When I first started college, the hardest thing for me was not leaving my family, nor was it sleeping in a new room with random people I’ve never met before. Instead, it was transitioning from delicious home cooked meals to dining hall food!

One minute I was eating fresh salads, an abundance of fruit, and grilled fish prepared in the best oil…and the next I was devouring deep fried mozzarella sticks, waffles and pizza. Not exactly the best start to steer clear of the freshman 15, to say the least.

I knew the way I was eating wasn’t healthy, but after a while, it was like I just couldn’t stop! In my head I justified eating this way by saying, “Oh I’ll just work it all off at the gym later.” But I soon learned it doesn’t work that way. I learned that you can’t outrun a bad diet and a healthy outside starts from the inside. My skin was breaking out, I was gaining weight, and I just did not feel good about my body. I knew I had to get some control.

Eating healthy in the dining hall is defiantly a challenge but it is completely doable. There are a few guidelines that helped me eventually get on a healthy track that I want to share with you today.

Top Three Guidelines To Follow

1. Customize your order. (See the healthy food swaps you can make below)

2. Shop at close-by health food stores for snacks to keep in your dorm room. When you have healthy food around, it is easier to stay on track!

3. Each day, aim for 3-5 servings of vegetables, 2-3 servings of fruit, 2-3 servings of protein, 6 servings of grains and 8 cups of water.

Healthy Food Swaps

• Choose nuts instead of croutons
• Choose grilled over fried
• Choose oil based dressings instead of creamy ones
• Choose oatmeal over pancakes or waffles
• Choose avocado or mustard over mayo
• Choose whole wheat or multigrain bread/wraps over white bread/wraps
• Choose yogurt with fruit and granola over sugary cereals
• Choose water with lemon over soda
• Choose a side order of salad over fries

Healthy Snacks For Your Dorm

• Popcorn
• Lara bars, Kind bars, Macro bars
• Hummus with raw veggies
• Fruit (apples and bananas are the best for storage!)
• Dark chocolate
• Almond butter or peanut butter (with no added sugars or salt) spread on brown rice cakes
• Whole wheat fig newton bars
• Greek yogurt with walnuts and honey
• Trail mix

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