkey sandwiches, so sometimes they'll let me put the vegetables on a turkey sandwich (sweet talking cashiers help haha).

    Or if I do get something carby, like a sandwich, I'll take off the top bread portion and eat only the bottom.

    Also if I end up eating something fried (chicken tenders for example) I'll rip off the ends which have no chicken, only fried saucy bits, and not eat them.
  • ahviendha
    ahviendha Posts: 1,291 Member
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    Also soups, a broth based soup can be very filling with few calories. Sometimes even a roll will fit in your calorie goal because the soup will be 350-400 calories.
  • missk8t
    missk8t Posts: 6 Member
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    Check out www.budgetbytes.com and you might be able to start cooking cheap, healthy food for yourself. I wish this site was around when I was at school!
  • ahviendha
    ahviendha Posts: 1,291 Member
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    morning bump for more answers!
  • brainfreeze72
    brainfreeze72 Posts: 180 Member
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    My son is in a dorm/suite with 5 other young men. They have a full kitchen they can use for cooking (whether they actually DO is another story). What is your housing situation? That could make a huge difference. Are you far from your parents? Do you go home regularly?
  • bms34b
    bms34b Posts: 401 Member
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    When I was eating at the campus trough, I would eat two meals there. One was usually cereal and fruit, the next was a sandwitch, and I would eat dinner in as a lean cuisine or oatmeal. If you check your sales, I'd eat one meal in of a frozen thing. It'll be super easy, relatively cheap, and taste better than school food anyhow.
  • melissafaith24
    melissafaith24 Posts: 251 Member
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    i just found my new favorite term.

    saucy bits

    :)
  • castadiva
    castadiva Posts: 2,016 Member
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    Are you on a meal plan? Is that compulsory? Are there different places you can go, or do you have to stick to one cafeteria? Do you have access to any cooking facilities/fridge etc? All this will influence the answers/suggestions you receive.
  • 12skipafew99100
    12skipafew99100 Posts: 1,669 Member
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    Salad bar with vinegar/ oil dressing?
  • MrsHarris6
    MrsHarris6 Posts: 46 Member
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    I'm not sure if you're on a meal plan (as the other post asks) but if you're not, then stick with fruit, veggies (carrots, celery, cucumbers), 100 calorie packs of almonds or other healthy snacks you can take with you "on the go." Do little bottles of water so that you are not tempted to eat things that you shouldn't eat. I would also suggest that IF you eat noodles (not sure what your situation is) that you season themself lightly. Do NOT use the packet that comes with it because it has tons of sodium. Hope this helps!
  • ArtemisXXII
    ArtemisXXII Posts: 42
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    The dining service should have nutrition information posted on their website. At least my university does so I'm going to assume most colleges/universities do as well but don't quote me on that. If they don't make a suggestion to them that they should look into adding it. If they have it check it regularly and use that to help gauge your options. Like in our cafeteria (not the dining hall that something else entirely since I'm a commuter) has a sub shop and a salad joint. Both places will typically let us make our salads/subs a la carte it costs a bit more but they typically try to pick a menu item that exists that you have most of the components of already and then add for anything extra like sauce on the side or something. Usually comes out to be 0.50 more expensive.

    Soup is a good option too but watch out they are loaded in sodium so even if the calorie content is relatively low you can end up walking away with a 300-400 calorie soup but it has 1200mg of sodium in it or more.

    Lastly talk to the service, see what healthy options are available. My dining service is always trying to find ways to take our suggestions for improvement into account both in food and service. I've seen a lot of menu items come and go in the last five years I've been attending the college. It might be you're the tipping point in providing more healthy options.
  • Tanig32
    Tanig32 Posts: 110 Member
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    Look for healthy options such as a salad bar usually most colleges have those, or girlled chicken or fish items. If you can make your own food the dollar tree has cheap fruits veggies and some meats plus they take coupons now so you might even get some of your items for free or extremely cheap.
  • jmeyer925
    jmeyer925 Posts: 326 Member
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    Party all night, and sleep all day! Not as many food places open! :tongue:

