Struggling Eating Healthy On Campus

samiturner11
samiturner11 Posts: 1
in Food and Nutrition
I'm a college student, so I'm very much limited to what they are serving in the cafeteria. I have a very hard time eating healthy on campus. I want to eat healthy, but it's very discouraging when it feels like the only thing I can eat is salad every meal. There's so much fried and breaded food, or meat options that seem like they should be healthy, but have a lot of fat. And Carbs Carbs CARBS everywhere! This is just so hard when all around me are unhealthy options, and the healthy options get boring after awhile... Any one else successfully diet while eating campus food? It's so hard! Any advice would be welcome!

Replies

  • gs1941
    gs1941 Posts: 41 Member
    Are you able to pack your lunches at home, do a healthy and big grocery shopping. The night before school, pack your lunch and all your snacks, that's what I do, helps me a lot in University.

    Sometimes it is SOOOOO tempting, but i've been strong over a month now & the good thing is classes are over in less than 2 weeks!(Yippie)!
  • gs1941
    gs1941 Posts: 41 Member
    Also, bring LOTS of snacks (Healthy ones of course) because if you get hungry you always have them and won't resort to buying something from the cafeteria.
  • arenkel
    arenkel Posts: 77
    It may seem daunting, but I promise, it IS possible. Try looking into some of the vegetarian options-- sometimes they'll be healthier than the ones filled with meat. If there are multiple cafs, try out some different ones. You never know what you'll find -- my campus has one with super-unhealthy food, one that has really high-quality stuff, and a bunch in between.

    The biggest thing for me is portion control. It's totally okay to tell the person behind the counter that you want "just a little bit" of whatever. Also, while I don't like to waste food, it is okay to leave food on your plate (next time ask for less).

    Another thing that some people do is start off with a small salad and then get an entree. Then, if they're still hungry, they go get another entree or a piece of fruit or even a dessert. My college has all-you-can-eat style cafeterias built into the dorms, and it's sooo tempting to get your $10/meal of food. Don't fall for that trap.

    Also, it's okay to get unhealthy food sometimes. Last night, for example, I had noodles w/ veggies & tofu, a small salad, and then split a small Ben & Jerry's ice cream with my bf. If you don't eat junk all the time, "splurging" feels special and deserved, not something to feel guilty over.

    Just my two cents. Hope this helps!

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