Best For Fresh Vegetable
Pros
- Appeals to all manner of healthy, plant-focused diets
- Superb quality
- Watch out for unwanted ingredients in sauces
- Unnecessary plastic in packaging
Pros
- Vegetarian, low-calorie, and family-sized meal options
- Few prepared sauces and dressings
- Good packaging
- Not ideal for vegan, keto, or paleo diets
- Two-step process to review allergens
How Can I Maintain Good Nutrition
Try to eat a variety of foods and dont skip meals. To get the most out of your meals, eat a balance of lean protein, whole grain carbohydrates, and healthy fats such as oils, nuts, and fish. The table below provides suggestions of foods to choose at meal times.
| Instead Of |
| Keep you feeling full and absorption of some vitamins | Include some fat such as olive oil, guacamole, nuts, or seeds at every meal. | |
| Fruits & Vegetables | Provide vitamins and minerals for healthy skin, hair, nails, and immune system | Try having at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day with a focus on different colors such as apples, carrots, eggplants, leafy greens, and bananas. |
| Proteins | Maintain muscle | Try having fish, beans, eggs, tofu, peanut butter, chicken, dairy, or lean beef at each meal. |
Using campus services can also help you maintain good nutrition. If you have any food allergies, food intolerances, or food preferences, talk to your campus food services director or dietitian to learn about your options. It may be helpful to meet with your college dietitian if youre experiencing weight or appetite changes.
Go Easy On The Caffeine
Late nights and early mornings can lead to caffeine over-consumption. But too much caffeine can cause insomnia and other problems that wreak havoc on your diet and health. Try to limit yourself to one or two cups of coffee per day, and remember that caffeine comes in forms other than coffee like teas, sodas, and chocolate.
Don’t Miss: Atlanta Tech Nursing Program
Here Are Some Additional Resources:
First, find out your BMR.
This is how many calories you can consume to maintain your weight without additional exercise. Add in exercise and you can eat a few more calories. I suggest going light on the activity level, as this isnt 100% accurate. It is the best Ive found though on the internet. If you are under 20, use this BMR calculator.Since college students seem to drink more than most people , you either must add these calories into the equation or burn them off during exercise. Roughly, 1 mile equals 100 calories. If you have 5 beers, that will take 5 miles to burn off. You can also go for a 3 miles run, and eat 200 calories less than usual the following day. Take your pick if youre serious about losing weight.
If you can keep your calories within your BMR, you will not gain weight. If you want to lose weight, subtract 200 calories from your BMR for your total calorie intake or add exercise. Think of your diet as a bank account. Do you want to spend 500 calories on beer Friday night? If so, act wisely and earn back those calories you spent.
College Meal Plans 101
AffordableCollegesOnline.org is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.
Read Also: Where To Sell Old College Books Online
Can You Get A Meal Plan Exemption
Each college and university will have its own method for determining if a student should be exempt from a mandatory meal plan. These decisions are often made on a case-by-case basis and may require documentation from a doctor . For an example of how one college processes waivers, look at Evergreen State Colleges meal plan exemption process. Colleges generally extend as many accommodations as they can and treat waivers as a last resort.
Healthy Diet Tips And Recipes For Indian College Going Students
Finally, you are off to college! You are now officially an adult and are going to live on your own. While living amongst a group of like-minded, same-aged people undeniably has its perks, finding the college diet can prove difficult. When youre short of money and time, eating healthy takes a backseat.
You then end up eating junk because its the most easily available food to you. Ever find yourself in a similar situation? Then read on, because we are going to help you with a nutritional plan which will help substitute for your favorite go-to meal, instant noodles!
Read Also: Is Ashworth College Recognized By Employers
How Do I Choose The Best College Meal Plan
For students living on campus, a comprehensive college meal plan is often included in their tuition costs, under room and board fees. This meal plan may feature three meals a day, seven days a week, along with extra money for snacks. Some students may commute to college, however, or only attend part-time, and will need to select a different college meal plan. It is important to choose the best one for your needs, and to not shortchange yourself, and end up going hungry halfway through the semester.
Begin by researching information about the different college meal plans offered by your university, as well as their price. Many schools offer convenient brochures or comparison charts illustrating the features of each individual college meal plan, as well as the cost. Next, consider the amount of time spent on campus. Some colleges offer plans divided up by week for instance, a plan might offer ten meals a week.
