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Nourishing Yourself

Eating for a Healthy Living

Food is important to nourish yourself physically as well as emotionally. Nourishing yourself physically means eating the right combination of foods to provide you with fuel (carbohydrates) and building materials (protein foods) you need to perform well both in and out of the classroom. Nourishing yourself also means taking the time to enjoy the pleasure of eating. That pleasure is heightened if you know that you are making good choices most of the time and caring for yourself and the environment.

What is a Healthy Diet?

Vegetables and Fruits: Add color and crunch to your diet plus they are powerful tools in weight management efforts and prevention of chronic diseases.

Enjoy at least 2 cups of vegetables daily.
- Raw, stir-fried, steamed, grilled or roasted - from fresh or frozen
- Canned are also valuable (drain and rinse to reduce sodium)
Include 1 1/2 cups of fruits each day. Fresh, frozen or canned (light syrup or juice). Limit juice and dried fruits to lower calories.
For recipes visit www.5aday.gov, www.5aday.com and www.cdc.gov.

Benefits of a diet rich in veggies, fruits, whole grains and lean protein foods:

With regular exercise, it can help you attain and maintain a healthy weight.
You will look and feel great - more energy and strength.
Simple, unprocessed foods are easy on the budget.
It helps prevent heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer.
It's less processing and packaging - more environmentally friendly.

Whole Grains: Eating moderate amounts of grains throughout the day will help you maintain energy.

Choose whole wheat bread, brown rice or whole wheat pasta for more fiber, vitamins and minerals.
Include a these foods at breakfast, lunch and snacks for energy.
Minimum of 5 oz of grains daily - make at least 3 oz whole grains.
See www.mypyramid.gov for portion sizes.

Protein / Dairy: These foods help build and repair muscles, bones, skin and blood.

Include 5-6 oz of dried beans, lentils, peas, nuts, fish, poultry, eggs or lean red meat daily.
Two to three cups of dairy - nonfat or low fat. Calcium fortified soy products also provide protein as well as calcium and other minerals and vitamins.

Heart Healthy Fats: Fats from plant sources are generally low in saturated fat (raises blood cholesterol) and high in mono and polyunsaturated fats (heart healthy).

Eat nuts, seeds, avocadoes, olives, peanut butter and vegetable oils in small amounts at each meal to stave off hunger and promote healthy blood cholesterol.
Include fish once or twice weekly for heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
Avoid trans-fats.
Limit saturated fats found in meat, full fat dairy products, and fried foods.
Recommendations for most college students - 5-7 teaspoons of fat daily. See www.mypyramid.gov for information on portion size.

I'm a College Student! How Can I Eat This Way?

If you eat in a dining hall, take advantage of the fresh fruits and vegetables at the salad bar and check out the brown rice and whole wheat pasta possibilities. Choose a low fat meat or vegetarian entree when possible.
More information on healthy eating in the Dining Halls

You can eat well when you are responsible for preparing your own foods too. Keep plenty of fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables in stock. Most are inexpensive and take little preparation time. Whole wheat pasta and instant brown rice can also be prepared quickly--top with sautéed vegetables, a marinara sauce, parmesan cheese or spicy beans. Keep your freezer stocked with whole grain breads, bagels, tortillas and keep cans of beans, tuna, tomato sauce and dry pasta in your pantry.

Eating out, especially at fast food restaurants, requires more diligence if you want to keep the fat down and fiber up. The smallest hamburgers, grilled or roasted chicken sandwiches, salads, and bean and chicken (limit the cheese) entrees at Mexican style restaurants provide you with possibilities for lower fat fast food. One super sized fast food meal will likely be more than 1000 calories and loaded with saturated fat, sugar and very little fiber. If you eat fast food more than once a week, choose healthier options such as deli sandwiches made with lean meat and lots of veggies.

What About Chocolate?

Desserts and sweet rich foods are so readily available everywhere; it can be hard to follow the moderation advice. Keep in mind that eating enough healthy, unprocessed foods most of the time will help you in making good decisions about rich foods. It may also help if you decide what your very favorite desserts are--pass up the so-so ones and choose your favorites less often--you do deserve the best!

I Need a Good Diet to Lose Some Weight!

If you feel that you are not at your healthiest weight, examine your life style. Do you exercise your body in some way--walking, dancing, biking, swimming etc. on a regular basis? Are you eating well? (see What is Healthy Eating?) It is also important to keep your genetics in mind--people come naturally in various shapes and sizes. Diets are notoriously unsuccessful in the long run and repeated weight loss and gain may increase your percentage of body fat.

Problems with caloric restriction:

It slows metabolism.
Your body becomes more efficient at storing fat.
It leads to preoccupation with food.
Repeated cycles of unhealthy weight loss and gain may promote muscle loss and increased percentage of body fat.

How to eat for your healthy weight:

Pay attention to your physical hunger.
When you eat, taste each bite and enjoy what you eat.
Make healthy changes gradually so that you can maintain them even after reaching your desired weight.
Cut portion sizes in half when dining out.
Avoid eating fast food meals more than 2-3 times monthly.
Don't proscribe any food from your diet; a prohibited food becomes too important.

Is Alcohol High-Calorie?

Alcohol does contain calories--7 calories per gram. One 12 oz. beer = 150 calories; one 4 oz. glass wine = 100 calories. In addition alcohol is often served with high fat snacks -- chips, peanuts, cheese, and crackers -- so it can be a double whammy.

Because alcohol is a diuretic, it increases the urine loss of vitamin C and the B-complex, as well as potassium and calcium. Alcohol also prevents absorption of other nutrients. This is particularly a problem if you drink large amounts or your diet is low calorie and nutrient deficient. To maintain health and limit calories, follow the 0-1-3 guideline.

Nutrition and Alcohol information sheet (Adobe pdf document)