Navigating the dining hall during college can be both exciting and overwhelming. With endless food options and busy schedules, making nutritious choices might seem challenging. However, with a few simple strategies, you can ensure that your meals in the dining hall contribute positively to your overall health and well-being. Here are five helpful tips to guide you:

  1. Create Routine
    Having routines around when you eat can not only help eliminate extra daily decisions, but eating consistently throughout the day will give you the stable energy you need to stay alert and focused during classes. Skipping meals can also lead to overeating later in the day. Consider your weekly calendar and figure out where you have pockets of time between classes and other activities to enjoy a meal in nearby dining halls or eateries. Even if your time is limited, consider “grab and go” options that can be brought to class to avoid ravenous hunger later.

  2. Survey the Scene
    Before jumping in line to load up a plate, take a stroll around all the stations at the dining hall and start to strategize your meal. Consider what you’re in the mood for, your hunger levels, and what activities you have planned for the day. If you’re not sure how to start building your plate, consider tip #3.

  3. Balance Your Plate
    A balanced plate provides you with the right ratios of carbs, protein, and fiber to help fuel your body with stable energy. Start by filling half your plate with vegetables like those from the salad bar or cooked vegetables from a hot station. Next, consider your protein, which should take up about a quarter of your plate. Consider lean proteins like grilled chicken, baked fish, or tofu cubes. Fill the remaining quarter of your plate with carbohydrate-rich foods like rice, potatoes, corn, pasta, or bread. Whole grains like quinoa, wild rice, barley, farro, and legumes like lentils, beans, and chickpeas are carbohydrate foods that pack extra fiber and additional protein.

    At breakfast, consider pairing a source of protein such as eggs, Greek yogurt, or cottage cheese with high fiber carbs such as fruit, whole grain toast, or high fiber cereals such as oatmeal.

  4. Incorporate Variety
    Just because you’re filling half your plate with vegetables doesn’t mean it has to be all the same vegetable. Aim to incorporate at least two or more different colors on the vegetable portion of the plate. For example, you can mix and match raw vegetables from the salad bar with sauteed vegetables from a hot bar. Also consider how often you choose the same proteins or starches. Mixing grains and legumes plus rotating through poultry, seafood, and plant-based proteins can increase the overall nutrient diversity you get over the course of the week.

  5. Consider Hydration
    Drinking sugar in the forms of fruit juices, sodas, or sweetened teas can cause a blood sugar spike that is often followed by an energy crash. Skip the sugar containing beverages and make water your drink of choice as often as you can. If you are only drinking water at your meals, it’s likely not enough to keep you well hydrated. Consider carrying a refillable water bottle around campus to quench your thirst throughout the day.

  6. Enjoy What You Eat
    College is a time to explore and try new things, and food should be no different. While it’s important to build healthy habits, a good relationship with food includes balance and moderation. So, enjoy that dessert when the mood strikes and don’t turn down the opportunity to try new foods with friends. Just be mindful that fun foods, such as pizza or ice cream, don’t turn into everyday habits.

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