College is often the best years of a young man or woman’s life. The parties, the bars, the number of guys your age. It really is one of the best years of his life. But these years come with a downside. In the dorms, you’re often treated to a lavish meal plan with tons of high-calorie treats. Not surprisingly, the “first fifteen” are common; Not to mention the number of calories from alcohol that don’t help. Then comes junior/senior year and you experience some of the poorest years of your life where your budget is often very tight. College students often find themselves on a ramen noodle diet every night. This article is designed to help a college student eat healthy on a budget.
Here’s a selection of 10 tips I’ve found have helped college kids keep their fitness goals in check when they’re on a budget.
1. The number one rule to follow when you’re in college is simple, watch and know what you’re eating. The meal plans are awesome, you get a ton of food with one quick hit in the cafeteria. This is how many students gain weight due to unhealthy food choices and overeating. It’s important to look at the food you’re buying and ask for a nutrition guide from the cafeteria that lists the estimated calories in each food. Your university should have one or else they are doing something wrong. When in doubt, fruits and vegetables never hurt anyone.
2. Buy healthy foods to sleep. Instead of going down to the cafeteria every day, invest in a refrigerator for lunch. You can have fruits, vegetables, 90-calorie bars, soups, and other healthy snacks in your bedroom.
3. NEVER eat out. It’s nice to go out with your friends and have a good meal. However, this costs money… Money in college is hard to come by. If a student is lucky, she will usually find a minimum wage job of MAYBE 12 hours a week. Not to mention the guys out there; Girls like a guy who also knows how to cook. It’s a good social skill to work with. If you can prepare a meal for a girl, she will be impressed. Also, the amount of calories in most meals when eating out is ridiculous.
4. Cut back on late-night snacking. At university, you often concentrate until late at night for exams. I found that those were my study habits at least. It is also possible that you are more inclined to eat something while studying so late. AVOID THIS. Late night snacking gives your body zero time to start digesting your food before your body is completely at rest. This leads to a huge weight gain.
5. While shopping, shop for healthy deals. Look for discount coupons. Search online. While shopping for deals, you really don’t need to change your eating habits. Often you can always find something you like on sale. Where I live I have a Kroger’s, Walmart, Sam’s Club and Jewel Osco all within 5 miles. It’s important to look online, if you can, at available stores and see what sales they have.
6. Get a budget. There are plenty of cheap healthy foods to buy that don’t cost much.
Soup is usually relatively cheap and healthy for you.
Egg whites and peanut butter are rich sources of protein that are often eaten not only by poor college students, but also by weight lifters in general.
Rice is also a great inexpensive dish that you can make yourself when you’re hungry.
Multigrain pasta is cheap and great to eat an hour before you work out. It will give you extra crabs to help you get through a workout with much more energy.
Finally, frozen vegetables are another inexpensive, low-calorie side dish that can be used to support a fit life.
7. Weigh yourself often. If you’re trying to stay in shape, it’s smart to weigh yourself. This applies to all ages of life, not just college kids. Monitoring your weight by looking at your food is a good start, but if you physically observe how your weight fluctuates, it may be more revealing to assess the consequences of your eating habits.
8. Reduce alcohol consumption. This may be the hardest rule for a college student to follow. I’ve been there, I know what it’s like when all your friends go out on a Friday night. Apparently it’s really hard to say no to your friend when he wants you out, but it is possible. Not to mention that when you stay up late with friends at bars or at a party, your appetite tends to increase due to alcohol. This usually leads to me personally either going out and spending money or basically having a feast the minute I get home.
9. The beauty of water.
Drinking water at certain times of the day can help increase its effectiveness on the human body, this also applies to all stages of life. Not just college students:
2 glasses of water a day helps to reactivate the internal organs
1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal helps boost digestion
Water also has the ability to make your brain feel fuller if you drink 2-3 glasses 30 minutes before a meal.
1 glass of water just before bathing/showering helps lower blood pressure
1 glass of water just before bed can help lower the risk of a stroke or heart attack.
10. Protein shakes. If you’re trying to cut calories and money, protein shakes are never a bad choice. A protein shake also contains vitamins and nutrients that help the body grow and repair itself with very few added calories (usually around 190 with skim milk). I use protein shakes often as a meal replacement. I plan my workouts early in the day, so I use a protein shake as a substitute for breakfast.