In an all-you-can-eat style dining hall, it can be daunting to decide what to eat and how to avoid the freshman 15.
Variety
balance and moderation said Francie Astrom, a Nutrition Counselor for WellWorks. That's really the key to a good diet.
Healthy food is available in the dining halls, but it takes choice, will power and good habits to create a healthy lifestyle on campus.
Astrom stressed the importance of fresh fruit. Three types of fresh fruit are available at every meal, said Director of Dining Services Richard Neumann, who has a Master of Science degree in nutrition and food science.
Choose a piece of fruit to take back to your room Astrom said.
Beyond just fruit, Astrom suggested only eating at the fast food bar once a week, choosing a solid meat (like chicken or turkey) two out of every three days and eating wheat bread.
Don't eat the same food every day
Astrom said.
Variety is hard to find, however, once a pattern is formed, said Kira Brown, a junior studying dietetics. She usually eats from the salad bar.
I try to eat more raw (foods) in the dining hall
because that way I know I can control what I am eating
Brown said.
Not being afraid of the hot food bar is important, Brown said; she was always wary of the meat, which can be healthy. The meat in the dining hall has no fillers, and the food from the dining halls comes from the same providers used by most Athens restaurants uptown, Neumann said.
Dining Services allows students to check in on the health of their food through its interactive nutrition menus available on its website. Students can check off what they ate for a meal and find out the calories, fats and sugars they consumed.
The dining hall provides healthy options for you to eat
Brown said. It's just self control.
Students should be willing to try different foods in order to find the healthy options that work for them. For example: Have fruit and yogurt for dessert, try the garden burgers and drink water instead of sports drinks or soda, Neumann said.
It's up to you
he said.
Another bad food habit college students fall into is drinking coffee, which is both expensive and bad for you, Brown said.
It's a way to conform in college life. It's a social thing
Brown said. Depending on what you get addicted to
it adds up.