What If I Have Class During Meals
Food is the fuel your brain needs to help you think, so make time to eat. If you skip a meal, you may have trouble concentrating, get a headache, or feel like you didnt get very much out of your class. Even if you cant sit down for a full meal, pack a healthy portable snack such as fruit and a granola or energy bar, trail mix, or a sandwich. Sometimes dining halls will offer sandwich ingredients at breakfast or boxed lunches if you are unable to make it to a dining hall during lunch.
Read Also: Sell Used College Book
What Is A Meal Plan
Essentially, a meal plan is pre-paid account for your on-campus meals. At the start of the term, you pay for all the meals youll eat in the dining halls. Youll then swipe your student ID or a special meal card every time you enter a dining area, and the value of your meal will be deducted from your account.
Make Ahead Breakfast Recipes
Learn how to freeze this recipe for later in our Make-Ahead Breakfast Recipes Freezer Meal Prep post! Plus, youll get 7 other freezer breakfast recipes, too!
There you have it. Most of the tips and tricks I used when I was roaming around the University of Minnesota. It took some hard work, as I was struggling with an eating disorder for a good chunk of my college career.
I am happy to say it all worked out and today I am so excited for you to start your budgeting journey. Below I am sharing some of my favorite budget-friendly recipes. Remember to choose recipes that sound good to YOU and have fun!
Don’t Miss: What College Accepts The Lowest Gpa
Eating Well On A Budget
Most college students who are lucky enough to have access to a kitchen still operate on a tight budget. Even the fanciest kitchens in new residences lack the extra equipment that makes cooking easy, things like mixers, toasters, blenders, or electric skillets. That said, you can still keep some food on hand that you can quickly prepare into a healthy meal.
Planning meals in advance can help you save time and money. You can use more expensive or esoteric ingredients more than once, and plan to use all of the fresh produce you buy before it spoils. Consider your schedule as you plan, and select a mix of very simple and, if you like to cook, more complex recipes for when you have time. Some cooks prepare larger dishes and plan to eat the leftovers at another time others do all of the cooking during a free time period, such as on the weekend, and reheat food as necessary.
Whichever cooking style suits you best, always strategize your shopping and make a list after you’ve chosen your recipes. As you shop, stick to that list and avoid impulse purchases. Organize your shopping list by meal.
Editor’s Note: This article contains general information and is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice. Please consult a professional advisor before making decisions about health-related issues.
Which Meal Plan Should You Get
Most colleges offer many different meal plansyou may see options for 21, 19, 14, or 7 meals a week. Before purchasing a plan, ask yourself some questions. Are you likely to get up in time for breakfast? Are you likely to go out to the local pizza joint for dinner? Few students actually use 21 meals a week. If the reality is that you often skip breakfast and tend to eat pizza at one in the morning, then you might want to choose a less expensive meal plan and spend your saved money buying food at local eateries at the times that better match your habits.
You May Like: What Colleges Offer Mortuary Science
College Meal Prep Ideas:
A post shared by Rachel Paul, PhD, RD on Sep 4, 2019 at 7:58am PDT
The College Nutritionist does it again!! She is always making insanely good food that college students can make. A must follow on Insta in my opinion!
You can follow her on Instagram above by clicking on that picture.
2. Turkey Stir-Fry
How amazing does this stir-fry look?!
This would be super easy to put together on a Sunday and enjoy for dinner the rest of the week.
You can find this recipe from Clean Food Crush here.
3. Smoothie
I drank smoothies all the time when I was living in the dorms and STILL do almost everyday. I will prep them in plastic bags and then when I’m ready to make it I just throw the bag into the blender and add a little almond milk.
It tastes SO good! I am definitely adding this mango recipe to my smoothie list.
Insanely Healthy College Meals You Can Make In A Dorm
This post is all about healthy college meals.
Finding healthy college meals is not an easy feat.
You are surrounded by tempting unhealthy food but after awhile you just want something that you can feel good about eating.
I know when I lived in the dorms and was only eating the cafeteria food, I felt so disgusting all the time. I was searching for healthy college meal ideas that I could make in a dorm room and all the options I found were so expensive or way over the top and not actually feasible to make.
While majority of the recipes I am including here are made in a microwave, I survived last year in the dorms by using a George Foreman to cook all my meat in less than 10 minutes. It’s a great way to add protein to these healthy microwave meals!
It always helps me make sure I don’t forget anything when I go grocery shopping!
Here are 25 of the best healthy college meals that are delicious and easy to make.
Read Also: Is Rhema Bible College Accredited
Make Meal Planning Fun
If you enjoy cooking, spending an afternoon in the kitchen won’t be a problem. But even if you don’t, there are ways to make meal prep a more enjoyable activity. Whack on some tunes or have a Netflix series on in the background .
