I was excited when I learned I was going to school in Atlanta. It meant a whole new city with lots of new restaurants to try. However, what I quickly learned about food in the south is that it's usually served fried and with butter. Although this has proven to be delicious, I have realized that without much balance, my body doesn't feel very good. I have had to learn many healthy habits since being at school and I consolidated them so you don't have to learn the hard way.
Make a trip to the grocery store
What is syllabus week good for? Going out in the middle of the week and going to the grocery store. This is the perfect time to stock up on healthy snacks, fruits and veggies. If you are stocked up on healthy snacks, you will be less likely to go for the junk food you find on campus. This is also a great time to get alternatives for meals to escape the monotonous dining hall.
Start each day off right
I always find that when I start the day off by making healthy choices, I make healthier choices throughout the day. Oatmeal or an apple and almond butter are both easy breakfasts you can keep in your dorm room. They are also fast which means more time to sleep!
Invest in a water bottle
It is extremely important to drink water and in college it is easy to get dehydrated. Plus, water fountains are kinda grimy. Buying a cute water bottle is the perfect way to make sure you are consistently drinking water throughout the day.
Keep snacks out of reach
Mindless snacking is easy to do. Whether you're studying, watching tv or chatting with friends, it's easy to tear through a bag of chips. When this happens, you aren't even tasting your food, which is the best part. Keep your snacks across your room from where you sit. This way, you have to get up and consciously go grab your food if you are hungry.
Invest in healthy snacks
It is easy to get sucked into the cheap prices of junk food, but investing in healthy snacks will make you feel infinitely better. Fresh fruit and veggies are always ideal but it's smart to look at ingredient lists to see what is actually healthy. Look for ingredients you can pronounce and short ingredient lists.
Scope out the dining hall
Dining halls can be extremely overwhelming and it's easy to just go straight for what you see (usually pizza). Before you decide what to eat, scope out the menu for what you would want to eat. This way you won't get tempted by the omnipresent pizza, fries and sugar cereal.
Don't eat after 9pm
Late night eats are when the junk food comes out and when your body isn't best at digesting. You stay up later in college so you might get hungry later, but try not to eat 3-4 hours before you go to sleep.
College is a lot of fun; there are parties, new friends and tons of new restaurants to try. It is always important to enjoy food, not be too hard on yourself, and remember everything is good in moderation. Starting off the year eating right will also make the whole year run smoothly.