Students who attend colleges in large cities often succumb to the temptation to eat out often since there are so many great restaurants to choose from. However, there are drawbacks to doing this on a regular basis. It’s often better for students’ budgets and their health to eat in rather than going out all the time.
When students eat out often they can end up spending a large portion of their limited budgets on food. Even eating at fast food restaurants can get expensive. Eating out also takes away a lot of control over which ingredients are used in the foods students eat. Restaurant food is notorious for being full of fat and salt. On the other hand, if students cook for themselves they can save money and keep more control over what’s in their food, allowing them to make healthier versions of the foods they love while controlling the calories. Students may have a hard time finding time to cook for themselves all the time between cramming the library, doing work for college classes online, and of course enjoying the city, but the extra effort isn’t as demanding as many think, and can help lower the risk of unhealthy weight gain and a number of health conditions later in life.
Colleges’ campus health services usually recommend college students keep a supply of healthy foods in their dorm rooms to use for snacks, and breakfast foods to make sure they always have something healthy to eat in the morning.
Other tips to help college students eat cheaply and easily include:
1) Take advantage of the dining hall if a meal plan is included in tuition. Many schools require students, or sometimes only first-year students, to purchase at least some meals each term. Stay away from the fried options and focus on the salad bar, lean protein sources, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Try to avoid sampling the desserts too liberally, too.
2) Healthy breakfast foods are relatively inexpensive and easy to prepare. Many require no cooking or just heating up in the microwave, which is perfect for busy college students. Stock up on easy options like dry cereal, milk, oatmeal, fresh fruit, peanut butter, and whole grain bread, bagels, or English muffins. In a pinch you can always have breakfast for dinner as well. Many of these foods also make great snacks for anytime.
3) If you have access to a full kitchen and know how to cook, you can learn how to make a few simple dishes you enjoy and make them go-to recipes when you have time to cook. You can even cook extra and freeze meals in single-serving portions for extra-busy days.
4) Salads and sandwiches are also easy to prepare and potentially healthy options, as long as they’re made with lean meat and salads aren’t doused with dressing. The options are endless, and students can save money by purchasing vegetables in season or save time by purchasing prepared salad greens that are already washed and chopped.
5) Following the US Department of Agriculture guidelines for healthy eating can help students eat foods in the right proportions for good health. This means half of each plate should consist of vegetables and fruits.
While urban college students may enjoy eating out, it’s usually both less expensive and healthier to eat in. It does take more time and effort, but also gives students more control over what they eat. This can help keep students from gaining the so-called freshman fifteen, and save a few bucks to enjoy other aspects of city life.
This blog post is written by a guest blogger and does not necessarily represent the views of NuVal LLC or Topco.
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