# ISO Healthy diet advice



## mapmai (Feb 8, 2007)

I'm a college student and I dorm at my school. There's a variety of foods here, but it's not healthy foods. I eat fruits and salads, but would anybody have an idea of how to stay healthy even with all this greasy unhealthy food?


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## Alix (Feb 8, 2007)

Hi mapmai, welcome to DC. You are on the right track keep going! Eating more veggies and fruit than other foods is critical. You need to make sure you have some whole grains in there and thats pretty easy to do. Choose whole wheat bread anytime you can, and buy a box of Cheerios to snack on in your room. Make sure you get some protein every day (can you have peanut butter in your room?) and try to choose chicken or fish if possible. Try to choose unbreaded and leaner pieces of meat. Keep up with your dairy intake. Choose yogurt and have a cup or two or milk a day. Its the snacking that will kill you in a dorm. Its pretty tough to find stuff that isn't empty calories. If you can find trail mix or dried fruit slices that might help, but even those can be a danger if you eat too much of them. Maybe someone else will have some better ideas for you.


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## califlorican (Feb 10, 2007)

You should be eating plenty of whole grains, veggies, fruits, and low or no fat dairy. Make sure you get lean portions of meat: chicken, turkey, and fish. Have good breakfasts that have fiber (whole grain toast, english muffin, or high fiber cereal). Yogurt is always good, but try to get ones with little sugar. Yoplait light and Dannon Light n Fit are my favorites. Reduced fat string cheese and skim milk are good. Try to get beans in your diet...canned black or pinto beans are super easy to make. For snacks, definitely fresh fruit and veggies. Dry cereal is good for a snack too. An ounce of nuts for protein is good, but don't have too much, because of all the fat. Here's some tips I found online; hope they help you:

*Overcoming Common Dining Hall Mistakes*

Even when they know what their bodies need, the most attentive diners can still make mistakes while filling their plates. For the best results at mealtime, follow a few simple guidelines:

*Take the right approach to food.* Don't feel guilty if you have a burger or a piece of cake. Instead of thinking of foods as "bad" or "good," most experts say moderation is the key. No food is off-limits — just pay attention to the size of the portions you take and how often you eat that food. Try not to get caught up in counting every calorie. It's more important to concentrate on getting the nutrients you need by eating a wide variety of food and including plenty of fruits, vegetables, grains, and lean proteins.
*Check your fluids.* Sometimes it's easy to confuse hunger and thirst. You may think you're hungry when your body actually needs more liquid. Be sure you stay hydrated throughout the day — and several cups of coffee or servings of soda don't count. The caffeine in sodas and coffee is a diuretic (which means it makes you urinate more) and sodas, juice drinks, and sports drinks are loaded with sugar, which can add up to extra pounds. Instead, drink plenty of water.
*Go for variety.* Frozen yogurt tastes great, but it shouldn't be a staple of your diet. Try not to eat the same one or two foods all the time or always take three of your food groups from the dessert counter. It's healthier to focus on getting a variety of fruits, vegetables, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. A salad of raw vegetables, dark leafy greens, and beans, topped with some nuts and fruit, delivers the different nutrients your body needs. Or add some chicken and a little cheese to a green salad and you have a whole meal. (Plus, this is a great way to help you get the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.)
*Watch your portions.* Our bodies can't always tell us when enough is enough: One study found that people given larger portions tend to eat more food, no matter how hungry they are. So pay attention to what you're eating and stop when you start to feel full.
The appropriate amount of food a person should eat depends on age, gender, and activity level. A portion is the amount of food a person chooses to eat, and as a general rule it should not be larger than a fist.
*Don't linger.* Dining halls are like endless buffets. You can sit for hours, and the longer you sit the more you can eat. Try to avoid hanging out in the dining hall for too long so you don't eat more than your body needs.
*Stock up on healthy snacks.* Most dining halls will let you take fruit or other healthy snacks with you when you leave. Slip an apple or an orange into your bag to help you resist the late-night lure of the vending machine later on.


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## amber (Feb 10, 2007)

Hi mapmai, my best advice is to stay away from anything that contains white flour, such as bread, etc.  Anything containing whole wheat is good.  We have just switched from white to wheat, and no fatty things, such as fried foods, and definately no take out from fast food places.  I have always been big on veggies and fruits, no soda or sugary drinks, no caffeine.


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## phantomtigger (Feb 13, 2007)

Ok...here's my two cents' worth:  Do you have a mini-fridge in your room?  My roommate, fortunately, had one, and a microwave, so it helped us eat healthier to have the fridge.  She kept skim milk in there, as well as diet sodas.  She had apples and oranges, and every once in a while, vegetables.  We had two or three drawers under our beds, and she kept one of those drawers as her pantry for shelf stable foods.  She had wheat bread, peanut butter, graham crackers, and cereal.  Just remember, try to keep shelf stable foods in your room if you don't have a fridge.  You can buy one at Wal-Mart or another discount store for around $100.  Otherwise, good luck on healthy eating (I'm doing good so far -- I've lost 15 pounds this year!), and welcome to DC!


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## Claire (Feb 15, 2007)

I didn't go to college, but spent those years in the military.  I used to swear they added extra starch in general, and extra calories.  They did; the food was geared to young men who generally lost weight during those years in the military.  Us women gained those freshmen pounds you hear about, and then some.  

Things have changed.  If your caf has a salad bar, and you have a fridge, buy your favorite fat free or low sugar (whichever is more of an issue for you) salad dressings and hit the salad bar and dress it for yourself.  Fill up on this before you think of anything else in the line.  I wish I'd had that option when I was young!  (I gained and lost 60 lbs a couple of times in those years, leading to bulimia).  And move, move, move.


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## urmaniac13 (Feb 16, 2007)

I am not familiar with dorm life either, but is there a communal kitchen that you can use?  If so, what kind of equipment are available?  If there is nothing of that sort, how about investing in a toaster oven and/or a single or double (depending on space available) portable cooktop?  They are inexpensive and can enhance your food experience a whole lot more!


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## SizzlininIN (Feb 16, 2007)

Some great advice has been given so far, I can only add:

-Be sure to eat breakfast everyday......Fiber is key.
-Carry healthy snacks and water in your backpack so that you won't be tempted to hit the vending machines. I know when I was studying I was always looking for something to munch on.
-Invest in a small George Forman grill and cook boneless/skineless chicken breasts (pounded out some)....that you can marinate or season prior to your liking.  Also great to grill turkey burgers. Make extra chicken and store in your mini fridge to use in salads. 
-The toaster oven is another great idea to purchase.  Its amazing what things you can make in these little ovens. If you have room in the dorm a microwave cart should be able to hold all these pieces.

**Beware when the others in your building start smelling the aromas coming from your room you'll be having unexpected guests... .


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