Written by: Liberty Miller | Lifestyle Editor

Content warning: this article contains mentions of weight, nutrition, eating and fitness. 

Eating well in college can be a challenge, just as much or even more so than getting good grades, working out or balancing one or two jobs on top of being a full-time student. Having gone through the experience of working two jobs, being a student-athlete and writing for the Howl, this article is based on real-life circumstances, making this a comprehensive and achievable guide for even the busiest of individuals to follow. 

The goal of general nutrition in college is not to lose or gain weight, nor to optimize performance or to become a superhuman. At its very core, nutrition maintains the homeostasis of the body. It ensures that one has enough energy to get through the day, to regulate the nervous system and digestion and to increase the quality of life for the individual. 

Keep in mind that this guide is not published by a medical professional. 

The power of meal prep — Meal preparation is an amazing time management technique along with the assurance that proper meals are eaten throughout the week. If properly sealed, a four-day meal preparation cycle is perfect for ensuring no food will spoil, offering four days of stress-free breakfast, lunch or dinner. It also discourages eating out, which is not inherently bad, but going out to eat can make is easy for one to miss out on vital nutrient groups and force an even tighter budget.

When meal prepping, it’s important to include all major food groups — fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy. If one chooses not to eat one of these food groups due to a condition or any other reason, it is important to continue to get the nutrients required from those food groups. When it comes to the kind of food in the meal prep, that is purely up to the individual, and it is important to listen to one’s bodily intuition when choosing what feels good to consume. 

As for the time involved in the meal prep, two to three hours every four days is the benchmark for this system to be successful. For example, if one has a Saturday off work and classes, meal prepping on a Saturday and Tuesday evening would be a proper cycle. 

Finding creative ways to consume — As college students, it is a universal struggle to access affordable and readily available fresh food. Finding ways to budget and store fruits, vegetables and meats can be challenging, but not impossible. 

Frozen fruits and vegetables are largely the same as freshly bought ones and can be stored for long periods. These can be incorporated into dishes such as oven-roasted vegetables, smoothies and even eaten as-is. Unless the frozen product has some sort of sauce or syrup added, it is an option that is just as healthy and may be more practical than fresh produce. 

Fresh meats don’t have to be expensive either — many meats are similar in fat to protein content, but meats like pork loin are affordable compared to ahi tuna steaks or top sirloin and still contain high amounts of protein. Eggs are one of the most notorious sources of cheap protein and can easily be incorporated into almost every meal. 

Grocery shopping options around the Monmouth and Salem area include Winco Foods, Grocery Outlet, Costco and Safeway. A multi-pronged approach to grocery shopping may be more effective than finding one store — Costco will have better price-per-unit deals on items such as Annie’s mac and cheese, Kodiak Cakes, loaves of bread and soups; Roth’s Fresh Markets will be able to cut and portion fresh meats to fit one’s budget and stores such as Grocery Outlet have the best deals on frozen fruits and vegetables. 

Liberty’s recipe recommendation corner —A personal favorite lazy recipe is Nongshim brand Tonkotsu ramen, topped with an egg and pork loin for a high-protein meal, sided with fresh blueberries or whatever fruit or vegetable choice one prefers. Per unit, the ramen, egg and pork loin are a meal that costs less than five dollars and takes around 20 minutes to prepare if the egg and pork loin are fresh. 

A well-balanced option for mac-and-cheese lovers — Purchase a quarter to half a pound of fresh steelhead trout — Roth’s Fresh Markets is a good option — prepare it with one’s preferred seasonings, wrap it in foil and cook it in the oven – when that is being cooked, heat water to make a simple box of Annie’s white cheddar mac and cheese shells, as well as a separate pot to heat up a frozen vegetable mix, preferably with green beans, peas and carrots — the frozen vegetable packs are available for less than a dollar at Grocery Outlet. Top the mac and cheese with the portion of steelhead and mix in the vegetables. 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu