It's well known that a lot of universities around the world, especially in the West, bombard students with a whole host of junk foods and leave few options for the more health conscious. Just this month Xavier University in the USA invented a pizza ATM machine that provides students with pizza 24/7. Don't get me wrong that does sound pretty good, it's hard to resist pizza, but it's only contributing to the nation's obesity crises and goes to show that junk food is being prioritised over healthy food. Unhealthy foods make us feel sluggish and are more likely to stump our concentration so it's best to opt for nutritious alternatives if you want to be on the ball for those upcoming assignments.
1. Bring your own food
Why not make a pact to treat yourself to a canteen meal every Friday, but in the week you bring your own food to make sure you're getting enough nutrition into your body. If this is new to you then start by bringing healthy snacks in like fruit, nuts, porridge, hummus and so on before kicking it up a notch and making your own lunches every day too! That way you know what is going into your food and you're much more likely to get the vitamins and minerals your body needs to function at optimum level.
2. Check the labels
Always read labels to make better choices. Only pick foods with less than 22.5g of sugar per 100g, 1.5g of salt and 17.5g of fat per 100g. Any foods that have more than these guideline amounts of sugar, salt or fat are bad for you and are likely to leave you feeling rubbish afterwards as your body is bombarded with nastiness.
3. Start exercising
I know this doesn't sound like it has anything to do with food but there's a big connection. Lots of people find that when they start exercising and feeling great about their body the last thing they want to do is eat unhealthily and ruin their progress. Start exercising, even if it's a run around campus, and you'll feel more inclined to keep your energy levels up by eating well.
4. If in doubt go meat free
Meat contains a lot of calories and combined with its high fat and sometimes salt content it's worth cutting down on the amount of meat you consume. If you're browsing through the canteen options and aren't sure what to go for, opt for a vegetarian dish (even a veggie pizza is better than a meaty one) and not only will you consume less calories but you'll get some nutrition from the vegetables themselves.
5. Avoid campus shops
The best thing to do, if you don't want to make your own food, is to go to the university canteen more often than the campus shops. Shops are full of convenience foods that are processed, packaged and detrimental to your health. Canteens more often than not have more variety and offer fresh alternatives to packaged meals.
If you stick to these guidelines as much as you can you're sure to notice a difference in your energy levels, skin, moods and everything in between, Nutrition affects your body in so many ways so don't underestimate how important it is to get a variety of foods into your diet.
