Meghan Harmening | Opinion Co-Editor

Although I’ve been at Buena Vista University (BVU) for over a year now, I’m still finding new ways to eat healthy at the serve. It’s hard to come in as a freshman and have so few, yet so many options to choose from. It’s easy to come in and eat pizza and burgers every day, but if you’re looking to avoid the Freshman 15 (or the Sophomore, Junior, Senior 15) then keep reading. Despite the abundance of preservative-filled food, it is possible to be healthy while in college.

The first tip I would suggest when coming to school is to get involved in either intermural sports or to start your own workout program. It’s so easy to just sit in the library or your room and do homework and forget about being active. Grab a group of friends and make an intermural volleyball team or find a workout buddy that can keep you accountable to your workout program. If you have someone you can team up with, it will be much easier to stick to the plan of staying healthy.

Eating healthy is one of the bigger challenges in staying fit at college. Sodexo offers a decent variety of foods, but not always the healthiest options. Two main rules to follow in eating healthy at the serve are the following: Fill your plate with as many raw foods as possible – this includes fruits, vegetables, and unprocessed meats, rather than pizza and pasta. Secondly, portion sizes are important. Just because many of us have the unlimited plan doesn’t mean we should eat until our stomachs can’t hold another bite.

One food that can really help fill up you and your plate is a salad. Dark leafy greens are incredibly healthy for you and are filled with nutrients that many people often don’t get enough of. Try filling half your plate with greens topped with carrots, tomatoes, peppers, and a sprinkle of cheese. At the end of the salad line, don’t make the mistake of covering your beautiful salad in a thick layer of creamy ranch. Try putting olive oil and balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of salt or the raspberry vinaigrette. Both provide healthier fats than that of ranch dressing. Oftentimes, the more colorful your plate is the healthier it is – when it comes to raw foods of course.

Since not everyone likes a plate full of vegetables every time they eat a meal, let’s talk about meat. Meat is a staple in the majority of our student’s diets. One thing to remember is to shoot for the lesser processed meats. This could be pork tenderloin, chicken fajitas, or a slice of steak. Try to avoid the more processed meats such as burgers, pepperoni pizza, or even chicken nuggets (but they’re so good!).

Remember that a colorful plate of raw foods is going to provide you with the nutrients you need and unprocessed meats will give you the lean protein you need to make it through the day. Living a healthy lifestyle not only helps you to feel good throughout the day, but helps you to stay focused throughout a long day of classes. It takes a little effort, but we can all avoid that Freshman 15 if we just try.

Photo by Tyson Domingo