Healthy foods in college???

laurynbennardo
laurynbennardo Posts: 16
edited September 20 in Food and Nutrition
I am currently going to college and have to eat my meals here. I have had a hard time eating healthy here, and was wondering if anyone has gone through a similar situation and has any tips. I am also a vegetarian so that makes it hard as well.

Replies

  • TheMaidOfAstolat
    TheMaidOfAstolat Posts: 3,222 Member
    Are you in a dorm or an apartment? Do you have access to a kitchen? If you're relegated to using a hot plate there are still tons of things you can make. Also, invest in a crock pot...there are tons of stews, soups, grains that can be prepared in them.
    Check... vegweb.com for some great recipes. Also, feel free to look at my food diary.
  • AnneElise
    AnneElise Posts: 4,206 Member
    Hey girl, I was going through this 2 years ago!

    SALED SALED SALED... and take your own saled dressing in! That saves you on the calories. ALso I ate tons of cereal with fruit. Those cafeterias are so greasy... I almost always just ate saled or cereal... maybe peanut butter on toast? Does your cafe offer baked chips? I also kept healthy snacks in the room. 100 calorie bags of popcorn, fruit, veggies.
  • red01angel
    red01angel Posts: 806 Member
    I ate mostly vegetarian during college...
    Our school's dining halls had lots of prep stations where cooks would prep stuff to order...I always avoided these because of the grease factor, and they seemed to rely on sauce instead of actual ingredients to make the meal flavorful. I did, however, eat their stir fry. It was pretty healthy, and I just asked them to go easy on the oil and the sauces.
    I know being a vegetarian limits your choices, especially when you're stuck with DH food, but do try to avoid pastas and other refined carbs as much as possible. I did a lot of eggs and salads with balsamic vinegar as dressing. Do they have nutrition facts available to you? Maybe you should ask someone!
  • Sparksfly
    Sparksfly Posts: 470 Member
    I lost a lot of weight when I had to eat in the dinning halls!

    Typical day..

    Bfast:

    Egg white ommlet with veggies and sprinkle of cheese
    two slices wheat toast
    half a grapefruit
    skim milk

    Lunch:

    Salad
    Two turkey burgers (no bun) w. spinach and ketchup
    diet soda, water, or skim milk

    Dinner:

    Made to order turkey sandwich on wheat with a cup of clear soup
    or
    whatever plain chicken or fish dish they had that night
    steamed veggies

    Maybe a scoop of ice cream for dessert (frozen yogurt)


    See you can eat well and healthy in a college situation. Most people just opt. not to try~! Good luck!
  • Sparksfly
    Sparksfly Posts: 470 Member
    saw you were a veggie....

    some of the stuff can be altered. My college usually had a veggie/tofu main dish too.
  • laurynbennardo
    laurynbennardo Posts: 16
    I live in a dorm so I depend entirely on the dining hall here. Also I am very poor so I cant really go out and purchase any foods. I have been eating a lot of salads but I get very board with the limited healthy/vegi food options.
  • TheMaidOfAstolat
    TheMaidOfAstolat Posts: 3,222 Member
    I live in a dorm so I depend entirely on the dining hall here. Also I am very poor so I cant really go out and purchase any foods. I have been eating a lot of salads but I get very board with the limited healthy/vegi food options.

    Do you have access to a microwave and mini fridge? If you do you can use the steamable veggies/rice and eat those on occasion. I didn't live in a dorm during college but most of my friends did and they always used a microwave, mini fridge, hot plate, and crockpot in their dorm rooms (if they could get away with it). Being a vegetarian doesn't have to be expensive. Holly (Wannabeacullen) has a thread going about how much she spends-she's a vegan, I only spend about $30 a week and I manage to feed myself, my hubby, and our daughter (I'm the only veg though).
  • laurynbennardo
    laurynbennardo Posts: 16
    How in the world do you only spend $30 a month on food for three ppl? Thats pretty amazing! Next year I am moving to an apartment and have been a little worried about how I can live off $100 a month for food
  • bstamps12
    bstamps12 Posts: 1,184
    I'm in college too but I live apartments (I haven't lived in dorms) and I don't have a meal plan so I make everything at home (plus we have to cook for my husband and daughter at home anyways). When I have had to eat in the caf, I eat off the salad bar quite a bit. Sometimes the soup was a healthy one (as opposed to the creamy cheese soup!) so soup and a couple of crackers were good for lunch.

    Once you move into an apt, especially being a vegetarian so you don't have to worry about buying the expensive meat, you should have NO problem living off $100/month for food--just buy generic brands when possible and eat the fruits & veggies that are in season.
  • TheMaidOfAstolat
    TheMaidOfAstolat Posts: 3,222 Member
    How in the world do you only spend $30 a month on food for three ppl? Thats pretty amazing! Next year I am moving to an apartment and have been a little worried about how I can live off $100 a month for food

    It's $30 a week, lol, fresh fruits, veggies, greek yogurt, hormone free milk/cheese, cereal, grains. I buy the store brand as long as it's as close to natural as I can get and if it's processed it doesn't have HFCS or artifical crud in it.
    I eat what's in season (right now the strawberries near me were 3 for $5 so I bought three packs and one is for me at work, one is for home for fresh eating and these other is going to be turned into strawberry muffins).
    I buy meat about 1-2 times a month for my hubby and child (I also buy hotdogs and lunch meat about 1-2 times a month).
    $100 for food won't be a problem (I do it every month-it'll last as long as you don't go out to eat)
  • Megooo19
    Megooo19 Posts: 199
    I'm in college too and I have the hardest time with lunch. I've been bringing half a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich with natural peanut butter and low sugar jelly and a greek yogurt. If you go out some places have soup which is also usually a good option. Good Luck!
  • AlyssaC2010
    AlyssaC2010 Posts: 100
    I would recommend salads! I know my dining hall has a salad bar where you can put whatever you want on it...always do green lettuce or spinach, NOT iceberg lettuce (no nutrients in them)...I usually add lots of tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, a few black olives, and if you use a regular dressing don't use too much. I would definitely recommend a mini fridge if you live in a dorm. I'm in an apartment which is great since I can buy all my food from the grocery store. In the fridge stock tons of veggies (cut up bell peppers, carrots, etc) that you can dip in a light, low fat dressing. Also plenty of fruits (my favorite).

    The hardest thing is not eating enough during the day and then being starving & eating wayyyy too much when I get back to my apartment. I always take some cut up apples & walnuts or almonds to snack on in between classes. I also really like the Special K Protein meal bars...of course those are definitely snacks that are good and full of protein...anything with fiber is also really good & filling.

    If you're in a dorm and can only go to the dining hall...go with whole grain or whole wheat instead of white bread...that's a big one. No sodas! Well, once in a whiile won't hurt you...try to stay w/ flavored water or just plain water. In my dining hall we have different "places"...chick fil a, wrap place, pizza, "homemade stuff" and a bunch of others...good luck!
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