Who has time to eat healthy these days? With our hectic schedules, it can be almost impossible.
Student life is so easily inundated by busy work that it’s the little things that are left undone; eating healthy is one of them. Something so small, yet so crucial, is left in the back of our minds when it should be the first thing we think about when we wake up in the morning.
Fueling your body with nutrition is how you’re able to function on a daily basis and have fun with friends. There are easy steps you can take in order to make sure that you are staying healthy even within a student lifestyle.
Breakfast is your first stop. What your mother told you all those years is true: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. As most of us enjoy our beauty sleep, breakfast in five minutes is our reality. Some quick, easy things to whip up for breakfast can be oatmeal, whole wheat toast with jam, yogurt with granola and berries, fruit, cereal and granola or oatmeal bars: the ones without chocolate or other sweets. All of these things are quick to put together and can be eaten on the go.
Lunch and dinner, while often times can turn into one meal with awkward class schedules, they are important to plan out properly.
The weekend serves as a great time to cook large portions of balanced meals with vegetables and freeze them to eat during the week when you’re short on time.
Another option to keep you going throughout a long day is having healthy study snacks. Pack snacks such as cut up vegetables like peppers with humus. Whole-wheat pretzels are also a great alternative to chips, along with nuts of any kind such as almonds or cashews. Veggie or Kale chips are easy to find at your local grocery store and they’re not as bad as they sound. Trail mix is something quick to throw together and keep with you at all times, along with sunflower seeds.
You can never go wrong with crackers and cheese, and if you really can’t kick that chocolate craving, reach for the dark chocolate, which, under moderation, can be healthy for you. Getting into the habit of keeping snacks with you will prevent you from reaching for a bag of chips in dire circumstances and will help in reducing your portions during lunch and dinner.
Keeping a healthy diet is not easy when your friends are dragging you out every other day. Instead of going to the same spots where you tend to reach for unhealthy choices, propose a new venue like Café Pyrus, across from the bus station in Kitchener.
Their food is organic and everything they serve is vegan. Jane Bond on Princess Street is a great place to try with their healthy alternatives and Lotus Tea House and Raintree Café on Regina Street have healthy foods, teas and desserts that are all vegetarian and vegan friendly.
Even though it’s easy to let go of eating healthy during our busy schedules, it’s the most important thing to hold on to in order to keep our bodies healthy and our energy up.
Once you establish a routine and create a habit of eating healthy, it becomes second nature.