Staying focused on health as a college student

Maybe except coffee then. I don't drink it myself since it gives my stomach ache, but it is not that expensive if you make it yourself (my entire family except me drinks coffee). And it really is the calorie-heavy drinks which are usually more expensive.

One more piece of advice: Eat what's in season. For me this means a lot of potatoes, carrots and beats along wiht cabbage for a large part of the year. The stuff that is in season is normally cheap.

I'm also a student, studying nutritional science in Vienna.
Vienna is expensive, so I know what you mean...

This is a list of staple foods I keep everyweek:
-eggs, canned Tuna, quark, cottagecheese, light mozzarella, (whey protein powder), Tofu, cheese (Parmesan), natural yoghurt
-fresh veggies like Zucchini, lettuce, tomatoes, chinese cabbage, avocados, peppers, carrots, swiss chard... I go for whats on offer or in saison!
-Grapefruit, apples, sometimes bananas, kiwis...again, I go for offers and low GI fruits
-almonds, natural peanutbutter, coconutfat, flaxseeds
-oats, lentils, chickpeas

pretty much my basics I have in all the time
I drink loads of water and green tea in addition!

Feel free to add me and check out my diary!

Best of luck!

I understand where you're coming from! It's tough to balance school, work, and home life. I KNOW you can do it!

First of all, you're lucky that you already have several things going for you. You live out as opposed to in dorm or university housing. You have a husband who can support you. You have access to a gym. Those are all great things! If times get tough, remember that you have these.

I agree with the above posters: bring your food, make smart beverage choices, and eat lots of in-season produce! It's much easier to cook at home when you live out, and you can come up with things that don't require refrigeration. For example, my lunches consist of a peanut butter sandwich or lentils and cheese with fruit. Stock your backpack with protein bars and pre-measured servings of nuts.

Another great snack that might help your caffeine craving is a latte! All that milk is a great source of protein. If you don't want the calories of a latte, try getting used to black coffee. Very few calories, and pretty delicious (especially if you add sugar free syrup). I buy coffee out when I'm with friends, of course, but I've invested in a thermos which I fill each morning with coffee or tea of my choice. It's cheaper to fill your thermos with hot water (for tea) or black coffee at the school cafeteria instead of getting a $2.50 latte each time!

Frozen veggies are amazing; you can stock up and then just whack something in the pan for dinner or a hot lunch. You can get anything in frozen form! Plus, they're super easy to chuck into a scrambled egg in the morning; spinach and chilli eggs are amazing!

When you do cook, try making enough for the next night, too. I eat chicken and fish, and so I'll cook two chicken breasts instead of just one to save time later. My favourite thing is lentil or bean soup. I can make that and have it for another 6-8 meals! You can also freeze things to pull out when you need to.

The last thing I've found incredibly helpful is having an arsenal of spices. I haven't bought pre-made pasta, stir-fry, or curry sauces for months because I've figured out how to use herbs and spices, citrus fruits, and yoghurt to flavour foods. Spices last such a long time, and a jar of mixed herbs costs about the same as pasta sauce!

As for the gym, I personally know that I'm not a morning person. I've tried, but I'd rather work out after I've been doing research and relax with a shower in the evening. Find what works for you and remember that you need sleep! Workout buddies are amazing, too, and if you can find someone who can support you then it's a win-win for everyone!

Good luck!

Cook at home, don't eat out. Cook a lot in one go, and store in the freezer. This is my go to for stressful periods. It takes no more time cooking for 16 portions than 4 in most of the dishes I do, and then I have meals for a week for me and the BF.

This is excellent advice. I've found a lot of healthy recipes online that I can make a large amount of and then keep in the fridge and eat throughout the week, or freeze and eat later on. That way I can cook on the days when I do have time and then have things to eat when I'm scrambling to finish a project or a paper.

Also, I've found that nuts, especially almonds, are a really good snack to have around especially for late night studying. They have protein in them so it helps to keep you focused and awake. I also tend to get filled up with just a small helping. They usually aren't that expensive either. I get the whole almonds with no salt added, I had to slowly wean myself off of the lightly salted ones that I started out eating, but now I can't even taste the difference, which is good because as a college student I already eat tons of sodium in my food.

I hope that helps some!