College is an ideal time to perfect healthy eating habits

College is a time for changes, some of which are good. And some of which are, well, not so good (like the decision to drink those eight beers last night).

One habit that should change for the better, though, is your diet. This is an ideal time to develop a healthy eating regimen to follow through college and beyond.

In an interview earlier this fall, Rich Neuman, director of residential dining at Ohio University, weighed in on the issue of healthy eating and gave advice on how to eat smart in college "“ when money and time are often limited.

"Students need to make the choice to eat healthy even before they come to the dining halls," Neuman said, adding that students are able to check what the dining halls are serving daily. Menus are available at the Dining Services Web site, www.ohio.edu/food, which has detailed nutrition information on most of the items the dining halls serve.

Neuman said the following healthy options are available in the dining halls daily:

"¢ Breakfast: Low-sugar cereals such as Cheerios, Rice Krispies, Wheaties, Crispix or Corn Flakes; fresh fruit; yogurt; low fat muffins; juice; and skim milk.

"¢ Lunch: All dining halls have delis that offer turkey breast and hummus as low-fat options, whole-grain bread, a salad bar with low-fat dressings, fresh fruit and yogurt. Jefferson dining hall offers made-to-order wraps, which can be made with healthy ingredients, and Nelson offers grilled chicken breast and Asian cuisine at lunch.

"¢ Dinner: Many healthy entrees are available as well as a carved meat (turkey, roast beef, ham, pork loin). There is one vegetarian entrée at every meal. All dining halls offer pasta with meat or meatless sauce, a salad bar with low-fat dressings, fresh fruit and yogurt. Jefferson has a wok bar where students can choose their own ingredients. Nelson offers grilled chicken breast and Boyd offers Asian cuisine for dinner.
Neuman suggested the following menu for a healthy three-meal diet plan:

"¢ Sample breakfast: Low-sugar cereal, skim milk, 4-ounce juice and a low-fat muffin.

"¢ Sample lunch: Grilled chicken breast or turkey sandwich on whole-grain bread (hummus or gardenburger for the vegetarian option), tossed salad, fresh fruit or yogurt, and skim milk.

"¢ Sample dinner: Pasta, carved meat item, or stir fry, tossed salad, vegetable of the day, tossed salad, fresh fruit or yogurt and skim milk.

We all know it's sometimes difficult to eat three meals a day (let alone three healthy and well-balanced meals a day) especially with juggling classes, work and extracurricular activities. But even if you can't make it to the dining hall because of a class conflict, club meeting or work schedule, don't despair (and certainly don't go hungry). There are other options for you.

Students with meal plans cam use the Grab 'n Go at Boyd or Nelson, which have salad and deli options as well as fresh fruit available at both locations.

Neuman said there's also the option of a ordering a "sack meal" from any dining hall with 24-hour notice.

Another option is convenient for students on a flex meal plan. Neuman said about 60 percent of all students on a meal plan have a flex plan, which allows them to use $100 in flex money to purchase food and beverages at West 82, the Front Room, Café BiblioTech and Latitude 39. Students who have flex dollars or Bobcat Cash can buy healthy food items such as Lean Cuisine and Healthy Choice frozen foods, fresh fruit, Naked Juice, low-sugar cereals and whole grain bread.

For vegetarians and vegans, it's not impossible to find meal options in the dining hall. The campus dining halls offer at least one hot vegetarian or vegan option at all meals as well as a salad bar and lunch and dinner and one vegetarian or vegan soup option daily. At all of the dining halls the pasta bars at dinner offer meatless sauces and Jefferson has a wok bar at dinner with offers vegetarian and vegan options. Every dining hall also has soy milk, rice milk and Lactaid daily.

A varied diet is important in college, especially because students often don't get as much sleep as they should and need energy for schoolwork and other activities. Neuman recommend that students eat about five servings of fruits and vegetables daily, two to three servings of lean meats (turkey, chicken, fish, or lean cuts of beef and pork), three to four servings of lean dairy products and five or more servings of whole grain products.

"The key is to eat a wide variety of foods and make sure to get daily exercise," Neuman said.

For students venturing off campus, the Athens Farmers Market offers a wide variety of fresh and local foods every Wednesday and Saturday. Kroger on East State Street also has a large natural and organic foods section, and many local restaurants cater to vegetarians, vegans and the health-conscious eater.