If you love food as much as I do, you know that it is almost impossible to not be munching on something delicious. So often in college, students are constantly busy or they they don't have the proper means to make a real snack so the snacks often consist of yucky process foods like Easy Mac, Ramen noodles, chips, soda, candy, etc. These foods are not good for you! Though they are easy and cheap to purchase, the processed sugar, added fat, and unnatural additives will actually prevent you from getting that extra stamina you might be looking for. Processed sugar (sugar added to anything usually in a package), might give you that boost of energy for an hour, but you WILL crash leaving you feel even more tired than before and running on low energy. All these types of packaged, processed foods usually contain a ton of simple carbohydrates which are bad for you. Of course, you need carbohydrates in your diet to survive, however, you want to be consuming COMPLEX carbohydrates which are found in several different foods that are just natural foods, nothing in a box.
As a poor college student, I 100% understand the cost dilemna, so I have compiled a quick list of foods from Trader Joe's that are not only inexpensive, but healthy and will keep your energy up! You can swap these out for typical college snacks.
*also, a quick tip: when looking at the nutrition facts, look at the ingrediants list...usually the more ingredients listed, the worse it is for your body. *
DORM ROOM SWAPS:
Potato Chips, Cheetos, etc.-------> Pita Chips
These pita chips are so addicting. I prefer them to regular potato chips because they offer so much flavor and they are filling. These are simply baked pita bread sprinkled with some sea salt. Here you are getting the complex carbohydrates and no added ingredients (minus salt) so these are a great snack in moderation. They are also very plain so they are great for adding things to!
Dried Fruit, Fruit bars, Fruit snacks--------> Real Fruit.
I don't know why people seem to be so obsessed with getting fruit flavored food items. Why not get the actual fruit???? I could/do eat fresh fruit for breakfast lunch and dinner because it is so amazing. When I go to the market I always pick up apples, grapes, berries, bananas, and then whatever seasonal fruit is available. Fruit is great because the natural sugar in it curbs sweet tooth cravings, and since fruit is full of complex carbs, it keeps you full for a while which makes it a fantastic snack. Or, lets be real, it is so fun to Instagram because of the vibrant colors. Eat fruit! It's so worth it.
Veggie Sticks/Chips-------> Carrots.
I'm actually obsessed with carrots. These baby carrots from Trader Joe's are so easy to keep in your room and have on hand! They have that super satisfying crunch to them and they are really filling. Carrots are filled with Vitamin A as well other vitamins and have only .2 grams of fat.
Trail Mix--------> Raw Almonds, or other raw nuts.
Raw almonds are one of my favorite snacks. Raw almonds are loaded with protein which will keep you feeling full for longer and will actually reduce cravings in between meals. Almonds can be high in fat, but don't be scared off by the word fat! This fat is rich in Omega-3's which is essential to actually burning fat and regulating your metabolism. Almonds are considered a super food which means they are unbelievably good for your body. The best part is, you only need a small handful (11-12) to keep you full. This is a great alternative to trail mix which has nuts in it, but also contains chocolate, and dried fruit which is excessively high in sugar.
These are just a few of my must haves in the room! Let me know what you think.
xo,
Alexandra S.
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