By Keshuana Jones
With college being a place for young people to transform into adults, it’s also a place for you to take responsibility for yourself. This includes eating the right foods. We’ve all heard of the “Freshman 15” and you’d better believe that many, if not most of college students attempt to avoid it. Although studies have shown that less than 10% of students actually gain 15 pounds, just putting on a few unwanted pounds can be discouraging. Here a few tips on how to best avoid the “Freshman 15”.
Develop a Structured Meal Plan
- Aim to eat 3 meals a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) with healthy snacks in between.
- Get into the habit of sticking to your eating structure.
- Take control of what you eat
Don’t Go Crazy in the Cafeteria
- Before going after the first thing you see, take some time to see what the other food options are.
- Make smart decisions, rather than impulsive ones.
- Eat on smaller plates rather than the big plates to avoid overeating.
- Be proportionate in your meals (½ of your plate veggies, ¼ lean protein, last ¼ whole grains).
- Avoid going back for seconds.
- Gather some friends that are achieving the same goal as you.
- Create a workout plan to hold one another accountable.
- You are more likely to enjoy working out with friends.
- Take advantage of the intramural sports and clubs.
- Avoid energy drinks and highly caffeinated drinks, especially in the mornings.
- Replace coffee with black coffee or tea and reduce the sugar.
- AVOID drinking alcohol as it contains empty calories and you’re more likely to indulge in unhealthy late night snacks and meals.
- Snacks such as nuts, fresh fruits and veggies, yogurt, and granola bars are better than snacking on chips and candy while studying.
- Having healthy snacks in your room makes it easier to avoid snacking on junk food.
- Healthy snacks keep you energized.
Drop some tips below about how you are staying fit!!