Parents are always eager to offer advice to their college bound students, but one of the most common is: make sure you eat, but not only pizza, Lucky Charms and ice cream. Nobody wants to see you come home for vacation having gained the “freshman 15” or the “sophomore 10.”
Following some basic guidelines can help you eat well and keep that high school physique.
Meal options are almost limitless at a large university, though ease and portability often play a big part in college student diets.
Erin Ronae Scriber, a former resident of 1300 said, “I like fruit roll-ups and granola bars.”
Also easy and quick, breakfast bars, fresh fruit and yogurt make healthy, energy sustaining meals.
Instead of going to 7-Eleven for a candy bar or muffin between classes, which are high in sugar and calories, tuck a bag of plain almonds or healthy dry cereal. Self magazine’s May issue recommends nuts to help boost your metabolism while stuck in a weight loss plateau.
Assistant Director of Recreation Services Anne Wilkinson said, “Calories in equals calories out, if the amount of calories that you put into your body equal the amount of calories you are taking out, then you will maintain your weight.”
Bread is a good thing for time-conscious students to keep around for making a quick sandwich with peanut butter and jelly or bologna and cheese.
Picking up a couple of seasonings to spice up your easy-to-prepare microwave foods can help them almost pass for a home cooked meal.
The IBC and Tuttleman Counseling Services are valuable resources to learn about types of food that make good additions to a daily diet.
Even though college is on your plate, the right foods should be too.
“The golden rule is to eat in moderation. Don’t restrict anything from your diet. Just eat moderately,” Wilkinson said.
For 2005, the Department of Agriculture instituted a new food pyramid that incorporates exercise. The Web site, www.mypyramid.org, allows you to enter your weight, height and daily exercise, and then calculate how much of each food group is appropriate for you to maintain your weight or lose weight.
There is nothing better than coming back from class with a refrigerator full of goodies. Just remember to eat good meals, keep pounds off and keep money in your pocket.
You’re going to need it.
Stephanie Taylor can be reached at stephyt@temple.edu.
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