College Nutrition!

Tachyonic
Tachyonic Posts: 64 Member
edited September 26 in Food and Nutrition
Hey everyone! I just joined this site, and was wondering if anyone on here is in college/university, and had tips for me about nutrition! I live in an on-campus apartment, so I have access to all the cafeterias on campus, but also have a kitchen and buy my own food a lot for snacks and dinner sometimes.

If you're in college, feel free to add me as a friend or give me any tips you've got!

Replies

  • amandakay3000
    amandakay3000 Posts: 22
    stay away from cafeteria food and vending machines! Eat fresh unprocessed stuff since you probably don't have time to cook anyway.
  • khodges15
    khodges15 Posts: 114
    hey girl. feel free to add me. i also attend university. i also happen to study nutrition so if you wanna run anything by me or anything just lemme know! :)
  • khodges15
    khodges15 Posts: 114
    hey girl. feel free to add me. i also attend university. i also happen to study nutrition so if you wanna run anything by me or anything just lemme know! :)
  • khodges15
    khodges15 Posts: 114
    hey girl. feel free to add me. i also attend university. i also happen to study nutrition so if you wanna run anything by me or anything just lemme know! :)
  • mynameiscarrie
    mynameiscarrie Posts: 963 Member
    ha good luck. i gained almost 30 pounds when i had meal plans. looking back, though, that could have been avoided. say no to bread on campus. it's terrible for you. get salads and fruits. no matter how cheap it is, don't eat ramen. it's packed with sodium. i would go for lean cuisines and what not. their quick, easy, and someone cheap. its hard on a college budget for sure. also, if you like tuna get that. it's usually cheap. as far as on campus goes, just really avoid the bread and what not. it hard for sure. good luck!!
  • SaraTonin
    SaraTonin Posts: 551 Member
    I actually ate my best at the cafeteria. I ate there for 3 years! If you have one with a lot of options, the key was to learn what your body doesn't need, and portion control. My favorite healthy meal was a hefty spinach salad with a grilled chicken breast. Most have tons of healthy options if you can say no to the pizza and burgers and the dessert area.
  • kbarry90
    kbarry90 Posts: 48
    I'm in college and live in the dorms. I usually only eat salad when I go to the cafeteria.
  • Eskimopie
    Eskimopie Posts: 235 Member
    Salad bar! Load up the protein, keep the dressing light. Also, my old trick at the pasta bar at the cafeteria was to ask for extra marinara and extra broccoli/vegetables, and light on the pasta itself. Luna bars for dessert once in a while. Most kids I know who gained college weight was from drinking though, not eating.
  • mjg08060
    mjg08060 Posts: 104 Member
    Even though food plans mandatory, I but my own food and stock a fridge in my room. I usually eat snacks or foods that are easy to prepare such as steamer bags, cheese sticks, fresh fruits and veggies as well as kashi cereal oatmeal and other healthier carbs. It works for me. Having a buffet style cafeteria i cant withstand the temptation so i avoid it all together.
  • T0RIEELIZABETH
    T0RIEELIZABETH Posts: 376
    I have a similar living situation. I even purchased a meal plan, but I dont use it. I realize that I tend to overeat and it's hard to really know what you are eating. I make all my food, I try to go to the gym between classes. I bought a wii, which has helped me out a lot, I can exercise in my room. I started to walk to class instead of take the bus.
  • Christopher_Butterfield
    Christopher_Butterfield Posts: 2
    Hello, I'm at college too. I find eating healthy really easy at my school. We have really good dining halls. I'm on a muscle gaining fat burning diet currently. If your school has a gym, try to get some cardio/resistance training at least 4 or so days a week. Some of the healthy foods i eat regularly from the dining hall include:
    Hardboiled egg whites: i probably have about 10 a day haha
    Salad bar: baby spinach, carrots, tomato, peas, anything green I can get my hands on. for dressing i put a vinegarette with a squeeze of lemon
    Vegetarian selection: vegan chicken- i recommend this, it's really tasty and full of protein
    Chicken noodle soup: 100 cals/serving tons of protein, good meal to stock up on from your apartment
    Healthy cereal like kashi or general bran type stuff or cheerios, skim milk, fresh fruit on top like blueberries, raspberries, mango
    Our dining hall serves sooo much soda but i stick to diet coke or coke zero and avoid juice
    we have an omelet bar too: Eggwhite omelet, (i try to avoid cheese) with spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, onion--so good.
    Microwave popcorn is a good low-calorie snack if you get the right type
    I steal fruit from the dining hall and snack on that too.

