By Megan Jones, Advertising Manager
Being in college and eating healthy doesn’t always go hand in hand. With New Year resolutions becoming a distant memory and beach body season quickly approaching, eating healthy can be weighing heavily on your mind and on your body.
West Liberty University’s campus offers a variety of food options. From The Grille to Jazzman’s to the Marketplace, you’re bound to find something that arouses your taste buds. But is a chicken tender combo really the best choice for your body? Probably not. Although it is a better choice for your wallet compared to the $2.79 cup of grapes that seems to leave your belly grumbling in your next lecture.
Eating healthy doesn’t have to mean the four-letter word we all hate to hear: “diet.” It doesn’t have to mean embarrassing yourself at the gym, and it definitely doesn’t mean you have to starve yourself to get your ideal body. By making sure you’re getting the nutritious foods instead of focusing on resisting the bad foods, you can improve your diet tremendously.
With an all-you-can-eat style buffet such as the one found in the Marketplace dining hall, it can be hard to control yourself around the delicious food. Trust me, I’ve been there and have had my fair share of full plates. It can be tempting to eat everything, but by controlling your portions, you can still enjoy your favorite foods and not feel guilty later.
The people preparing your food know exactly what’s going into it, so just ask! They can tell you healthier options for your favorite meals and even suggest different foods. There are also food labels found in the cafeteria so you know the amount of calories or grams of sugar found in your food.
It’s not just your main meals that can be a problem though. You need to stop snacking. This can be hard, especially when you have time to kill between classes or when you’re bored in your dorm room. My best advice on stopping the snacks would be to drink water. It will keep you from being hungry between meals and makes you feel healthier overall.
Another option we often hear is to just purchase healthier foods to keep in your dorm room. However, not every college student has the money to afford healthy food, or even a fridge to store it in. So be sure to budget accordingly with your meal plan.
By utilizing your meal plan and staying on a budget, you will be eating healthier before you know it. If your budget doesn’t allow for the chocolate cake with extra chocolate syrup on top, then your body will survive without it. In fact, maybe your wallet is doing you a favor; it forces you to choose a cheaper, healthier option.
You won’t always do a perfect job at eating healthy, but that’s okay. We’re in college, and we’re allowed to enjoy ourselves from time to time, especially when it comes to food.
As long as you’re making a conscious effort to eat healthy, you will notice a significant difference.
Still, if you want to celebrate with a slice of pizza or two when you need it, go ahead, I won’t tell!
Correction: In 2/16’s print edition, the price of grapes was noted as $3.69. The correct price is $2.79 and has been edited above. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
Image by Mimi Albon
Julius • Feb 22, 2017 at 11:01 pm
Good article. Grape prices is like gas! Up and down each week.