Meal prep with one of your housemates if your kitchen is big enough. Cooking together is a great bonding activity and having a gossip while cutting cucumbers will make time fly! If your housemate fancies joining in the on the money-saving, you could each choose a couple of recipes and split the end result. Four hands work a lot quicker than two!
And while we’re on the subject of life admin, here’s some apps that’ll sort out even the most disorganised of students everywhere!
* Prices were correct at the time of writing .
Hottest Deals
Keep Your Caffeine In Check
While 1 to 2 cups of coffee per day are fine, dont depend on soda, coffee or energy drinks as a substitute for sleep. This can actually backfire and cause insomnia, disrupt concentration and cause restlessness and anxiety. Instead, try to get adequate sleep , and take mental breaks while studying to refresh yourself. A good, consistent exercise regimen and consuming nutrient-dense snacks throughout the day will help keep your energy up too.
Don’t Miss: What Colleges Are Still Accepting Applications For Fall 2021
How Unhealthy Foods Affect Us
Even health-conscious college students will be occasionally tempted by quick pick-me-ups and comfort food. While an occasional snack won’t harm you, it’s important to remember that many snack foods and beverages not only contain empty calories, but also harmful ingredients.
For many students, the pleasure of the morning’s first cup of coffee is an early highlight to the day. Moreover, coffee can serve a valuable academic function, as caffeine increases the amount of neurons that fire in your brain. This stimulant effect can improve memory, mood, energy level, and reaction time. However, there is a limit to caffeine’s healthy effects. Although you might dread the thought of getting out of bed without your cup of joe, it’s important to remember that caffeine is a stimulant.
Two types of dietary fat should concern you: naturally occurring fats and trans fats. Naturally occurring fats are found in meats and dairy, and in small quantities, they are not bad for you. Trans fats, however, are unhealthy, and are found in most junk food. Also called hydrogenated oils, trans fats in food impart a pleasant texture in the mouth, and they also significantly extend the shelf life of a product. The preservatives in oils made with trans fat allows food-service establishments to re-use them several times.
What Kind Of Hours And Flexibility Does The Meal Plan Offer
College meal plans offer a communal experience for students in the dining hall. However, on-campus dining halls, restaurants and snack shops post business hours so you know your options.
For example, at California State University, Northridge, the closest dining hall to the dormitories is Geronimos, which opens at 7 a.m. Monday through Friday. If you have an early morning work shift or class at 7 a.m., you wont be able to catch breakfast before starting your day. This is another reason why its important to consider timing before buying a meal plan.
Your school may have terms and conditions that offer more flexibility when claiming your meals. For example, some schools, such as the University of California, Irvine, allow limited carry-out from the dining hall, while other colleges, such as the University of Iowa, dont allow carryout.
Read Also: How Much Does It Cost To Go To Berkeley College
Flexible Meal Plan Options
Some schools offer meal plans to suit the needs of their commuting or off-campus students. Some colleges will simply have an option to buy several hundred dollars worth of dining credit that can be used anywhere on campus, while others grant certain amounts of meal swipes combined with a lower amount of dining dollars to use at on-campus restaurants, cafés, or mini-marts. At Anderson University, commuters can choose between several plans designed to fit their needs, ranging from 2550 meal swipes per semester.
Related: The Best Student Discounts: Food, Clothes, and More
How To Save On Meal Plans
Meal plans can be expensive, so students may choose a lighter plan to avoid some of these costs. In order to avoid the fees associated with adding more points or swipes to a light plan at the end of the semester, students can instead plan out home- or dorm-cooked meals in advance. If students have budgeted their meal points or swipes in advance, they will not be surprised by a suddenly declined meal card.
Don’t Miss: How To Build Credit While In College
How Many Meals Do I Get
Some meal delivery services offer a la carte purchases, but most require a subscription. When you sign up, you agree to regularly receive a shipment of meals or meal kits, usually weekly. On average, you must commit to a minimum of three meals per week that serve two people each, or six servings total. A few companies let you scale down to as few as two meals for two people per week.
All plans let you can skip a week at any time or indefinitely pause your subscription. You typically have the option to skip multiple weeks at a time. The best companies let you do this directly from your account.
When you first sign up, the meal delivery service’s site will typically ask a few details about you and your food needs. How many people will be eating with you? Do you have allergies or dietary restrictions? A top-notch service only shows you the meals that meet your needs. Watch out, because not all companies do this. For some services, you must vet each meal as you choose your orders.
Sunbasket’s packed meals