Food. The part of college some argue is more disturbing than the communal bathrooms. It’s pretty widely understood that college food is complete crap, and you’re probably going to gain a whole bunch of weight. Yay!
Or not. If you’re careful, you can avoid both the freshman fifteen and extreme indigestion while still remaining within your meal plan.
1. Variety. Don’t be that kid who only ever eats pizza and tacos. I’ll give you that dining halls aren’t known for their great variety in foods, but there is definitely more than freaking pizza and tacos. Trust me. At my school (which is admittedly more impressive foodwise than most) there’s a salad bar, a sandwich station, a pasta toss, a stir fry station, the pizza area, the grill (for hamburgers and such), and then a section that either caters entirely to vegetarians or cooks a recipe a student has brought from home. Don’t just go to one or two- it’s been proven that the best way to lose weight is to eat a variety of foods so your body doesn’t get bored.
2. Find something other than bread. From the list above, the only station that isn’t predominantly carbs (pasta, bread, rice, noodles) is the salad bar. That’s where they’ll get you, the massive amounts of bread. I know salad is kind of a crap meal, but it won’t kill you to have it once in a while. Try and load up on fruit or oatmeal at breakfast, instead of toast and instant waffles, because for the rest of the day, it’s bread or air.
3. Keep track of your meal plan. First semester, I ran out of money on my meal plan about a month before Christmas break. Ouch. Some colleges allow you to check your balance online, and others you can just ask when you’re checking out how much money you have left. Keep on top of it, or you’ll end up hungrier than ever.
4. Figure out the best cooks. At your dining hall, there will probably be a semi-regular rotation of chefs working at various stations. Try out each, and figure out who makes the best pasta, or grills the best burger, and only get those foods when those people are working. It’ll help you with your variety and ensure your food is better.
5. You don’t need desert at every meal. If you school is anything like mine, the desert area is the biggest, piled high with cookies and brownies and cake. I know it’s tempting, but you don’t need it for every meal. Try to limit yourself to one desert a day, or even less, if you have self control (I don’t). Those brownies will be there tomorrow. And the next day. You don’t need them all the time.
6. If you can, take your food to go. My school offers “to go” boxes that you can get food in so you can bring them back to your dorm. If yours has a similar policy, get extra food and take it as leftovers. That way, you get two (or three!) meals for the price of one.
