When I told mom that I love my college food – she asked me promptly – ‘can college food be healthy’? This is the thought of several concerned parents who believe that college food can never be healthy for children as these are all about  junk food. This is not true!

College food and health concerns have always been a topic of discussion among parents and youngsters. Well, it all depends on what you choose to eat. If you pick up junk food and have loads of them, it will certainly not be healthy…while if you choose vegetarian dishes or food with less fat and oil, it will certainly be good for your health. In other words, you need to strike a balance between healthy and junk food. College food can be healthy if you include the following in your eating habits.

• Grains – Grains are a good source of vitamins and iron. Students need to have food like whole grain bread, potatoes and rice for their daily requirement of energy.
• Vegetables and fruits – are always recommended. Students need to include foods which have apples, carrots, pears, broccoli and salads and have them regularly. These are a good way to boost your immunity level and are thought to be good for your hair and eyes also.
• Dairy products and milk are essential. College food often includes items that are made from cottage cheese, yogurt and pudding – so it is always wise to have these dairy and milk products so that strong teeth and bone health can be maintained.
• Baked fish dishes, tofu, peanut butter delicacies and eggs are often included in college food – if students pick up these foods, it is surely going to be a healthy option.

Students often feel hungry in between meals – in such a case, they often tend to pop up junk food which is very unhealthy. Some healthy options for such a time are:
• Protein and energy bars
• Oatmeal dishes
• Fresh fruits
• Animal crackers
• Tuna Fish
• Soups
• Cereals
• Pita Bread
   
College food and health becomes a real concern when students consume the following in large quantities…so if you are a college student, you need to be away from some of these dishes.
• Colas, sweet drinks, beverages.
• Too much of coffee as it is not good for health.
• Heavy fat meals like pizzas and burgers.
• Oily and fat foods in the form of deep fried chicken, beef in thick sauce, deep fried oily fish meals.
• Deep fried snacks and vegetables.

Image courtesy: today.ucla.edu, caswells-moms.com