Eating Healthy in College

As much as I have been loving my time back at school, the one thing I have really been struggling with is maintaining a healthy diet. So many of the food places on campus are filled with chicken fingers, french fries, and tacos. I also have been struggling with finding vegetarian-friendly options.

Luckily for me, I live off campus and have the opportunity to buy my own groceries. I can control what I eat when I am at my apartment. The problem is that I still haven't been eating very healthy even at my apartment. It took me the first few weeks of school to realize how all of this unhealthy eating was impacting my life.

I don't have a scale at school but I am almost certain that I have gained a little weight based on how my clothes are fitting. I have been feeling tired, sluggish, and not motivated. My running has been slow and ultimately I just haven't been feeling like myself. I also have been super moody. Not cool.

I have been thinking a lot about how to enjoy the college lifestyle while still staying healthy. The first step is to stock my fridge with healthy foods to eat when off campus. I absolutely love fruits and smoothies, especially in the morning. I have been limiting how many "snack" foods I keep at my apartment also. That way snacking while bored is no longer a problem.

I really think the key to eating healthy in college is eating as healthy as possible and then indulging for special occasions. Pizza delivery at midnight every night is not actually necessary. Pizza delivery at midnight once a month? Of course! I pretty much know my schedule for the week by Sunday so I can plan out when I need to eat healthy.

A lot of it also comes down to making small changes. Switch from drinking soda to drinking water. Only put one slice of cheese on that sandwich instead of 2 or three. College should not be about making a bunch of sacrifices but a few small changes can really make a big difference.