Smart Eats: A 7-step guide to good college nutrition

Estimated time read: 4 minutes

Heading back to college means balancing academics, social life, and personal well-being. Amidst all the hustle, maintaining a healthy diet often takes a backseat. But fear not! With a few simple tips and tricks, you can keep your nutrition on track and fuel your body for success. Here’s a guide to help you make the best food choices while navigating college life.

1. Plan Your Meals

Planning is an important step to maintaining a balanced diet, and there are several ways to do it successfully without experiencing flavor fatigue.

Meal Prep: Prepare entire meals for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and allocate them into individual containers. We suggest prepping for no more than 4 days to reduce the likelihood of disliking the food by the last portions, improve food safety, and preserve food quality.

Planning is an important step to maintaining a balanced diet, and there are several ways to do it successfully without experiencing flavor fatigue.

Meal Prep: Prepare entire meals for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and allocate them into individual containers. We suggest prepping for no more than 4 days to reduce the likelihood of disliking the food by the last portions, improve food safety, and preserve food quality.

Ingredient Prep: Does meal prepping feel convenient but too monotonous or restrictive? Dodge the repetitiveness by prepping ingredients instead of whole meals. This approach allows for more variety and creativity:

• Protein: Grill chicken breasts, tofu, or your preferred protein.
• Grains: Cook rice, pasta, or another carbohydrate.
• Vegetables: Chop up and cook veggies, e.g., broccoli, carrots, green beans, and onions.

With these prepped ingredients, you have a blank canvas for flavorful meals. One meal combines ingredients to create a fried rice dish. For another meal, toss together a quick pasta salad. This method keeps meals interesting and flavorful while maintaining the convenience of preparation.

Grocery List: Write a grocery list based on your meal plan. A great way to shop, especially if you are following the ingredient prep method, is to follow the Rule of Three. This essentially ensures that you will have variety in your meals. Buy three items for each of these groups. Here are some examples:

• Proteins: Chicken breast, black beans, salmon, tofu, eggs
• Starches: Pasta, whole wheat bread, rice, cereal, tortillas
• Veggies: Frozen broccoli, spring mix, carrots, bell peppers
• Fruits: Berries, oranges, apples, bananas
• Snacks: Popcorn, Greek yogurt, nuts, crackers, cheese

2. Stock Up on Healthy Snacks

Snacking can be part of a healthy diet! Pair at least two macros (protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats) to make your snacks balanced and satiating. Check out this Instagram post for a helpful visual. Keep your dorm or apartment stocked with nutritious snacks such as:

• Greek yogurt or cottage cheese with fruit
• Veggie sticks with hummus
• Nuts, cheese, and dried fruit
• Crackers and hard-boiled eggs

Pack each snack into an individual container at the start of the week for an easy grab-and-go snack on your way out the door.

3. Stay Hydrated

Dehydration can lead to fatigue, headaches, and poor concentration. Aim for at least 8 cups of water a day, more if you are sweating. Carry a reusable water bottle with you to classes and refill it throughout the day. To learn more about hydration, check out our hydration blog post!

4. Prioritize Protein and Fiber

Protein and fiber keep you feeling full and satisfied, helping you avoid undesired snacking. Include protein sources like chicken, fish, beans, and tofu in your meals, and for fiber, load up on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.

5. Be Smart in the Dining Hall

Start smart by using the plate method: ½ your plate with vegetables or fruit, ¼ filled with lean protein, and ¼ filled with a carbohydrate for a balanced meal. Listen to your hunger and fullness cues and embrace the variety of food options by making choices that fuel and nourish your body.

6. Mindful Eating

Mindfulness is the ability to fully bring attention and awareness to one’s experience in the present moment without judgment. Mindful eating involves being mindful of food choices and the eating experience. Try to avoid eating in front of screens or while multitasking and take the time to enjoy your meals. This practice can help you better recognize hunger and fullness cues. Head over to our website’s resources tab and join Jessie, our Registered Dietitian, through a mindful eating experience.

7. Seek Support

Maintaining a healthy diet in college doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With a little bit of planning and smart choices, you can fuel your body and mind for the challenges ahead. Remember, small changes can make a big difference.

If you’re struggling to maintain a healthy diet, don’t hesitate to seek help. RecSports offers a free 10-minute virtual nutrition counseling session with a registered dietitian to all UF fee-paid students or RecSports members, and lengthier, more personalized sessions are also available. Sign up now!

Quick and Easy Meal Ideas

• Overnight Oats: Mix rolled oats, milk or yogurt, and your favorite toppings such as fruits, nuts, and seeds. Let it sit in the fridge overnight for a ready-to-eat breakfast.
• Smoothies: Blend together a mix of fruits, vegetables, protein (like Greek yogurt or protein powder), and a liquid base (like milk or a plant-based alternative).
• Pasta Salad: Chop up some fresh veggies and toss together cooked pasta, dressing, and a protein of choice (beans, lentils, chicken) for an easy lunch to go!
• Stir-Fry: Sauté vegetables and a protein source (like chicken or tofu) in a small amount of oil. Serve over brown rice or quinoa.

This post was co-written by:

Jessie Furman, MS, RDN, LD/N and Nirali Patel

Jessie is a Registered Dietitian and Assistant Director for Fitness & Wellness at the University of Florida’s Department of Recreational Sports, where she does individual nutrition counseling and coaching with the UF community. Follow her on Instagram for more nutrition tidbits.

Nirali is a Program Assistant with Nutrition Services at the Department of Recreational Sports. She is a 4^th-year Dietetics major with a minor in Health Promotion.

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