College eating?

[johappy]

Good luck making your decision. I was lucky, I only wanted to go to one college and that was the school I got into early decision. I applied to more schools for grad school, but decided on the University of Wisconsin. I think where to go is an easier decision to make once you are a little older. It is a tough choice to make when you are 18!

I totally agree. This is the only college I'm super interested in because it's so close to my grandparents, so that would help a lot if I had an emergency. I'm still applying to others, but it's hard to pay the application fees when I'm not even super into it!

-- 27 Nov 2017, 00:50 --

I like Ramen so I did have that a lot. But I also mixed it up. Like I would have a whole week where my dinner was a Veggie Potato. One giant potato with different veggies cut up and placed on it with cheese melted on top. not a lot but enough to give it flavor. another week I was all about the salads.

You sound a lot like me, in this aspect. I tend to eat the same food everyday and then switch it up every week or so.

[BookHausJ]

One cup of rice. Any variant of dish. One serving of vegetable for healthy stomach to avoid constipation. One piece of ripe banana or a piece of fruit. No Soft drinks but water only.

[Blue Eyed Reader]

I did a meal plan all throughout college and it was totally fine. The drinking and partying you find yourself doing is the pound buster! As long as you just watch what you are eating, you're good! You will experience going out and partying, it's just a fact, but everyone knows when going out we always want to eat in the middle of the night. Watch yourself! That's where it'll hurt you, too.

I played sports throughout college so I had an easy way in to staying fit, but take walks or walk on the treadmill if there's a campus gym. What's really nice is reading while being on the bicycle. That kills two birds with one stone! If you have any travel bottles or to go cups then fill it with water for the day. Most college kids focus on staying awake for papers and exams so they fill it with pop or just about anything other than water that's fattening. Water helps you so much it's uncanny!

The key is to just think about what you're doing everyday. If you haven't done too much and you're just laying around in your dorm, then eat healthier choices. If you're everywhere but in one place, then eat a decent amount of protein so you're body can keep up with your actions for the day. Some days are tougher than others, believe me, but just push yourself.

[johappy]

I've discovered that my school will only make me buy a meal plan if I'm in a certain housing unit. I've chosen a cheaper option with a meal plan for 20 meals a semester (in an effort to save money) so it might be rough! Luckily I don't drink, so I should be able to avoid any problems with that.

[38katiewilliams]

I recommend $1 frozen veggie packs. They've saved my life so many times. I also ate 99¢ hotdog packages for protein. Broke students have to get creative....

[johappy]

I received the second biggest scholarship from my school, but since I am an out of state student, the fact that it doesn't cover all of my tuition still leaves me in trouble. That doesn't even account for housing or books or fees. My goal is to get through without a loan, so saving money on groceries would be fantastic! The veggie packs are a great idea, and I'll have to keep that in mind.

[SPasciuti]

I had a tendency to buy those huge boxes/bags of pasta with giant containers of parmesan when I was in college. If you mix that with frozen chicken (tends to be cheaper) and some sort of vegetable it can be a decently healthy and cheap meal. I know a lot of people were really into the Raman kick, but it just doesn't seem super healthy. I think, ultimately, the best thing you can do in college is make sure you're not buying and eating a lot of processed or pre-cooked foods because they add up so quickly in price.

[johappy]

I was thinking I'd stock up on frozen fruit and make a lot of smoothies.

[mandalee519]

The meal plans are a bit expensive, but they are also extremely convenient. I almost passed out when I saw how much they cost, but it was well worth it because I found myself definitely eating my money's worth.

[uyky]

I did ok. I had a kitchen in a shared flat and all of us roommates were cooking together. So we lived healthy enough.

[miriamjoyreads]

I'm in the UK so our uni setup is quite different and meal plans aren't exactly a thing, but I self-cater pretty much exclusively because I have a lot of allergies. Also because of those allergies, I can't take advantage of the free food that exists at many, many student events. In first year, I used to go things just to steal the biscuits, and I definitely put on weight as a result. I also ate exclusively pasta and toast. Then I got diagnosed with coeliac disease and suddenly pasta, toast, and biscuits were ALL off the agenda...

Now I have to put a lot more effort (and money ) into food -- gluten-free food is SO expensive. But I'm much healthier as a result, so there's that. The money thing is a problem, though. I'd love to be able to eat free or cheap food -- that's what the student life is meant to be about, right? Instead I find myself shopping in Waitrose occasionally because they're the only place that sells gluten-free pitta breads...

Luckily I do have access to a proper kitchen these days, with a freezer. The freezer has made my life 100x easier compared to previous years.

[johappy]

That's crazy. I have slight food allergies but they're nothing that would make my diet overly complicated.

[Cate winslet]

coffee for breakfast, indomie for lunch and rice ndengu for super

[mamilla93]

Take the meal plan, ramen every day is not healthy. Just dont go near the dessert tables and eat a lot of salads. That is the best way to prevent freshman 15.

[Florence Nalianya]

Back in college we never did meal plans, I mean we just did with what we had cause what choice do you have especially when you are broke?