It’s back-to-school season and apparently, we have a lot of college-aged readers on here? So awesome! If you are one of ‘them,’ hope on over to my Facebook page and let me know where you’re in school and what you’re studying, or hope to. If you’re undecided, that’s cool, too.

Though I’m already three years out from graduation, it feels like just yesterday that I was living the college life. Younger readers come to me because I am supposedly “older and wiser.” Older, yes; maybe not wiser, but more life experience.

Anyhow, I’ve been getting lots of inquiries from female collegiates wondering if it’s possible to have fun, find balance without adding inches to their waistline a la Freshman 15, juggling the stresses of school, relationships and life, all the while. Absolutely, yes. 

Now, some #realtalk before we get started. To sum up my exercise & eats for the duration of my collegiate career at Wake Forest University. [NOTE: I do not reco.]

Exercise: Run as much as possible for as long as possible. When I’d run with a girlfriend, we’d usually always “do” abs after.

Eats (brace yourself! ha):

• Oatmeal w/ sugar-free syrup, sometimes a heaping scoop of nut butter
• “Light” yogurt
• Coffee w/ all sorts of those flavored, sugar-free creamers
• Seltzer water
• Fruit (literally would fill my to-go container from the dining hall with fruit and call it “breakfast,” only to find myself hungry for breakfast No. 2 less than an hour later)
• Egg-white omelettes w/ veggies (us Wake girls would always request “the spray” to avoid the chefs dousing our egg-whites in oil)
• Dry cereal
• ALLTHEPRETZELS
• PB & J rice cakes
• Salad bar
• Raw veggies & hummus (<=== a fine snack, but primarily carb NOT protein)
• Protein/breakfast/energy/cereal bars
• Sugar-free froyo
• Sugar-free gum
• Sugar-free hot cocoa for late night studying (and I think I used all of my non-meal plan “food dollars” on skinny lattes, caramel macchiatos or black coffees sweetened with sugar-free syrup at the Starbucks on-campus)
• Salads with tofu (blech!) from the Moe’s on campus
• Bagels
• Microwave popcorn
• Jelly Belly’s, mini-tootsie pops (because, mini = more, obvs)
• Deli-meat &  pickles from the sandwich station (I ventured into/out vegetarianism toward what would be the end of my 12-year stint as a pretty strict veg).

I think I can count on one hand the number of times I drank in college, and definitely the number of times I ate late-night Papa John’s (pizza, if you’re not familiar- I’d never heard of this before moving to the South). Like never.

Lol can you say ‘carbatarian?’ But srsly. This is way too many carbs and the only reason I was able to effortlessly maintain my weight throughout college was because I was running so freakin’ too much. 

Worth noting that although my body comp now is a zillion times different than it was then, my weight really hasn’t changed. I was eating way too little, and the foods that I was eating were largely nutrient-void (i.e. low-fat, low/zero-cal, sugar-free etc). And, not surprisingly, I had that “skinny fat” look. I wasn’t heavy by any means, but did not have the lean, athletic dare I say “toned” look that I do now. I achieved, and now maintain, better results than ever before by doing LESS (i.e. working smarter, not longer) and eating MORE of the right things, more often. No, that is not a typo.

Now that we’ve established that my way of, uh, being was way too rigid throughout college (I tried this approach so you wouldn’t have to #winorlearn), I wanted to share with you some of my best tips for navigating the dining hall during meal times whether you’re one of the new kids on campus that upperclassmen so lovingly call “frosh (y’all have a place near and dear to my heart as I was a freshman RA throughout the duration of my collegiate career),” a fifth-year senior without access to a full kitchen (or just doesn’t cook) or even several years post-grad but still frequenting the cafeteria at work and/or buffet-style dining.

For my collegiates- I’ve also included for you some of my favorite dorm-room friendly snack and meal ideas for those late nights or early mornings when you need just a lil’ something. Or, for when you’re just totally over your dining hall’s limited offerings.

