Food is a huge part of college life which is why theories like the "Freshman 15" exist. Bingeing on food could be the result of homesickness and/or stress. Even though food will forever be our best friend and be there when no one else is, it can also ruin our bodies if we’re not careful.

These are not dishes you should completely cut out. It is just best not to eat them all the time, every day, each week.

Here are 12 dishes to avoid when at college dining halls:

1. Pizza (both cheese and pepperoni -- don't be fooled)

This dish seems to be a bit more obvious than any of the other dishes you'll see later on. The reason why you should avoid pizza at dining halls is because you're probably already eating enough of it when you're not using those meal swipes. It may be safe to say that during a friend's get-together, pizza is a popular dinner selection. Not to mention it is not good for you at all except for your taste buds.

2. French fries

Another obvious dish to avoid. This is probably one of the hardest foods to give up. All I'm saying is, avoid gravitating towards Eric’s fries every dinner. As delicious as they are, each serving will eventually add up to bite you in the butt, so really try to limit these golden beauties in your diet. French fries contain a lot of salt and too much salt for your body is not gonna help you sidestep that college weight-gain.

3. Ice cream

You MUST be thinking: "Ice cream is made out of milk, milk is good for me!" You’re right, but ice cream tastes sweeter than regular milk. This means that a lot of sugar is added to the process of making ice cream. Maybe stick to having ice cream during the summertime.

4. Cookies/brownies/cupcakes (sweets in general)

If you're like me and look forward to dessert rather than dinner, this probably makes you want to cry. Cookies, brownies, cupcakes (the frosting, OMG) is not what you should be eating every day. Especially with the all-you-can-eat options on campus, it’s easy to get used to going back up in line to add these to your everyday dinner. I can hear you saying, "But it’s so tiny and cute." Yes, tiny, cute, and dangerous. Once again, too much of these of sweets can be no bueno.

5. White bread

Bread could be a savior when you're trying to lose weight. If you're trying to avoid eating too much during dinner just munch on bread and drink a lot of water. Health experts advise us to eat whole grain or wheat bread because they’re healthier options. Vitamins, iron and calcium found in whole wheat breads tend to be lost during the white flour process.

6. Soda (sugary drinks)

Soda and candy are two of the biggest things you should stay away from, and not just in the dining halls. Soda contains an abundant amount of calories and ingredients to contribute to their dark colors, and are known to weaken bones. And if the front of the can says "150 calories per can," look at the sugar and sodium under the nutrient facts.

7. Bacon (sorry)

My heart is breaking as I am writing this. Bacon is just so good but so not healthy. All of the fat, fat, fat and salt. Yummy. But cut down once in a while, okay?

8. Fish

Seafood is the cause for such things like gout due to the high density of mercury. Aside from that, fish does have a good amount of protein, but too much fish could be very harmful to the human body. Fish can be contaminated with harbor mercury and dangerous toxins that could get into your body.

9. Deli meats

Processed meats such as bacon, salami and ham give us high risks of cardiovascular diseases. If that isn't already scary enough, avoid eating those ham sandwiches every day! According to www.eatthis.com, Cheetos are worse than deli meat. Deli meat can be the cause of colon cancer. Deli meat also has sodium nitrate, and nitrates have been seen to become a conflict with the human body when processing sugar. This then could lead to diabetes.

10. Bagels

On average, a bagel has a total of 350 calories; that is only 50 calories away from 400! Isn't that crazy? And that is without any cream cheese. Cream cheese is another story.

11. Fat-free salad dressing

Don't be fooled by the "FAT-FREE" salad dressings. More or less, it probably contains more fat than ones that don't say "FAT-FREE" for marketing reasons. Salad is supposed to be a healthy meal, but the addition of dressing rather ruins that. Try to use less dressing on your salad, and if it doesn't taste good, salad is not your friend.

12. Muffins

Muffins alone have around 300 calories and, unfortunately, are so easy to eat for breakfast. We should stay away from muffins because these little suckers will give us the unnecessary calories we need to start off our day. To play breakfast safe (because it is the most important meal of the day) is to perhaps eat a fruit cup, some eggs, or yogurt.