For freshmen in college, one of the biggest struggles is fighting off the dreaded "Freshman 15".  It can be tough to maintain a healthy lifestyle while trying to balance a new class load, a new place of residence and a new roommate.  I have a few tips and tricks that will make eating in the dining halls more manageable and much healthier!

Balanced Meals & Portion Size.

College dining halls offer an endless array of pizza, hamburgers, pasta, french fries... basically any food that college students (or anyone over the age of 12) should not eat copious amounts of.  When loading up your plate at meal times be careful to watch how much you are putting on your plate. It is totally fine to have pasta, but don't load your entire plate with it! Take a small serving of pasta and add other things to your meal such as a salad, protein, or fruit.  At least half of your plate should be made up of fruits and veggies; the other half should contain some sort of protein and grains. Try to eat processed foods or foods that are high in calories in smaller portions and less often to maintain a healthy diet.

Pick & Choose.

Each dining hall on campus offers certain types of food everyday (i.e. pizza, pasta, etc.) to accommodate for students who don't like what's being served as a special that day. Don't be afraid to mix and match foods from different stations to keep your meal exciting and healthy. Try adding a cooked chicken breast to your basic salad to create a filling and healthy meal. If you have food allergies or just don't like something that's been added to the food, don't hesitate to ask what's in something or ask for something plain. It's important to tailor your meal to what you want!

Meal Plans.

When choosing a meal plan through your school, look carefully at your options.  Some of the meal plans offered allow you to mix and match meals with dining dollars that you can use at cafes or other types of restaurants on campus. This is a great way to avoid skipping meals because there is always a quick and easy meal on the go (and usually they're pretty healthy too)!  You might even find when evaluating meal plans that it is more cost-effective to eat a meal in your dorm room once or twice a week.  This way you can control the types of food your eating when you're not eating in a dining center!

Maintaining a healthy diet as a college freshman can be super stressful, so don't beat yourself up if you indulge in a giant plate of pizza one night or if you get two desserts when you know you shouldn't have any (trust me that Oreo cheesecake has gotten the best of me too).  We're all human and sometimes eating healthy isn't always the priority when you have a half hour to eat something before your next class.  But if you follow my advice I promise eating healthy in the dining centers will be a breeze!