I get it, eating in dining halls on college campuses are not always the most healthy options! But there certainly are ways to make sure that you are not eating too much of a good thing. For example, say the entree today is a chicken sandwich. You can choose to get it grilled instead of fried. Instead of french fries, you can have a fruit or vegetable plate. And I know "But why?!" trust me, I know it's tough, but it'll be worth it! It's the little things that make the biggest difference in a diet.
Know what you're eating, most dining halls come with a nutrition guide so take advantage of it. Being aware of what and how much you are putting into your body is another important part of good nutrition. Although the portion may look small visually, always take into consideration how many calories you are consuming in one sitting.
The USDA has ten helpful tips to students who have to rely on dining hall food when it comes to proper nutrition.
1. Know what you're eating
2. Enjoy your food, but eat less
3. Make half your grains, whole grains
4. Re-think your drink
5. Make half your plate fruits and veggies
6. Make it your own
7. Slow down on the sauces
8. Be on your guard at the salad bar
9. Make dessert special
10. Don't linger
Being mindful of everything that you consume will definitely help you in the long run. It is okay to have something sweet every now and then but always limit yourself. We all know about the unforgiving "Freshman 15", and well all know that it can happen to the best of us. Take the proper precaution and measures to ensure that you are putting the right things in your body.
United States Department of Agriculture. (2013, April). Be choosy in the dining hall. Nutrition
Education Series. (26).
I work at a dining hall, and I barely see anyone making healthy choices there, but there are a handful that does. I've always been the person to not like salad, so when I see those who eat it, I'm like "why?" At the same time, I give props to those who do, and I wish that I could be that self controlled. Come to think of it, I haven't eaten a fruit in the dining halls since freshman year, and I love fruits! It comes to show that I don't look at what I'm eating on a more nutritional level. This post has opened my eyes to try to consider eating grapes once in awhile, and not cake, and to cut back on the French fries, and have corn instead. If it makes anything better, I have replaced drinking orange soda to drinking apple juice, so that counts as a healthy drink choice, right? Baby steps, baby steps. I have my fair share of making poor nutritional choices, and unfortunately I've been doing it for most of my time at college. I suppose the variety of junk food made me blind to the healthy diet options.
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting to see if there are any foods that people believe are good for you, but are actually not. For example, some say juice is just as bad as sodas because of the sugar. Is this true? I love me some juice, but it wouldn't hurt to have a better insight on "disguised" non healthy foods (does that even make sense?!), if there are any. All in all, this was a really nice post!
Wow, I really liked this post! I haven't had to live in the dorms so I do not eat in the dining halls, but this post still offers great advice for eating healthy in general. I have decided to cut soda out of my diet and I usually feel like I have a lot more energy. It honestly does depend on how much you eat and making healthier choices like swapping fries for fruit really does help in the long run. I used to think that eating healthy took up too much time and money, but that isn't always the case.
ReplyDeleteI usually meal prep at the beginning of the week so that I have a few meals for throughout the week. I would be very interested in learning about some more nutritious meal prep examples if you are looking for new topics for the next few weeks. That would be very beneficial to me. Overall I really liked your post and it is something that I am very interested in learning more about.
Hollie Thompson
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad I live off campus and don't have to eat at the dining halls. Ya never know exactly what you are eating when it comes to that food. I like the helpful tips! I really liked the keep desert a treat because I eat it wayyyyyy too often! I literally crave a midnight snack everyday...It's becoming a bad habit. Do you know any tips for stopping late night cravings/if I do get a craving whats a good thing to eat? Enjoy the food and eat less is also a good tip. Sometimes I am eating so fast and worrying about my next meal that I forget what I am eating right in front of me. Like I will be eating a piece of peanut butter toast with honey and be thinking about how I am going to have another piece that I don't even enjoy the first one.
Food is just delicious, we are blessed to live in a country where our biggest problem is eating too much.
Great post! You're blog is so cute and love the bio about yourself. Super excited to see what will be your next topic! :)
You definitely have some helpful tips and the 'freshman 15' is a danger we all face. My first year, I lost ten pounds, but not everyone knows how. I walked across campus everyday (lived in Andrew's Hall and had class in Old Main) and I only ate two full meals a day and it was regularly salad (I was not a fan of the dinning hall food and I still don't really like it). Most people will eat all they can because in Thomas and Taylor it is like a buffet and no one limits themselves to just getting one plate of food. Then there is the ice cream fridges in the dinning halls. I agree that a little sweetness every now and then is not a problem but it seems most people want ice cream after every meal.
ReplyDeleteI think looking at the nutrition posted in each hall is a great idea.
I remember when I use to eat in the dining halls, I wouldn't be making the healthiest choices either. I remember I use to live in Taylor and always get chicken with their sides. Then once I started working there, I'd end up eating there everyday. I wouldn't really be choosing the right foods for my health. But then I would try to add at least a salad or a side a vegetables or fruit because I knew something would be better than nothing. It's true that we have to watch we eat and to remember we are what we eat because the more we continue to enjoy the junk, we'll never experience the good nutrients from healthy foods. I enjoy the tips you put on here to help people get a proper nutrition. Since I'm off campus now, I don't have to worry about eating dining hall food, but I do still have to watch what I eat. This was a great first post!
ReplyDeleteDining halls can be so helpful and so hurtful. I must say, Eastern does have a load of healthy options for students. There are salad bars in all of the dining halls and always fruits and vegetables available. However, the entrees that are served are usually extremely unhealthy. I know that last year the dining halls all had nutritional facts for all of the foods that they served. This year, they are gone. I wish that they kept those on display because it definitely made me think twice about the choices I was making. I definitely think that most people go overboard in the dining halls. Our eyes are bigger than our stomach. I know that I am the type of person who hates to waste food so I will finish what I grabbed even if I am not hungry anymore. Definitely practicing eating smaller portions is vital for surviving the dining halls. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you decided to use the dining halls as one of your post. I work at the Dining hall so I know personally most of our food is fried which is bad for your body. We do have a salad bar and vegetarian options but most student don't eat the health choices that are available which can be a cause of weight gain during college.
ReplyDeleteKayla J. Ruiz