How to Eat Healthy in College

Hello everyone! I’m back with another college post! In college, don’t you agree that it can be really hard to eat healthy, especially with the late night snacks, the yummy food, and the freedom to buy whatever you want?

That being said, I have had my fair share of late nights eating whatever I want (animal crackers and Nutella is my splurge of choice). In college, it is so easy to eat unhealthy. So easy. It’s like a big cycle. You go home for the summer, eat so great, drink water, get at least 3 servings of vegetables in per day and then you make yourself a promise that you’ll continue upon starting school. 

You hit up the grocery store and for some reason, the animal crackers are irresistible and you just can’t not get them. Sound familiar? Yeah, this happens to me way WAY too often.

Or, you eat healthy for one day- three meals, some snacks, lots of vegetables, and then the next day, you say you’ve been “good” so you eat whatever you want because it’s there.

Does this sound familiar?

Not to mention that having healthy snacks readily available is super tricky in college. Yeah, there is the cafeteria, but it’s not all that easy to run over there for a snack when you only have a 7 meal plan.

Therefore, in order to eat healthy in college, I have a few tips for you:

If you didn’t know, I have been doing Whole30 and it is going great. I am on day 22 so I only have one week left, yahoo!

From doing Whole30, I’ve learned that eating healthy in college is hard, but it is doable if you have some motivation and a good mindset. 

Since I live in an apartment style dorm, I have a kitchen and I am constantly cooking. My favorite go-to meals are roasted broccoli with chicken or eggs with avocado and a vegetable of some sort.

What I’ve realized is that in order to eat healthy in college, you have to be majorly prepared.

In order to be prepared, you have to think about what is more important: healthy food that is good for you, or not-so-healthy food that is not nutritiously dense. I always strive to buy and eat nutritionally dense foods, those foods that are whole and not processed. I notice that when I buy these foods (and eat them!), I feel way better not just physically, but mentally too.

This is what my fridge looks like. The bottom left is my food! Here I have my cooked food, eggs, guacamole, cucumbers, carrots, and salsa! I always have these in my fridge!

When you are prepared, have backups.

Having backups is a must-have. I always have backups in my fridge for those just in case moments. Some of my backups include carrots, guacamole, some fruit (like apples) and potatoes. All of these are really simple to make quickly or just grab and go if you are on the run. 

That being said, it is really important to have balanced meals so that you aren’t just eating fruit for your whole meal.

I always try to have a source of protein and a source of fat at every meal, along with some vegetables to fill my carbohydrate source. I typically always either have three eggs, or a chicken breast at every meal. Then, I will either use an oil based dressing or half of any avocado for my fat content. Then, I fill the rest of my plate up with vegetables. By doing Whole30, I have really learned to love vegetables and I actually crave them now!

Eating healthy doesn’t always have to do with food, though.

Make sure you drink enough water. Guilty… Recently, I have found it really difficult to drink water, but it is my goal this week to drink at least 70 ounces to stay hydrated. By drinking more water, you aren’t going to be mistaking thirst for hunger.

In order to be prepared, try to meal prep.

Meal prepping sounds really scary and I used to think that it was a term reserved for fitness junkies, but I have loved getting to meal prep. While my version of meal prep might look different from another persons, I like how I do it. On Sundays, I usually like to cook a couple of chicken breasts in the oven to get me through the week, or at least Thursday. I get chicken breasts and then I put them in the oven for 22 minutes at 375º. I then just store them in the fridge for my meals. It is so handy to meal prep, especially if you are on the go. Another one of my favorite things to meal prep is my vegetables. I like to cook 2 vegetables usually, but honestly, I love vegetables so much that I run out of them in a few days. I cook my frozen broccoli with some seasoning (Toni’s Creole Seasoning) in the oven at 500º for about 15 minutes. I am a fan of charred (but not burned)/crispy broccoli, but cook it however you like. For pretty much all of my meals, I use the Toni’s Creole Seasoning. It can be a bit salty and a bit spicy, but oh my, is it good. 

One last tip is to buy tupperware.

I buy tupperware not just to store my food in, but to also transport my meals with me. When you already have your meal with you, you will be less inclined to splurge on that pizza or ice cream. I have taken my meals on the go multiple times and it is so easy to do!

Remember, though, everything is a balance. If you really want a cookie, go for it, just don’t eat the whole tray. Life is always about balance and God wants us to honor the bodies that He gave us. Treat your body well, y’all. Don’t deprive yourself, but don’t over indulge. 

I hope y’all enjoyed this post! I have just gotten a handle on eating healthy in college and it is great. I attribute it to Whole30, really. My skin has never been clearer, and I am sleeping so well! I hope y’all enjoyed this post! Have a super fun and blessed Monday!