To each recently inducted college freshman, you're a freshman again. But this time, you're not in high school, which means you are no longer subjected to the ruthless seven-hour weekdays that characterized your education through the 12th grade. The lifestyle you settle into at college is much less structured, allowing you more flexibility with your schedule. In turn, optimizing what seemingly little time you have and adjusting to the independence now bestowed upon you are crucial to surviving college. Not to sound morbid or anything.
One aspect of college is most likely going to be quite different. No longer guaranteed packed lunches and home-cooked dinners, you must now familiarize yourself with dining halls and other food choices on campus. A discussion about the two subjects of college and food often leads to a subsequent conversation about gaining the infamous "Freshman 15", an expression that refers to overeating in college so as to gain, the arbitrarily set, 15 pounds.
Below, I have compiled a list of eight tips that just might ensure that you don't fall into the "Yes, I gained the Freshman 15 (and probably more)" category.
1. Bypass the unlimited meal plan
The unlimited meal plan might seem like a great, cost effective option since you pay a fixed price upfront then eat all the food you want; however, it is a treacherous path that may potentially lead you to the Freshman 15. With this meal plan, you may be underestimating how much self control you have from endless indulgence. When you are up late studying and your mind suddenly turns to those Rice Krispies treats you saw earlier at your dining hall, not much is standing in your way except physically walking there. It is easy to fall into the thinking that "it won't cost me anything" (even though it did). If you think this applies to you, then ditch the unlimited meal plan and instead...
2. Purchase dining points/dollars/etc.
In addition to structured meal plans, such as having ten or 14 meals a week, many colleges also allow students to purchase, what is commonly termed, "dining dollars". How this works is at the beginning of the semester, you decide how much money to allocate toward food expenses, and that is how many dining dollars you purchase (the rate is usually $1 per 1 dining dollar). As an alternative to the unlimited meal plan, having dining dollars makes you more inclined to eat at the dining hall only when you're hungry since it has a pay-as-you-go feature and relies on a fixed set of prices for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Knowing it isn't economical to pay the $14 dinner price for an 11 p.m. craving for milk and cookies will stop you from making an unnecessary trip to the dining hall.
3. Take advantage of the salad bar
The salad bar might not always be your go-to choice at the dining hall, especially when you see pizza at the next station or a fresh pan of fries around the corner, but if you haven't already, try to incorporate a salad into your usual meal and make a habit of doing so. Many dining halls have salad bars, and an extensive one at that. From cucumbers to black olives, mushrooms to croutons, and a wide selection of dressings, you are sure to find the perfect salad combination. Salads satisfy the vegetable food group of a balanced diet and are sure to be healthier than breadsticks or garlic toast!
4. Refine your cooking skills (or develop them if they are nonexistent)
Another way you can avoid the Freshman 15 is to try your hand at the craft of cooking. If you prefer food cooked at home over that of your nearby dining hall, and even if you're indifferent between the two, making your own meals has a 99.99999% chance of being the healthier option. When you cook, you know exactly which ingredients are going into a dish and, therefore, can measure them out in modest portions before tossing them into a pot. This more conscious method of eating also reduces the likelihood of overeating, since you tend to cook only the amount you plan to consume. Many residence halls have at least one kitchen in the building, if not on every floor, so if you have the time to devote toward cooking, give it a try!
5. Invest in a fridge for your dorm
It might sound strange, but a fridge offers a myriad of possibilities regarding what you eat. You can use it to store vegetables, such as carrots, celery sticks and grape tomatoes, all of which are perfect snacks to grab and go if you are in a rush. During my freshman year, I purchased a meal plan that only allowed me to have 75 meals at the dining hall per semester. Breaking this number down means I only had four meals a week - surely not enough for me to sustain on. To supplement those meals, I often cooked a week's worth of pasta, refrigerated it, then made pasta salad for lunch or dinner each day. You can also keep in your handy fridge a stock of other healthy foods, like Greek yogurt, berries and cheese sticks. With a fridge, you are less likely to eat out, in which case, most of your options are fast food anyway.
6. Make weekly trips to the grocery store
7. Go on a routine walk/jog/run/bike around campus
8. Choose the stairs as often as you can
(The staircase in Georgia Tech's Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons - one of many staircases on campus.)
I hope some of these tips will prove helpful in lowering your chances of gaining the Freshman 15. Even if the Freshman 15 is the furthest thing from your mind where homework, tests and jobs also float, these tips are still important in maintaining a healthy lifestyle as a college student.