    Nah, I'm in college too so I feel your pain. I find that if I bring little snacks in between classes I'm less likely to splurge on a big meal at the end of the day. And I have about an hour and a half break in my classes, and in the past I would go get an early lunch, but now I take that time to hit the school's gym :smile:

    Avoid that "freshman 15" "sophomore 20" "junior ah *kitten*" and "senior who gives a d*mn"!
  • fit4lifeUcan2
    fit4lifeUcan2 Posts: 1,458 Member
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    our campus cafeteria has a lot of junk but they also have a salad bar and you can order just about anything you want on a sandwich. I don't live on campus so I cook at home but back in the day when I did live on campus I cooked in my room out of a microwave and at in the cafeteria. It can be a real challenge finding foods that are healthy when I you have is a microwave. I would stock up on fresh fruits and veggies as much as possible and at times lived off of jell-o lol. I'm sure I wasn't much help. You need to ask around on campus or in the cafeteria and see if they can help you out.
  • xenah
    xenah Posts: 4 Member
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    Can you reduce your sugar & grain intake?

    All breads turn into sugar as soon as they mix with the enzymes in your mouth. The more complex carbs you eat, you spike your sugar and when you crash, you eat more.

    My husband and I have been reducing and working towards eliminating sugar and grains from our diet.

    We have noticed we don't feel the urge to eat as often or in the same quantities as before.

    Good Luck:wink:
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
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    Yeah that's going to be tough to eat healthy in a college dining hall. Just do your best and don't obsess about it. Go for the salad bar, any kind of lean meat, fruits, vegetables, whole fat dairy products, and count make note of all the calories.

    The main issue IMHO would not be finding healthy food, but resisting all the fried and carb loaded stuff. So make sure not to walk into the dining halls starving! Keep some healthy snacks like nuts, fruits, etc., around and handy. That way you can eat some before heading to the dining hall, and you'll be able to resist the french fries.
  • brevislux
    brevislux Posts: 1,093 Member
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    One solution: cook for yourself. That's what I do.
  • FranKatja
    FranKatja Posts: 13 Member
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    I am at college and in our residence we are not allowed cooking appliances and are expected to eat in the dining hall.
    I don't eat dinners there for same reasons you have outlined. I have a fridge and kettle though - and a communal microwave .... not sure what you have available ... but with those limits I make salads and cous cous mostly.
  • SunshineGRL76
    SunshineGRL76 Posts: 108 Member
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    hmmm - salad bar (broccoli, cauliflower, sugar snap peas, snow peas, chick peas, romaine lettuce)

    if they have a grill - ask for some grilled chicken or a burger...without the bun...Cheddar cheese (one slice) is a great option over american cheese...

    For the veggies they serve with meals - ask them if they can steam them for you, instead of having the ones cooked in butter...

    for breakfast - ask them to make an egg white omelette with stuff like mushrooms, onions and cheese...or if they have spinach that is a great add too. You can always ask the grill cook NOT to use butter when cooking, and to go super light on the oil...Check to see if they carry a non-fat yogurt (Chobani or Light 'n Fit)...feel free to add some granola. One brand of granola that I use is Bear Naked Fit (Triple Berry Crunch) - it is low in fat and has 3g sugar...You can find this in the health food aisle at most grocery stores...and you can keep this in your dorm room...

    Snacks - blueberries, strawberries, raspberries

    Are you permitted to keep a small fridge in your room?! Do you have access to a microwave/kitchen? Will they let you use a crock pot?

    Good luck!!! When I was in college, I was fortunate to be able to eat my meals at home...
  • SunshineGRL76
    SunshineGRL76 Posts: 108 Member
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    Another great option to make is quinoa!
    I am at college and in our residence we are not allowed cooking appliances and are expected to eat in the dining hall.
    I don't eat dinners there for same reasons you have outlined. I have a fridge and kettle though - and a communal microwave .... not sure what you have available ... but with those limits I make salads and cous cous mostly.

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