STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING FOOD AND EATING DURING STRESSFUL AND BUSY TIMES Eat small, frequent meals and snacks to keep your blood sugar and energy levels steady. Undereating can lead to fatigue, low concentration, and headaches. Keep some easy, convenient meal-type foods on hand. Avoid living entirely on snack foods, as they usually won't energize you as much as a real meal. Try frozen entrees, bean soups, peanut butter or cold cut sandwiches, ready-to-eat tuna and chicken salads and other convenient foods. Bring part of your meal to campus if you can't get home for lunch or dinner. Avoid sweets and sugary foods and stock your room/apartment with healthier snacks. Too much sugar encourages overeating. Limit soft drinks to one 12-oz drink per day. When you're on the run, you can often find snacks such as small sandwiches, yogurt, fruit, nuts, trail mix, popcorn, frozen juice bars, protein rich nutrition bars, etc. Energizing snacks to keep in your "pantry" are nuts, raisins, soy nuts, yogurt, skim milk, crunchy vegetables and fresh fruits, light syrup canned fruits, oatmeal, peanut butter, string cheese, tuna, and vegetable soup. Choose meals and snacks that include protein* as well as carbohydrate.** Protein rich meals and snacks can keep your energy on an even keel. For example, snack on low fat cheese or peanut butter crackers and fruit instead of just juice and crackers. Top your pasta with grilled chicken strips or tofu rather than have pasta and sauce alone. Eggs are another good source of protein. Avoid overdoing caffeine. Caffeine gives you immediate energy, but you pay for it with a rebound drop-off in energy later on. Caffeine in the late afternoon and evening can interfere with a good night's sleep. Water, water, water! Include a glass of water with all your meals and take a water break a couple of times during the day. Resist the temptation to eat in front of the TV, while reading etc. You'll get more satisfaction and pleasure out of your food if you can pay attention to what you're eating! You may also be able to stop at the first sign of fullness and avoid overeating. Don't leave home without breakfast! Or at least grab something "on the road" such as: · egg burritos, especially those with veggies · egg and bagel/English muffin sandwiches (avoid the biscuit, bacon and sausage) · a bagel with light cream cheese and skim milk. Eat at least these amounts of fats: (Make sure you choose the healthy ones***) 5-10 grams for breakfast; 10-20 grams fat at lunch and dinner, and about 3-5 grams per snack. (For an approximate upper limit of fat grams you need: multiply the number of calories you eat daily by 0.3 and divide this number by 9.) * Protein foods: beans such as pinto, refried, black, chick peas, lentils, etc., dairy products, meat, poultry, fish, nuts, soy products such as protein powder, tofu, soy hot dogs/burgers and water-packed tuna. ** Carbohydrate foods: whole grain breads and cereals, pastas, rice, starchy vegetables such as corn, potato, sweet potato *** Heart healthy fats and foods that contain them: canola, olive, peanut and safflower oils; nuts, nut butters, seeds; avocado, flax seed oil, salmon, mackerel, and sardines. Avoid saturated and hydrogenated fats. Excerpted from ©Apple Promotions, College Nutrition Handouts I, 2000 Contact us with questions, comments, feedback and ideas. resources . alcohol & drugs . attitude . exercise . money . nutrition . relationships . relaxation . sleep . spirituality . time . tobacco