    i've been on this diet pretty strictly for a bit over a month and i've dropped close to ten lbs while gaining muscle. Good Luck!
  • elliecolorado
    elliecolorado Posts: 1,040
    Good for you trying to eat healthy now! I started gaining weight when I went to college and kept gaining weight through college, partially due to horrible eating habits and partially due to drinking. Honestly I wish I would have eaten more from the salad bar and less fried foods! If I could do it again, I'd stick with salad, chicken, non-sugary cereals with skim or 1% milk. And watching portion sizes is important too, it is way to easy to over eat when you have a meal plan.
  • AlexandraR2011
    AlexandraR2011 Posts: 114 Member
    I stay away from the cafeteria and cook at home as much I can. I'll pack a lunch and snacks for the day when I know theres no point in running back to my apartment. When I do eat on campus it's usually grilled chicken and a side of veggies or salads:)
  • rc630
    rc630 Posts: 310 Member
    I'm in college now
    I was on the meal plan last year, and while I didn't gain weight, I barely lost any even though I was going to the gym 3-5 days/week
    My downfall was the frozen yogurt and ice cream pretty much every day 0.0
    The best advice I can give you is to count calories and limit yourself to one treat per day or less if you can manage it. Avoid sodas (basically, never drink your calories) and the foods like casseroles that are loaded with cheese, grease, and other fat.
    Aim for food that look simple - they are usually your best bet. Grilled chicken, sandwiches that you know whats in them, etc are likely to be the healthiest, if not the easiest to track.

    Walk to all your classes. Unless it is so cold that doing so would be dangerous, just walk walk walk. I don't even know which bus to take to most of my classes, and the walking adds about 200 cals of exercise per day.
    For breakfast and lunch, stick to light foods, and allow yourself time to feel full. That way you won't be feeling stuffed and uncomfortable in class.

    Also, WATCH THE ALCOHOL. If you must drink, try to only do it one night per week, because those calories really add up. I know how hard a lot of students party, and it can add up to 1000+ calories in one night. It's better for your waistline (and decision-making) to drink less.
    Good luck, and feel free to add me if you wanna know anything else about staying in shape in college!
  • ndswimchick22
    ndswimchick22 Posts: 58 Member
    I currently live on campus with no access to a kitchen. I eat at the dining hall just about everyday! If you're looking for some ideas feel free to check out my food diary, it's opened to the public. I just make healthy choices at the cafeteria, and even eat...pizza, when I feel the need. The cafeteria is great because you can mix and match different foods. Sometimes I get veggies from on section, fruit from another, meat from another. BUT. The key is, I limit myself to the one plate that I have, and one plate for only fruit. :)

    And, when you get snacks, avoid snack packs from the store. I'm finding them horrible. I make my own snack packs instead now. :) Like trail mix, apple straws, rice cakes and anything I can get my hands on.
  • Tachyonic
    Tachyonic Posts: 64 Member
    Thanks for all the tips, guys!

    My campus is really small (I go to a small, private university), so it only takes me about 10 minutes to get to any of my classes from my apartment. It doesn't add that much to my exercise, since I really only have to make that walk two or three times a day. I do have an XBOX with Kinect, so I play Dance Central and YourShape Fitness Evolved. And my roommate has a Wii. :) The gym on campus SUCKS and closes early, so I almost never go there... I try to take walks with my friends for an hour or more at a time, though.

    Next year, I'm not getting a mealplan... thank god! It's so much easier to eat well when I can just buy a TON of those lite Caesar Salad packs from the grocery store and other good types of food. :)

    Anyways, thanks a LOT for all of the tips!
  • MaryD4900
    MaryD4900 Posts: 135 Member
    I lived in the dorms my freshman year. Didn't have access to a kitchen and I didn't get a mealplan bc our cafeteria wasn't good. I basically lived off of oatmeal, cereal, turkey sandwiches, soup, and frozen dinners. I ended up losing weight my freshman year lol
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