The average college student is often pressed for time, under a lot of stress and eating on the go. You may find it difficult to avoid bad habits like skipping meals or frequenting fast food restaurants. But eating a healthy diet can help you feel better, cope with stress and perform better in the class-room and on the sports field. It really isn't that hard to get started.How many calories each day?
Men: About 2,500 calories Women: About 2,000 calories
- Eat a good breakfast. Studies show that skipping breakfast detracts from scholastic achievement. When there isn't time to sit down and enjoy your morning meal, grab a bagel, piece of fruit, and some juice.
- If you must eat fast foods, choose wisely. Choose pizza with half the cheese, a regular size sandwich, baked potato, or green salad with reduced calorie dressing. Limit high fat offering like chips, fried chicken or fish sandwiches and watch out for salad dressing.
- Keep healthful snacks on hand so if hunger strikes during a late night study session, you won't be tempted by vending machine sweets, chrisps, or ice cream. Possibilities include fresh or dried fruit, popcorn, rice cakes or whole wheat crackers.
- Eat plenty of foods that are rich in calcium. People in their early twenties need to be build up stores of calcium in their bodies to prevent osteoporosis in later life. If you don't like milk, try to include ample amounts of low-fat yogurt, low-fat cheese, and green leafy vegetables in your diet.
- If you need to lose weight, do it sensibly. Starvation and/or diets that offer a quick fix usually backfire and are harmful. There is not truth to the theories that suggest eating foods in any particular combination will promote weight loss. The only safe way to lose weight, feel good while doing it, and keep it off is to eat a balanced diet.
- Sugar provides calories in your diet but few other nutrients and it contributes significantly to tooth decay. Use it sparingly and consider sweetening coffee, tea, cereal and fruit with diet sweeteners instead.
- If you drink alcohol, keep in mind that it supplies calories but no nutritional value. A light beer, a glass of wine, or a shop of liquor each has about 100 calories. There are also many health problems associated with drinking alcohol.
- Drink lots of water. Your body needs at least eight glasses a day, and if you exercise vigorously, you may need more. To remind yourself, carry a water bottle along to class and keep it handy during late night study sessions.
- Remember, food is a lot more than nourishment for our bodies. Enjoy and savor it.
