To celebrate Healthy Eating Week, I’d like to write down a few tips that I’ve learned concerning nutrition. As a college student, it can be extremely difficult to keep up with eating healthy and maintaining an active lifestyle. When on campus, we are mainly restricted by what is on campus. I do think that the dining hall makes an effort in providing healthy options; however, vegetables are typically steamed or boiled or served in some type of cultural sauce that the school failed terribly at mimicking. With all of these vegetable options, they aren’t always appetizing.
The lack of nutritious options can be damaging to mental health in a number of ways. When you aren’t eating a balanced diet, that can lead to your body feeling sluggish, making it difficult to have a great social life—outside of your bed. Also, if you’re like me, food is my happy place. And food can be yours too. It’s not a negative thing to love food. The same as with any exchange of love, you must focus on maintaining a healthy relationship with food. So, when I’m unable to get tasty food or am eating food that makes me feel bad, it’s like being with someone I’m unattracted to or someone who’s a plain asshole. Not fun right? All this to say, food is something that we should be able to love and have us love back. That can be a difficult relationship to maintain while living on campus.
When you move off-campus, it becomes difficult when trying to begin meal prepping. How to control calorie intake. How to budget. How to cook. One thing I want to lead with if you are a college student is to reach out and see if your school offers a dietician. This school dietitian will be of no charge to you and that office can help you figure out options (adjusting to your needs whether that be dietary restrictions or if you’re just a picky eater). However, if you don’t have access to a healthy eating coach, just make sure to do your research. You’re reading this blog so I know you have access to the Internet at the very least. Having a healthy eating journey can be a little bit tricky, so I’ll include a couple of tips that I have learned over the past few years that will allow you to eat a healthy meal without sacrificing your wallet or your taste buds.
My first tip is to not let the rumor ‘healthy eating is expensive’ scare you away. Healthy eating is often seen as being synonymous with fruits and vegetables which are then synonymous with expensive. One thing I recommend for beginners (or anyone) is to check out frozen fruits and vegetables. They are often much cheaper than the stuff in the fresh aisle and they maintain most, if not all, of the nutrients after being flash frozen. Canned goods are also a great alternative. Just make sure that you grab something without added salt, butter or cream sauces.
My last tip is to experiment in the kitchen. I know we typically lean towards trying new foods in restaurants (or the dining halls) but let’s face it. Everybody can’t cook anything. Often times it’s not that we don’t like vegetables at all, it’s just that we’ve eaten vegetables from people who have a different palette then we have. You know exactly what you like. If you’re with a trusted chef who has never made a meal that you didn’t love, then sure, try something new. But don’t go to some wanky ass restaurant and order Brussel sprouts for the first time. Don’t get me wrong, you might find a hidden gem, BUT if you don’t. Don’t let it steer you completely clear of that vegetable. Look up some recipes (maybe not the first thing on google, people get awards for seasoning chicken with only salt and pepper) and really do some digging. Explore with spices and don’t hold back! Spices don’t affect your calorie intake. Healthy food doesn’t have to be disgusting—despite what dining halls and the occasional wanky restaurant might have you believe.
So, my challenge to you is to poke around online. Find some vegetable and/or fruit packed recipes that sound appetizing to you. Don’t just settle on the first thing you see. Try something new or even try a familiar recipe (such as your favorite pasta) and google pasta alternatives. Join me in celebrating Healthy Eating Week with a good meal that won’t put you into a food coma after and then let me know what you think. I’m always down to try new things.
