Common College Student Nutrition Slip-ups

Unhealthy Between-meal snacking:

This is the time period during which the average college student consumes the most excess unhealthy calories. Avoid this by:
• Keeping healthy snacks (fruit, whole grain crackers, etc.) in the room and unhealthy ones (cookies, chips, etc.) out, so when your stomach starts grumbling between meals you can satisfy it with something nutritious rather than junky.
• Avoid boredom- and stress-snacking. Before you start eating, ask yourself “Am I actually hungry” and if the answer is no, try to find a way to cure the unpleasant feeling that doesn’t involve food.
• For more on how smart snacking visit the McKinley Health Center’s “Smart Snacks”

Alcohol Consumption:

Drinking is one of the easiest ways to consume many extra calories without even realizing it.
• There are 144 calories in an average 12-ounce can of beer.
• Not only do alcoholic beverages contain a lot of calories, they are all empty calories, meaning they bring with them NO good nutrients for your body.
• Many people also eat when they are consuming alcohol and since your judgment may be impaired, you might not make wise choices about what foods to eat.

Not Eating Enough Nutrient Dense Foods:

Nutrient dense foods have large amounts of nutrients such as vitamins and minerals compared to the number of calories that the food contains.
• Fruits and vegetables are more nutrient dense than foods that have been processed, have had sugar added, etc.
• For example, an apple is more nutrient than apple sauce, apple sauce is more nutrient dense than apple juice, and apple juice is more nutrient dense than apple flavored candy.
• Eating nutrient dense foods fills you up faster, so you end up consuming fewer calories overall, which is why focusing on eating nutrient dense foods can be a key part of maintaining a healthy weight.
• For more information on what foods you should be eating visit the USDA’s "My Pyramid" site and the American Heart Association’s 2006 Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations

Fad Diets:

Fad Diets promise to help you lose a lot of weight fast, and therefore appeal to many college students. However, they do not work for keeping off the weight long-term and can be very harmful to your body.
• For information on healthy weight loss, read this Healthy Weight Loss Guide from the American Diabetes Association.
• For a complete explanation of how to identify “fad diets” and why they don’t work, visit the American Heart Association’s “What About Fad Diets?” page.