Eating healthy on a college budget
Photo courtesy of Gabrielle Fanelli
Gabrielle Fanelli, Staff Writer
While our schedules can be hectic at times, our eating habits in college can actually be maintained. The cafeteria does not always offer the healthiest choices and our wallets are not very promising either. So how does one eat healthy on both a busy schedule and on a college budget?
Stephen Couvillion, a former North Greenville University Health and Wellness major, is now a successful certified trainer and nutritionist. Couvillion managed to keep a fit physique while playing basketball and managing a busy academic schedule.
“I stayed out of the caf as much as possible, but when I did go, I only went to the salad bar or grill,” Couvillion said. “I cooked most of my food in my room and stayed out of the stud.”
Here are a few pointers I have personally used to help me lose 25 pounds and maintain my weight while attending NGU.
For breakfast, try the healthy options at the cafeteria, such as: oatmeal, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt and granola. You can even take yogurt, granola and fruit, to create a delicious fruit and yogurt parfait.
For lunch, take advantage of the salad bar. Decorate your salad with lots of beans, hard-boiled eggs and fresh veggies to create a colorful combination. Salads can get boring after a while so head over to the pasta bar and top your greens with shredded grilled chicken or a few turkey slices from the sandwich station. Grab a sweet potato for an extra boost of vitamins. You don’t have to give up dessert. Simply replace a cookie or ice cream with an apple and peanut butter.
Another option is making smoothies. Try the Hamilton Beach Single Serve blender found at Wal-Mart for only $14.96. The ingredients you need are all completely free and can be found in the cafeteria. Below are three fruity and decadent recipes to include in your daily diet.
Sunrise Smoothie Peanut Butter Protein Green Smoothie
1 Orange 1 cup of vanilla soy milk 1 banana and 1 apple
½ banana 1 banana 1 handful of spinach leaves
½ cup of yogurt 4 tbsp. of peanut butter 1/2 cup of of yogurt and soy milk
