Nutrition or dietary habits and lifestyle in early adulthood are investments made for the future as the consequences of these habits tend to manifest later in life. Being a student resident on campus presents its challenges when it comes to dietary habits; skipping meals as a result of early morning lectures, sometimes the distance traveled to get food and also inadequate time for cooking.
So while the vacation is still fun to enjoy, how can we prepare to make the necessary changes to assure us of healthy diet and lifestyle habits?
First of all, there has to be a conscious effort and resolution not to skip breakfast (even if you are trying to lose weight). It is important because you have gone through a long night without food and need to give your body adequate energy to go through the day. With this in mind, wouldn’t it be a better idea if you got more breakfast cereals than snacks (drinks, biscuits etc)? These cereals are usually fortified to provide essential vitamins and minerals as well as adequate energy to start the day.
The fibre content of these cereals help in slow transit of the food through the gut, keeping you satisfied for longer thereby reducing the tendency to have snacks high in calories (and inadvertently lead to weight gain). Breakfast also helps keep you alert with no distractions that come with hunger.
The excuse most of us give for skipping lunch is that we get stuck on campus in the afternoon; that’s actually true but it doesn’t stop us from going for all the less healthy snack options while on campus. If banana or mango or any other fruit replaced that plantain chips or meat pie, then that would be less fat consumed, more minerals and vitamins for your benefit.
You would typically feel like you haven’t eaten if you have snacks for lunch so if the snacks are high in calories, you may end up consuming more energy than your body needs hence setting in motion a cycle for weight gain. Better snack options would be peanuts, fruits, and yogurt.
Having balanced diets are essential to body functions. While dinner may be the meal most people plan better, it should be balanced having adequate protein, fibre, as well as energy. Having dinner may help control late night snacking.
Make a conscious effort to have healthier dietary habits starting next semester, as they have long term effects. Tell us the subject concerning your nutrition that you would like to know about. #Nutritionislife.