From Soup to Nuts: No Healthy Food Options for College Students?

Q: I live in the dorms and dining hall food is all you can eat. How do I control my eating habits? I keep passing by the cookie tray and picking one up on the way out. Is there anything I can do to make myself eat less?

A: The freshman 15 and senior saddlebags overwhelm many college students. You are on your own for the first time and responsible for choosing from a wide variety of foods. Mom is no longer nudging you toward the nectarines, and late-night pizza parties abound. You probably don’t exercise as much as you used to.

Also, you feel cornered by the food in the caf. Cream-based casseroles, plentiful pastries, mystery meat and all the sugary cereals you could imagine. And, who can forget the cookie trays? But, is it really that you have no options or could you make different choices?

You can make different choices—chances are that your dining hall offers options that you have missed. NEVER SKIP BREAKFAST—choose oatmeal, fruit and whole grain cereals to get your day off to a great start. At lunch and dinner, the salad bar probably has a range of colorful peppers, zesty citrus fruits, salad greens and cool cucumbers that you can start your meal with. Top them with lemon juice, cottage cheese or vinaigrettes instead of cream-based dressings. You can’t go wrong when you eat the steamed carrots, spinach and broccoli from the serving line. Fill up on tomato and broth-based soups before creamy ones. Top the meal off with fresh and canned fruit options—choose them for dessert at least five times per week. Wash your meal down with low-fat milk or water. Check out the American Dietetic Association for a few more strategies for controlling your eating habits.

There are also things that you can do in your dorm room and beyond. Your dorm stash can probably use a makeover. So, chuck the chips, candies and regular soft drinks. Replace them with pretzels, bags of low-fat popcorn, bananas and water. When snacking on walnuts, peanuts, almonds and other nuts, eat two ounces or less per day when you are eating animal sources of meat. Enroll in aerobics. Play intramural sports. Visit your campus wellness center and ask for a session with a registered dietitian. Take an introductory nutrition class. Explore your personal nutrient needs at www.mypyramid.gov. If your school is slim on the fruit and vegetable options, learn more about Farm to College and see if you can get more wholesome options into your cafeteria.

College is about making choices that will impact the rest of your life. Food is no exception. The foods that you eat now will shape your health as you age.

Find all articles by Keecha.

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Keecha Harris is President of Harris and Associates, a food systems and public health consulting firm based in Birmingham, Ala. (Read her full bio.)