A college kid’s guide to healthy eating

BY ASHTYN HANSARD

Digital Media Director

College students all around the world are known for having to make do with little amounts of money, and Tarleton State University is no exception. With classes and homework, it’s hard to find time to get a job or even to just make a meal. American Dining Creations (ADC) understands the impact of a bad diet on students.

“There’s a correlation between dietary habits and mood disorders like anxiety and depression,” ADC wrote. “People who maintain healthy diets with higher proportions of produce, fish, chicken and whole grains have at least 25% less risk of depressive symptoms than those who regularly consume processed food, fast food meals, sugary desserts and soda.”

Making an affordable meal on a limited budget is hard on its own, but it can be done.

How? Well, I’m so glad you asked.

There are several ways to eat healthier while living on a limited budget. Whether it’s homemade or store bought ingredients, here are a few ways to enhance your meals without blowing the bank.

Kamryn Dickson, a junior at Tarleton, tries to limit her spending by meal planning.

“I try to meal prep, plan out my meals at the beginning of the week,” Dickson said. “I also try to limit eating out as much as possible. I eat out maybe one to two times a week.”

Meal planning is a simple but effective way to keep to your budget. Plan out what you’re going to eat for the entire week and stick to it. Say you make some pasta and have leftovers. Plan out those leftovers for the next few days and find other simple meals to eat for the rest of the days.

By meal planning, you’re forcing yourself to stick to a schedule of what you eat and when you eat, even if the schedule is loose. This way, you’re avoiding buying unnecessary groceries and taking unnecessary fast food trips.

Another way to budget your food while eating healthy is by using your available resources. Jailyn Smith, a freshman at Tarleton, does what she can with her student resources.

“Usually I will just focus on what I’m eating when going to the dining hall and get a healthy serving of vegetables since they usually prepare them better than raw veggies,” Smith said. “Other than that, I will get a small package of berries when I go to Walmart. It’s not too expensive, and I’m still able to get my fruits in.”

By using meal swipes at Tarleton, Smith is able to get essentially free access to fruits and veggies with every meal.

Fruit at Walmart is also an inexpensive way to eat healthier. Walmart has frozen and fresh options so students can pick which they like best for their meals.

Bryn Stephens, a junior at Tarleton, has a bit of a different approach to eating healthier.

“I don’t have a lot of time to cook, so I end up eating out a lot,” Stephens said. “To get proper nutrition, I get a side of veggies or fruits when I can instead of the usual fries or chips. I’m still spending money, but it feels more worth it in the end.”

Students can be very limited on time and struggle to find availability to cook. Simply substituting an unhealthy side for a healthy one can help improve your diet for almost no price change. Along with changing your side, getting water instead of soda or tea can also help your health and is always a cheaper option.

I know most students may be able to eat healthy meals but have a sweet tooth. I’m in the same boat as you. However, I have an answer that may help you.

I get a pretty bad sweet tooth at night, but I never want to eat something so sugary so late. When I lived back home, my mother would make homemade ice cream bites that worked with her diet but would also curb her cravings. The recipe was simple. Get one tub of fat free whipped cream and add three tablespoons of peanut butter. Then, you mix it and place dollops of them on a tray and freeze them.

You could also add your own topping to them, but I preferred mine simple. These yummy yet healthy bites taste just like ice cream, and the recipe makes a lot so you can snack on them throughout the week.