Yesterday we talked about the ‘Freshman 15
‘ and ways to avoid it, but we know it can be tough. Because there is so much going on for college students that they often opt to buy fast food and not cook so that they can save time for other more important matters such as studying, social events and sport. But nothing is more important in college than having a healthy body and positive lifestyle.
To help you maintain or have a healthy lifestyle that you want, choose the following snacks that will provide you with not only a the energy you need to get through the day, but also make you feel full.
Fruits are portable and an easy ‘on-the-go’ snack. Apples and oranges are great healthy foods to have for snacks since they contain a huge amount of vitamin C and you don’t need to add more sugar because they are naturally sweet. Other fruits like peaches, pears and mandarins are also great portable fruit when they are in season.
Raw Vegetables Raw vegetables also make a great ‘on the go’ snack, carrots, celery and beans are especially good for this as you can just pick them up and eat them without any preparation. Carrying a few carrots with your makes for a great quick and healthy between class snack. Green beans are also a good choice.
Sandwiches. Sandwiches are a fabulous easy snack to prepare in the morning or the night before. You can add to them anything you like and even sneak an extra serving of vegetables by adding some salad to your meat. You can make your sandwich healthier by using wholegrain or rye bread. This will not only reduce the calories, but make you feel fuller for longer.
Have Trail Mix. Trail mix can be made up of dried fruit, nuts, seeds or even cereals. It is a fantastic snack to keep in your bag for when you a feeling a bit hungry and just need something to get your through to the next meal. You can purchase pre-made Trail mix or buy the ingredients and mix it yourself, you might like to add a few chocolate buds for added sweetness, but not too many.
Drink Fruit Juice. Drink fruit juice but only in a minimal amount. Also make it sure that it is purely 100% and not just a flavored drink.
Have Mixed Nuts. Mixed nuts are the best in between snack because they are filling and loaded with protein. If you’re struggling mid class having a handful of nuts can give you the extra energy you need to focus to the end. As with Trail Mix you can buy mixed nut pre-mixed or you can mix them yourself, which usually works out cheaper.
Have Peanut Butter. If you’re a nut fan, then having some peanut butter can also help, try and pick the healthier natural peanut butter to avoid that added sugars and fats added to mainstream peanut butters. Peanut Butter is also high in protein which will make you feel fuller for longer. Try dipping some celery or carrot in some peanut butter for a healthy snack.
Have Dried Fruit. This snack is a good substitute for fresh fruit when those are not available at stores or in your dorm storage.
Energy Bars or Granola Bars. You can purchase these energy bars or granola bars from most food shops, try and avoid the ones taht are coated in chocolate or sweetened yoghurt and stick to the ones that contain mostly nuts. Watch out for bars that may still be high in sugar.
Avoid the Freshman 15 and stay healthy by carrying with you these healthy snack options!