Written by: Isabelle Jones | Lifestyle Editor

Healthy food habits are essential for a student’s success both in and out of the classroom. For many people, college is their first time away from home. Constant new experiences, late-night study sessions and other exciting events can lead to many overlooking the importance of building healthy food habits. With that, we need to nurture a healthy relationship surrounding food as early as possible. No matter what a person’s weekly schedule looks like, they can always make time for food. 

For many students, a busy schedule seems to take over daily life at the start of every term. Whether it’s classes, sports or music practice, extracurricular activities, work, internships or something else, meals often get shifted to fit our busy days, but sometimes when it feels like food can’t be fit in, mealtime tends to be skipped — a dangerous habit to develop. It can be tempting to skip meals, especially when one is running out the door, but it leads to low energy levels throughout the day. It also affects one’s ability to concentrate. This results in overeating later in the day, causing one’s blood sugar to crash afterward. Breakfast is, unfortunately, the most skipped meal of the day. Skipping meals can easily be combated by trying fast, easy and nutritious meals. This could be Greek yogurt and granola, oatmeal with fruit or even a frozen breakfast sandwich popped in the microwave. Breakfast helps with feeling more energized throughout the day and keeps one feeling full.

Since we’re constantly on the go, time restraints can lead people to rely on drinks to keep energy up. Soda, energy drinks and sweetened coffee beverages are loaded with empty calories that cause massive spikes in blood sugar and leave one feeling empty. Any person with a busy schedule understands the reliance on caffeine. Too much caffeine leads to jitteriness, poor sleep and huge energy crashes, which are all detrimental to a progressing student. 

Sugary drinks can contribute to weight gain, poor dental health and feeling sluggish. This doesn’t mean that one cannot ever have a sugary drink, but they should be an occasional treat. 

All should include more water in their diet. It’s crucial for maintaining energy and focus. In general, it’s great for overall well-being. For some — myself included at times — drinking water is boring and seems like a hassle. Try infusing the water with fruits like lemons or even cucumbers for a refreshing twist. 

Stress from exams and the general hustle and bustle of health can build up and become overwhelming. Some can experience emotional eating. This happens when the desire to eat is influenced by our emotions instead of pure hunger. Many seek out comfort foods like ice cream, chips or sweets. In the moment a person can feel good, but feelings of guilt may arise in the aftermath. Emotional eating tends to happen late at night. This can be common during study sessions. Generally, eating before going to bed disrupts sleeping patterns. The best way to fix emotional eating and late-night snacking is through therapy since the root of the stress comes from other areas in one’s life. 

When walking into the campus dining hall, one can see that most gravitate towards pastas, pizzas and fried food, but some forget to include enough vegetables. The salad bar is a customizable way for students to enjoy vegetables in a way that suits their preferences. Each vegetable is full of essential vitamins, minerals and fiber that support digestion and immunity. 

Technology has revolutionized the way food can be ordered. All it takes is a few taps on a phone and food is delivered right to the door. This isn’t the healthiest option to be pursued and isn’t a budget-friendly option for many college students. Many delivery food options are high in sodium, unhealthy fats and empty calories. Relying too heavily on these processed foods can lead to weight gain, poor digestion and energy crashes. Once this has become a regular habit, it can interfere with one’s ability to learn how to cook healthier meals. 

We see new fads and diets that claim to be “new and improved” methods of promoting physical health, but without the proper knowledge of what a person’s body is deficient in, many diets can be extremely harmful. This can be especially true when a person is constantly jumping from one diet to the next when they don’t immediately see results. Diets like keto, juice cleanses, the master cleanse — also called the lemon detox diet — and the “no carb” diet are examples of “fad diets” that often cause more harm than good. While these are just a few, the list goes on. It is essential to focus on a balanced, nutrient-dense diet instead of following fleeting trends. 

As students become more independent, it can be chaotic trying to adjust to a new chapter in life. Eating habits are typically the first to fall through the cracks and tend to go unnoticed until the effects are visible. There are changes that can be made in order to shift a poor or unhealthy relationship with food. 

The first is to prepare. Food prep is an easy way to plan out our meals and snacks. It’s possible to create single portions and teach ourselves how to cook. All it takes is a couple of hours and, in the end, it is one less thing we have to worry about during our busy week. 

The second is to listen to our bodies. Our bodies naturally give cues to signal when we are hungry. When we are eating, we should take the time to savor the flavors and not push ourselves to clear off our plates. 

When it comes to food, moderation is key. Instead of stressing over every meal, we should focus on making general healthy choices that will leave us feeling nourished and energized. 

BUDGET-FRIENDLY HEALTHY MEAL

Start to finish: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 cups Rolled oats

1 cup Peanut butter or almond butter

1 Banana

¼ cup Honey or maple syrup (optional)

⅓ cup Milk (or water)

Instructions

Cook the oats according to the package instructions, using either milk or water.

Once the oats are cooked, stir in a spoonful of peanut butter for healthy fats and creaminess.

Slice the banana on top of the oatmeal.

Drizzle with honey or maple syrup for added sweetness (optional).

Recipe from Lee Funke at Fit Foodie Finds

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu