Eating is a habitual, life necessitating habit that sustains day-to-day functioning. While we can all agree how essential food is in our lives, the topic in question is about the type of food we allow into our bodies.
Different foods have different effects on the way we move, feel, look, and think. Most of us have likely heard the expression, “You are what you eat,” but have we ever truly considered the extent to which this phrase is true?
As college students, life can feel overwhelming, and the last think we likely want to do is contemplate our eating habits. There were plenty of times in the past when I ate a lot of junk or fast food, didn’t give it too much thought, and paid the price for it later.
Upon choosing the path of short-term satisfaction, I would start to feel lazy and unmotivated to complete assignments, and was overall more irritable. Some prevalent college foods are ramen, mac and cheese, pizza, chips, cereal, soda, and candy. I can attest to overeating mac n cheese and ramen, especially last year.
Nonetheless, having learned from my past, I have made a resolution for myself this year to practice caution in what I eat. I noticed that a clean diet can help you feel motivated for the day, give you the energy to do the tasks you set out to accomplish, and improve your overall mindset.
I try to eat three meals daily, adding two to three snacks in-between meals. My meals tend to include foods that are high in protein, fiber, vitamins/nutrients, and antioxidants.
For starters, I like to begin the day with eggs. Moving on to lunch, I will make myself something like chicken and rice or meatballs and pasta. Lastly for dinner, I will cook something similar to lunch, supplementing those carbs and protein with some vegetables, such as broccoli or Brussel sprouts. As for my all-day snack selection, I’ll have almonds, a protein bar or shake, and some sort of fruit. By incorporating a variety of foods into my day, I have a better chance of meeting all of my nutritional needs.
However, I only maintain this kind of clean eating because I have access to the necessary tools, such as a stove, oven, and fridge. I am well aware that students who live on campus may not have access to these amenities.
Those who may not have access to these amenities and are strictly at the mercy of the dining hall still have a wide variety of options, which include grilled chicken, burgers, eggs, salad, etc. You can even make your food at the dining hall as long as the food and pans are open for use.
For those of you who do not have a meal plan, be mindful of what you eat as food is not that cheap, whether it be from the grocery store or at a restaurant.
A helpful tool to make clean eating that much more possible is keeping a food journal where you track what you eat throughout your day. If you keep track of the foods you eat, you can also note whether or not you enjoyed what you ate, and how that food made you feel after the fact.
With all this in mind, I am not saying to devoid yourself of the foods you love. I still enjoy having my favorite candy now and again, pizza, or a good sandwich, but I try to save those things for when I am going to eat out at a restaurant or have a fun night out with friends.
I am advocating for people to make conscious decisions about what they eat. Would I love to have a sandwich, ice cream, candy, and soda daily? Yes, I would. Those foods taste great, but too much of a good thing can be bad.