Without further adieu…

BREAKFAST (think: protein, fiber, fat)

• Eggs (scrambled, omelette, boiled, over-easy; please keep some of the yolks)
• Breakfast meat/meat, breakfast or not (e.g. bacon, sausage)
• Greens (e.g. spinach, kale, mixed greens), fibrous veggies
• Avocado or some nuts/nut butter (unless this is a trigger food for you) for healthy fats
• Breakfast sandwich, ditch the bun/biscuit/croissant

Things to AVOID on the reg, enjoy on occasion if you choose:

• Bagels/bread (ezekiel best if you really ‘need’ bread - over time, if you focus on adding more of the right things, MORE often, I think you’d be surprised that your cravings for these things are lessened), breakfast cereal, pastries, waffles

LUNCH (think: protein, fiber, fat)

• Salad bar
  • Darker greens > iceberg, if possible
  • As many fibrous veggies as you want
  • Add protein (e.g. grilled/baked chicken, eggs, bunless burger (beef, chicken, turkey, veggie), deli meat (low sodium & nitrate-free are my faves- do your best) from the sandwich station, fish or add a can of tuna or salmon back in your room if you carry-out)
  • Add fat (e.g. egg yolks, avocado, nuts/seeds)
• Moe’s/Chipotle/Tex-Mex equivalent salad/burrito bowl: no rice, no beans, extra fajita veggies, protein of choice (double if you want leftovers), no sour cream/cheese, add pico, guac, extra lettuce and cilantro, if you choose
• Lettuce wrap (e.g. Jimmy John’s, Which Wich) - all the fixin’s, without the bread (carbs)
• Deli meat wraps - have one of the servers at the sandwich station plate some deli meat for you, then grab some veggies from the salad bar and wrap your meat around those

Things to AVOID on the reg, enjoy on occasion if you choose (or are making your own, healthier version):

• Sandwiches, chips - approved alternatives here and here. If you’re set up in a kitchen, try DIY sweet potato or plantain chips
• On the salad bar, watch out for things like candied nuts, fruits (fresh or dried esp., which can be loaded with sugar), cheese; if you choose these things, think of them as garnish vs. main ingredient and practice moderation
• Breaded or fried; choose grilled, baked, steamed, poached instead
  • Almond flour is a great DIY sub for breadcrumbs if you’re set up to cook

DINNER (think: protein, fiber, carb/fat)

• See lunch
• Fajita-less fajitas (e.g. steak or chicken, peppers & onions)
• This is also a great time to have your CARBS (or post-workout- another post for another day- just talking in general terms)-  think about getting your carbs from real, whole nutrient-dense foods (e.g. sweet potato- choose baked vs. the fries, quinoa, brown rice, even ezekiel bread) vs. bread, wraps, cereal, pasta, crackers and ALLTHEDESSERTS)

Things to AVOID on the reg, enjoy on occasion if you choose (or are making your own, healthier version):

• Pasta dishes, buns on burgers, quesadillas, pizza
  • Sub spaghetti squash for pasta
  • Portobella mushroom caps for burger “bun”
  • Cauliflower, meat, almond flour crust for pizza

SNACKS/MEALS ON-THE-GO 

• Hard-boiled eggs (if you can carry-out from your dining hall, grab some from the salad bar; if not, most grocery stores sell them already peeled)
• Raw fibrous veggies
• Jerky
• Protein bars
• Old-fashioned oats (GF, if you need) or oat bran (add protein e.g. eggs, powder)
• Canned wild tuna/salmon
• Protein powder for shakes on-the-go
• Rotisserie chicken (one of my fave convenience options for those of you with a full kitchen- could get messy trying to deal with this in a dorm room)
• Nuts/nut butter (this is my fave - use the code ‘MINER15’ for 15% off all online orders)
• Unsweetened cocoa powder (for healthy hot cocoa, shakes - organic best - do your best)
• Stevia powder/liquid (both are portable so you don’t have to use the Splenda aka sucralose in the dining hall)
• Fruit (e.g. apples, berries - fresh or frozen)

More on protein packed snacks here.

DRINKS

• Kombucha 
• Coconut water
• Unsweetened teas
• Unsweetened coffee (organic best - do your best)
• Seltzer water - I like LaCroix

Whew! I think that covers it. These are just a few ideas to help get you started. By no means is this list all- inclusive, or is every option ideal. But, you can always make a better choice. Do not let perfect be the enemy of good. Be your own detective, find what works for you and do that. Questions? Comments? Any tips for navigating on-campus dining options that I forgot? Let me know on my Facebook page!