Healthy Eating Tips Every College Student Should Know 

By Contributing Author 

Student years radically change a person’s life, especially when they move to another city and start living in an apartment or a dorm. Student life is full of new events, classes, exams, acquaintances, so young people stop thinking about such “nonsense” as proper nutrition. However, a healthy diet is the first thing you should arrange at this stage of your life if you want to stay full of energy in the future and succeed. Newcomers face a lot of challenges that have to do with a completely different lifestyle and eating habits. Thus, if you feel constant fatigue even though you use paper helper, you have sleep issues, and maybe even the first symptoms of obesity, it is high time to change your diet and start leading a healthy lifestyle.

Don’t skip breakfast

Breakfast should be hearty enough to provide you with an energy boost for the day. At night, the body consumes stores of carbohydrates that have accumulated in the liver, and they should be restored in the morning. If you do not eat breakfast, the body will begin to use its own stores. It can lead to a decrease in the efficiency of the body’s functioning, such as lower productivity, poor learning ability, and concentration. The carbohydrates you get from breakfast are used immediately, and the body does not store them as fat. Breakfast should be rich in slowly absorbing carbohydrates. A variety of cereals work well, especially those made from whole grains. The complex carbohydrates found in whole grains help the body produce serotonin, which will provide you with energy for the day.

Eat regularly

You should eat at least three times a day to avoid overeating and consuming junk food because of the long breaks between meals. You can grab some fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, or yogurt without sugar between main meals if necessary. Remember that a cup of coffee or juice or cookies you drink/ eat between meals is also considered meals. The last big meal depends on the time you go to bed; however, you should eat dinner no later than 6 -7 pm. You should not go to bed hungry, so if necessary, you can have a little snack, for example, eat a vegetable, no later than a couple of hours before going to bed.

Eat more fiber-rich foods

To have normal digestion, you should eat both grains and fruits, vegetables, and berries. Reduce your intake of white flour foods and eat more fiber-rich whole grains. Choose whole-grain options over regular pasta and rice and use whole grain flour when baking. A good option for breakfast is high-fiber whole-grain cereals with low-fat yogurt. You can offer your roommate a deal, “Write my essay for me and I will cook a delicious and healthy breakfast.” The chances are high that they will agree if they are a foodie.

Drink water

When you are occupied with numerous assignments, practical exercises, parties, and maybe even part-time jobs, you can forget that it is crucial to drink at least 1,5 liters of pure water every day. Even if you are crazy about Coca-Cola and other carbonated drinks, you must learn once and for all that water is the main drink that contributes to the body’s good functioning. If you often feel a lack of energy, then this is probably due to a lack of fluid in the body, so take a bottle of pure water with you.

Give preference to fish

You should eat fish 2-3 times a week since it contains omega-3 fatty acids that reduce the risk of diseases of the cardiovascular system and contribute to improving your mental abilities. Fish is an essential source of vitamin D, which helps the body better absorb calcium. You should eat both red and white fish but avoid canned fish since it contains a lot of salt. Depending on the type of fish, you need to eat at least 200 grams per week.

Eat foods rich in magnesium

Probably proper nutrition is the very last thing you worry about during the exams, but your body needs vitamins and minerals more than ever during this period. To improve the situation, start eating more vegetables. Thus, spinach is rich in magnesium, so don’t skip it, especially if you get stressed. Lack of magnesium leads to increased fatigue and headaches. Besides, a great source of magnesium is raw pumpkin seeds, almonds, and beans. A study from the University of Oregon showed that most students eat very unhealthy foods, eat little fruits and vegetables, and 30% of their calories come from foods rich in saturated fat, dangerous to health.

Eat less refined sugar

It is all about candies, carbonated drinks, yogurts, and sugar that you may put in coffee and tea. Some yogurts can contain about 40 grams of sugar, and a 500 ml carbonated drink bottle has more than 50 grams of sugar. If you consume such foods and other sweets, don’t be surprised that you have weight problems. You should better eat fresh fruits for dessert instead of sweets and cakes.

Forget about fast food

Most students fall into the trap of cheap prices by buying food from nearby fast food cafes. Over time such a lifestyle will result in numerous health problems, fatigue, obesity, and even depression. Fast food products lack valuable nutrients, but they are rich in calories, fat, and sugar.