Well, isn't it ironic that blog posts are becoming ever more frequent as exam season nears? Jokes aside, I simply couldn't wait to get to work on today's post, since this is a topic that I am very passionate about. You see, it's no secret that what we eat has a great impact on both our mental and physical well-being, yet we essentially glorify eating baked beans on toast for breakfast, lunch and dinner at university. While I am by no means an expert on the matter, I feel as if I have learnt a lot this year which may be helpful to any new or current students. As per usual, leave any thoughts you may have in the comments below, and let's jump straight into it!
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Make Food a Priority
One of the main reasons as to why the university diet is renownedly unhealthy is because now, more than ever, we are looking for convenience — well, that and being on a budget. Unfortunately, convenience often lends itself to highly-processed foods which, certainly in high quantities, are not good for you. This is why making food a priority should be important. By that, I mean pencilling in cooking into your timetable just as you would your library slot. Setting aside the time to cook your meals yourself can help you to make better choices about what it is that you consume. Similarly, it's nice to take the time to fully enjoy your meal, instead of rushing to eat it.
Try New Recipes, But Don't Overwhelm Yourself
I understand that not everybody enjoys cooking, and so trying out new recipes is a way to make the process a lot more enjoyable. Personally, I find the majority of my recipes through Pinterest (you can follow my board here if you're interested) or YouTube — although you do, of course, have the option to purchase a couple of cookbooks too. Nevertheless, I believe there is something to be said for not overwhelming yourself with too many novelties all at once. Besides, trying out new recipes takes time, which you often lack as a student. That is why I choose to only try 1-2 new recipes a week, and this has worked well thus far for me.
Plan Your Meals in Advance
If there's one thing that I absolutely could not live without at university — besides my computer, anyway — it would have to be meal planning. Meal planning is great for several reasons. Firstly, by pencilling in your meals in advance, you can ensure that you end up with a coherent shopping list, and that you are not purchasing fifty different ingredients for a grand total of six recipes. Secondly, it helps you to keep both your food waste and your spending to a minimum by not purchasing more than is necessary. Finally, it makes it easier to incorporate all of those great ingredients that your university diet so desperately needs.
Consider Tracking Your Macros & Supplementing Where Necessary
I suppose I ought to add a little trigger warning here. Tracking macros is not for everybody, I get it — particularly if you have previously fallen into obsessive habits. That, and it can certainly be a little inconvenient and time-consuming. However, if you use it sensibly from time-to-time, it can help you to see whether you are getting in all of the nutrients that you need in your diet, and where you may benefit from taking a supplement. For example, I noticed that I had started to get peeling nails and had an inkling I may not have been getting enough iron in my diet. Sure enough, my suspicions were confirmed when I tracked my meals on My Fitness Pal. It was then that I made an effort to include more iron-rich foods in my diet, as well as adding an iron supplement, and now I no longer have said issue. It's the simple things, really.
Eat Everything In Moderation
If you know me, you know that I am certainly not an advocate for cutting any food group out of your diet: they're all there for a reason! Personally, I must confess that I have a humongous sweet tooth. What I found has worked for me, however, is allowing myself to have one small sweet thing a day. Most times, this sweet treat of the day is enough to satisfy my cravings and avoid overeating in, say, the evenings. Moreover, I now try to make a lot of my sweet treats myself using good-quality ingredients, rather than going for sweets with many artificial flavourings. However, that's not to say I don't indulge in those too. All in all, it's important to have the things you want, but to do so sensibly and making sure you get enough of everything else in too!
That's it for today folks! I hope you found this post helpful — or entertaining at the very least. Do you have any tips of your own as to how to eat a little more healthily at university, or in general? Be sure to leave any thoughts in the comments below, as per usual. Until next time!