5 Tips to Maintaining a Healthy Diet in University
Starting university marks the beginning of the independent adult lifestyle and involves many opportunities to make your own choices in how you live your life each day.
Your diet is one of those opportunities and you have the choice to eat whatever you want.
However, this is not as good as it sounds, especially since the “freshman 15” is simply accepted as though it’s bound to happen. The major issue is that people don’t have any idea of what they are getting into.
No one is prepared for the stress, hectic schedules, and social changes that come with university, so managing yourself with so many tempting food options is a very daunting task on top of everything else.
Here are 5 tips to help you manage your diet in university:
1. Make a Commitment
It is easy to give in to temptation when you are surrounded by fast food on campus. When you go to the cafeteria and see the options on the menu, you have a choice to make: the tempting option or the healthy option?
Committing to a healthy diet will allow you to have a foundation to base your choices on. When you don’t make a commitment beforehand, you must make decisions on the spot.
When you commit to eating healthy, you have already made your decision every time you get food.
Having a goal to strive towards is always a plus, especially if you have an endpoint in mind. If it’s to lose weight or to feel more energized during the day, having a tangible goal for your diet change will keep you motivated and committed to your changes.
2. Meal Prep
If you have trouble finding time in your busy schedule to consider healthy food, try setting aside time to plan and prepare meals. Each week, plan and prepare what you will eat each day.
That way, you can focus on your important work during the week and you won’t have to worry about cooking after a long day on campus.
Whether you want to follow a certain diet or meal plan, or if you just want to generally eat healthier fresher food, having a set plan will alleviate a great deal of unnecessary stress and just make life a little bit easier!
3. Take a Moment and Consider Your Options
In university, a fast-paced schedule is non-negotiable, and you might feel pressured to buy some food no matter what it is.
When you take a moment to consider your options, you can remind yourself of the commitment you made to eating healthy and suppress the urge to go for an unhealthy option.
It is important to remember that you have control over your cravings, so taking a moment to think about your options allows you to push them aside and choose a healthier option.
4. Have Your Food With You on Campus
When you have food with you that’s ready to go, you can go about your day without having to go anywhere near a fast-food restaurant or cafeteria. If you have food with you, you have no reason to buy anything else, and you save some money in the process.
The food options on campus are usually not as nutritious or as fresh as anything you might buy in the grocery store. It’s not always about the number of calories or the amount of salt, it’s about knowing what’s in your food and getting the healthiest options possible. It may add a little more to your schedule, but the long-term results are worthwhile.
5. Don't Be Too Hard on Yourself
Everyone slips up and gives in to temptation at some point. What’s most important is that you are making the effort to avoid potentially unhealthy foods.
No matter how many times you fail, just keep on trying. If you’ve been good all week and feel the craving for a burger, go for it! The last thing you want is to feel stressed about eating healthy.
You’re allowed to fail and you’re allowed to make mistakes. If you recognize your mistakes and learn from them, you will only become better equipped to continue to try. It may be disheartening at first and you may feel like giving up, but just remember that you can do this!
Bonus Tips: 5 Nutrition Tips to Keep You Energized and Focused
Let’s take a look at some of the key things for you to keep in mind when it comes to fueling your best, especially when studying for your exams.
1. Water & Hydration
Most of us do not drink as much water as we need on a daily basis, and even mild dehydration can interrupt our focus by causing headaches, fatigue, or even nausea.
Although fluid recommendations can vary based on body size and gender, a safe starting point to work towards is a minimum of 10 cups or 2.5 L per day.
2. Coffee, Tea & Caffeine
Contrary to what you might have heard, caffeinated beverages like coffee and tea, actually count towards your daily fluid goals.
They do a lot more for you than that though, besides tasting great the caffeine in these popular beverages actually has a role to play in enhancing your concentration and alertness, and making you feel less fatigued (which is super helpful in the morning, during that afternoon lull, or when studying for exams!).
All it takes is a 75 mg serving for most people to experience those benefits. That’s the amount found in a 250ml can of Red Bull Energy Drink, a cup of home-brewed coffee, or 2 cups of black tea.
No matter what your favorite source of caffeine is, and we all have our preferences, don’t forget to be smart about your overall caffeine consumption on a daily basis. For caffeinated beverages, keeping it to 250 ml portions is a smart way to practice moderation!
3. Think About Omega-3s
Omega 3 fatty acids, also known as omega-3s, are essential nutrients that play an extremely important role in brain health. While they are found in the greatest supply in pink fish like salmon, delicious snack foods like flax seeds, chia seeds, and walnuts are also a great source.
4. Combine Food Groups
There are a number of benefits to combining foods from different groups into our meals and snacks. Doing so will generally increase the amount of protein and fiber we get in a meal, which will not only leave us feeling more satisfied after a meal but also have a more favorable effect on our blood sugar levels.
Both of those phenomena are exactly what we want when energy and focus are on top of our priority list. The food groups I want you to think about most often are whole grains (whole grain bread, oatmeal, etc), nuts/seeds, fruits, vegetables, legumes (chickpeas, lentils, hummus).
5. Separate Food from Work
Remember when your mom told you to eat more slowly?
She was right.
Although you might be tempted to do so, it does not pay from the health perspective to rush meals or snacks while working. My best advice is to allot some time to eat in a peaceful manner at a reasonable pace, your digestive system will thank you for it.
Struggling to balance life as a student? Check out this video about the 5 best apps to help you stay organized!
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