eating healthy in college is impossible!

[wanderer]

hi, i'm a college student and i'm in my first year. so i've recently come to the realization that it's very difficult to eat healthy here. i find myself eating fried foods all the time and generally not getting all the vitamins and stuff i should be. our healthy food selections are not very appetizing most of the time and the only grovery stores around are quite a far distance from our campus, plus i'm strapped for cash. not only that, i can't cook to save my life so i am essentially a slave to the school cafeteria where i continue to eat burgers and fries.

 

does anyone have any suggestions? are there any tips or tricks i can use to get out of this unhealthy habit?

[ElektraHere]

are you a male or female? I ask because men and women have different dietary needs.

[Tex1907]

Sure. Talk to some roomates and take a trip down to the grocery store. Youll be able to stock up on enough groceries to last quite a while, so you will only have to go 3 or 4 times every month. It helps if your dorm has a kitchen, but its not a necessity.

 

You could also try taking a multi-vitamin for starters and try getting a ride down to some place that has healthier foods. If you can't get a ride anywhere off campus than there is very little you can do to solve this problem...

[Jinx]

Though it can be more expensive, are there any places outside of campus within walking or reasonable driving distance that caters to healtier food items? Secondly, is there only one cafeteria area for the school?

 

Just wondering because for myself, which of course can depend a lot on location, but we have several on campus eating places. One which is popular, we have is a Food Court (fried food deluxe). Next, further down away from the dorm area is a small area which has several small shops which do sell food among other things, and that is where you get the good stuff (healthy things). Then down on the Blvd. area several little cafes and food shops exist, still within walking or driving distance. Here the grocery store is one of those "if you happen to be out there" luxuries which sounds like the position you are also in.

 

It really depends how large your campus is, but I quickly learned that usually if it is a medium to larger one you will find there are many things on campus that are tucked away and you just need to talk to the older students and people working there for suggestions to find all these places and sources on campus.

 

Now, that is a University I'm speaking of, Community Colleges are more of a prison area as far as food goes, but if you ask around you may be able to find out, maybe organize a carpool type or just friends or some type of transportation that goes out to the grocery stores?

[NR498E]

I went through the same thing when I first moved out.

A couple little tricks a bottle of generic multivitamins and start buying the generic slimfast.I say try and drink a slimfast every morning for breakfast.I assume you are probably skiping breakfast all together.But one slimfast a day and a multivitamin will give your body alot.

My friends used to laugh at me because Id be drinking a slimfast and eating a frozen pizza at the same time.It wasnt long before a couple of them started doing it as well.

[CarnelianButterfly]

I know what you mean!!! I hated dorm food and I'm still working off the weight. My dorms played hide the meat or guess what this once was. I had diabetic suitemate 4th year, so we had to hunt down acceptable food, it was hard. We ate ALOT of salad and chicken. If you're really concerned about your foods lack of substance take a multi-vitamin, drink milk and OJ. I moved to my own place as soon as I could, it ended up being cheaper in the long run and even with a few funky cooking creations I haven't starved yet.

[wanderer]

i go to a small school with one main cafeteria and two small cafes that only serve coffee and pastries and stuff. there is a whole foods store about a 20 minute walk from my campus and i don't have a car or bike. i have a bottle of multivitamins which i take spottedly at best, it just seems to slip my mind when i''m rushing out the door to class and such. and i am a guy, elektrahere.

[CarnelianButterfly]

I walk 20min a day to get to campus with 20lbs of students papers in tow. Get a rolling cart or something and just walk to the store, it'll be good exercise. Pay attention to the sales, usually you can get good stuff for not much $ if you watch out for it.

[ElektraHere]

Check out there are some great food reviews and what to choose instead of the high calorie high fat products.

[chichi]

"there is a whole foods store about a 20 minute walk from my campus and i don't have a car or bike."

 

as a doctor i would suggest you walk the distance every few weeks. bring your book bag and carry as much as you can fit in it. eating fried food every day isn't going to kill you, especially being young, but later on in life it can have complications unless you balance it out. if you keep this lifestyle up for 6 months+ then you will notice a steady weight gain. i also suggest the campus gym. forget the weights, do a treadmill or a bike 20 mins 3 times a week and you will be fine.

 

" i have a bottle of multivitamins which i take spottedly at best, it just seems to slip my mind when i''m rushing out the door"

 

put them where you will notice them, maybe right next to your books, then you cant forget. it only takes 30 seconds to open childproof cap and take one. if you are so strapped for time that you cant take 30 sec, then carry some flintstones kid vitamins. you can chew them and they taste good.i dont think even a college kid will have trouble doing this