Eating Healthy in the Cafeteria

In the spirit of school starting, I thought it would be a great time to discuss cafe food. We all know it, freshman year we all loved it, sophomore year we all hated it, and junior and senior year we all missed it when we moved off of campus (only because it was free).

We all know cafe food is not always the most appetizing or the most healthiest, but we continue to indulge anyway. We just trick ourselves into thinking our greasy pizza slice with a side of even greasier deep fried french fries and large root beer float (all in which we get 2nds and 3rds) are just apart of the normal college diet.

But, not to worry! I’m going to give you some healthy eating tips I used to follow when I would go eat in the cafe. If you want to prevent that freshman 15 from turning into sophomore 20, just follow along.

Tip 1: I would only allow myself to drink one glass of juice each day. This was a way to ensure that I drank tons of water rather than indulging in the unlimited flow of Hawaiian Punch.

Tip 2: I would go for the grilled options instead of fried. For obvious reasons, grilled is always healthier than fried. (I’m not counting my pile of french fries or those days where fried shrimp was being served and I would get 2nds. Don’t judge, I’m a work in progress.)

Tip 3: I limited myself to dessert only on the weekends. With the unlimited amount of dessert from donuts, ice cream, cake, cupcakes, and more it's hard not to go overboard, which is why I had to put a limit on these sugary things.

Tip 4: I aimed at eating two out of three meals from the salad bar. The salad bar had multiple salad options from the base to the toppings as well as different soup options.

Tip 5: I made sure to practice portion control. You have to be careful not to always go back for that fifth plate of nachos or a plate stacked to the ceiling just because you can.

Tip 6: I always went for the whole grain, low fat, gluten free options. Most universities offer these options in their cafeterias due to their diversified student body.

I know it's hard to stay strong when their is a smargage board of unlimited food just waiting for you, but remember not to overindulge and you’ll be just fine! We will get through the cafeteria temptations together.

-LisaLenora

Guilt Free Midnight Snacks

We’ve all been there. Laying in our beds Friday night watching Golden Girls reruns, when suddenly the clock strikes midnight! And as if we are under some type of curse, we began craving all types of junk food to go along with out tv binge. Most of the time when this happens, we are just eating because we’re bored or we see a food commercial that tricks us into thinking we are hungry. If you’re anything like me sometimes you can fight off the curse of the midnight snack and sometimes you ransack your kitchen for anything edible.

Since us college folk don’t have our parents in our apartment/dorm to tell us “you don’t need to eat this late!” It can be hard to indulge at midnight while staying discipline.

Here are a couple of snacks that you can enjoy while binge watching netflix at midnight without feeling guilt (in moderation of course).

• Frozen grapes (they taste just like candy!)
• Greek yogurt, fruit, and honey
• Whole wheat tortilla chips and salsa
• Baked sweet potato drizzled with honey
• Veggies and homemade ranch from greek yogurt
• Mini tuna or turkey and cheese whole wheat cracker sandwiches
• Butterless popcorn seasoned with garlic (or your favorite low sodium seasonings)
• Pretzel sticks
• Dark chocolate bar (75% cocoa or more)
• Sliced cucumbers and season salt
• Carrots and hummus (any vegetable goes great with hummus)
• Bowl of Kashi or any healthy brand of cereal and almond milk
• Almonds, salt-less peanuts, sunflower seeds, and or pumpkin seeds

-Lisa Lenora

Healthy Microwaveable Frozen Food Under 350 Calories

While its always great to know we have the cafeteria to rely on, sometimes we just aren’t feeling the food being served today.

Luckily for us college students, there are frozen, microwave friendly meals that we can stock up on in our dorms.

These are not your normal, boring, unappetizing tv dinners.

Not only are these meal delicious, but they are healthy! Here are a list of dorm room friendly frozen meals. (Prices according to Walmart in Lansing, Michigan)

BREAKFAST

Weight Watchers Smart Ones Ham and Cheese Scramble

180 calories

$2.82

Special K Flatbread Breakfast Sandwich (Egg with Vegetables and Pepper Jack Cheese)

180 calories

$5.28 for 4 sandwiches

Amy’s Tofu Scramble with Hash Browns and Vegetables

320 calories

$3.52

Jimmy Dean Delights Turkey Sausage Breakfast Bowl

240 calories

$2.48

Special K Flatbread Breakfast Sandwich (Ham, Egg, and Pepper Jack Cheese)

200 calories

$5.28 for 4 sandwiches

DINNER

Lean Cusine Tortilla Crusted Fish

300 calories

$2.50

Lean Cuisin Cheese Ravioli

250 calories

$2.00

Lean Cuisine Macaroni and Cheese

340 Calories

$2.00

Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers Chicken and Potatoes

250 calories

$2.50

Weight Watchers Smart Ones Chicken Enchiladas Sulza

290 calories

$2.00

Lean Cuisine Alfredo Pasta with Chicken and Broccoli

290 calories

$2.00

Healthy Choice Lemon Pepper Fish

310 calories

$2.50

Now its your turn to explore the frozen food section. Go ahead, young one spread your wings and fly into the world of microwavable goodies.

-LisaLenora