Eating in college is not all glamorous. I have had my fair share of mystery meat from the dining hall and less than fresh salad ingredients. Often times the cereals and muffins packed with sugar are so much easier to grab on the way to class. But the reason I am writing this is to give a few ways to make healthier choices in the dining hall!

Tip 1: Stock up on fruits. My dining hall almost always has oranges, apples, and bananas. If not all three are available, at least one of these are an option. Taking a few pieces of fruit back to my dorm after trips to the dining hall has been a lifesaver for me during my freshman year. These fruits are perfect for a quick snack in class or a last minute breakfast for when you oversleep and find yourself with not enough time to grab breakfast from the dining hall. I especially like this hack because it makes me feel like I am getting the most out of an expensive meal plan.

Tip 2: Sometimes simple is best. For example, when it comes to dining hall breakfast I usually stick to the basics of either eggs and turkey bacon if they have it and some toast. Other days I eat oatmeal with peanut butter and some fruit. These options can be made more enjoyable if you add seasoning that is offered in the dining hall. For lunch I eat more greens and add something to my salad such as rice or quinoa (whatever is available) and the best kind of protein I can find. Protein options tend to vary, so sometimes I go for the grilled chicken and other times I pack my salad with chickpeas or black beans. Salad bars at school are usually filled with fun little toppings that make eating a salad much more enjoyable. Who said salad has to be boring?

Tip 3: Pick up your personal staples from the grocery store. There are some things that just are not offered in the dining hall. By this I mean grab a few healthy snack items every 2-3 weeks in order to have some snacks in your room or on hand for long days in class. DO NOT waste your money on things that you can grab from the dining hall (more on this in the next tip.) Some examples of things I buy at the grocery store are: granola, unsweetened dried fruit, a tub of Fage 0% greek yogurt ( or so delicious coconut yogurt if I am doing dairy free), protein bars (perfect bars are my favorite!), and maybe a dark chocolate bar!

Tip 4: Use dining hall ingredients to make your own meals in the kitchen! This is my personal favorite tip. Often times I used my togo box to bring ingredients back to the dorm kitchen to whip up my own meal the way I like it. I do this to make recipes like my stuffed sweet potato (pictured on @madd.abouthealth), and smoothies. For these recipes I buy a few of the ingredients at the store and the other 90% of ingredients come from the dining hall. I just recently started doing this, because towards the end of the year it is easy to grow tired of the repetition in the dining hall. This way, you are still using your meal plan just adding your own personal twist! Another thing I do is fill up my reusable water bottle with almond milk from the dining hall and bring it back to my dorm for coffee and matcha. The almond milk trick might be frowned upon but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.

Tip 5: Drink water with your meals. Since it is harder to control what you eat when in a dining hall setting, it is important to be mindful of the things you can control. You may not be able to control what types of oil your foods are cooked with, but you can decide whether to opt for a sugary soda vs. water or tea! This simple switch in really impactful and helps with hydration and overall health.

Once I move into my apartment and have access to my own kitchen, I will share more specific recipes and healthy college tips:)! YEET