Many students struggle with eating healthy in college. With all the stress that college students undergo, it always seems easiest and most convenient to grab fast food. Students reach for unhealthy foods like French fries, hamburgers, and pizza. Many of these foods, along with ice cream, soda and other sweets temporarily relieve students from stress and trick their minds into making them feel better. Little do college students know that these foods can actually contribute to their stress and make them feel even more tired. With a few tips, college students can learn about how to eat healthy around the Harding campus.
First, there’s the CAF. Not every student enjoys eating in the CAF and some tend to grab all of the unhealthy items like the greasy pizza and french fries. Try staying away from that area of the CAF and make your way to the salad bar. The salad bar in the CAF is full of fresh greens, salad toppings and fruit. The salad bar also has a place to build your own wrap or sandwich. If all else fails in the CAF, grab a bowl of cereal. You can’t really go wrong with a bowl of cereal.
Secondly, there’s the student center. Every day after chapel, many students venture to the student center to pick up their favorite breakfast, chicken biscuits or chicken minis. While it is fine to treat yourself every now and then, you shouldn’t be having Chick-fil-A for breakfast every morning. Try grabbing fresh fruit or a yogurt parfait instead.
Try to stay away from Taco Bell and Burger Studio as much as you can. These foods will slow you down throughout the day and you won’t perform your best in classes. If you must eat in the student center, Bison Bistro is a great place to get a toasted sandwich or some soup. The student center also has healthy snacks like pretzels and hummus and fruit cups.
There aren’t too many health food stores around Searcy that accommodate a college student’s budget, but Wal-Mart is always a great place for students who want to eat healthy on a budget. Wal-Mart has recently started putting a Great For You logo on their Great Value foods. This gives shoppers the ability to automatically identify foods in the store that are good for them. While most of the Great For You foods are found in the produce section of Wal-Mart, you can still find things in the frozen food and snack aisles that are Great For You.
While it might seem impossible for college students to eat healthy in a stressful college environment, students can eat healthier if they take a better look at their options around campus and in the grocery store. Eating healthy is one of the most important things for a college student. It can keep you from getting sick, make you feel better all around, and help you keep focus on your studies.
