How to Eat Healthy in College

Eating healthy in college might seem about as easy as getting an "A" in a 400-level math class. Between the dining hall chicken nuggets, the fast food burritos and the study session cookies, there's little room left for nutrition. Not so fast: with a bit of guidance, it's a snap to find healthy options on a college campus.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Investigate the healthy options in your school's dining hall. Nearly every college has a salad bar, where you can load up on leafy greens, juicy tomatoes and low-fat vinaigrette dressing. Opt for a grilled chicken sandwich instead of a greasy burger and munch on an apple instead of scooping up ice cream.
2. Play it smart at fast food restaurants. Ask for a plain baked potato instead of calorie laden fries, order your tacos without cheese or sour cream and choose pizza that's light on cheese and heavy on veggies.
3. Skip sugary drinks. A non-diet soda contains around 180 calories and a blended coffee drink can contain more than 500 calories. Drink plenty of water and satisfy a caffeine craving with diet soda or--even better--green tea.
4. Stock your dorm room with healthy snacks. When you've been studying for hours and need a snack break, you'll reach for whatever is convenient. Keep foods like dried fruit, walnuts and plain popcorn close by.

Tips & Warnings

• Eat three or four nutritious meals per day rather than skipping breakfast and pigging out at lunch time. Healthy eating is all about balance and moderation.
• Watch out for "hidden" nutritional nightmares, such as creamy salad dressings, veggie tacos loaded with cheese and sour cream and fried fish sandwiches that can pack in more calories than a cheeseburger.