Surviving School!
Sitting at the lunch table with my barbie lunch box was the ultimate in elementary school, opening a secret note from mom was always a plus too. Middle school was a little different, I switched to the brown paper sack, and was a little embarrassed with moms secret notes. During high school I was too lazy to pack a lunch, my mom thought I was too grown up to have her make my lunches, so I settled with bringing a few dollars for hot lunch.
Now a days I like to bring the large purse with my lunch and snacks inside! One thing I never forget is my purse, so if my lunch is inside , there is no way of going hungry and being left with unhealthy choices. (take out, vending machines, staff pizza)
You want to make sure to have a purse that can hold all your personal belongings and your food without over flowing! It needs to be able to shut easily, if not you will have some smashed food! YUCK! Also a cute purse looks better than a crumbled up paper sack!
I always put my snacks and lunch in little plastic baggies. Sometimes its easier to label which is which and the times to help your hunger stay under control. For the morning snack I have fresh pineapple, Grapes, and Kiwi. For Lunch I have a Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich, Baby Carrots, Cherry Tomatoes, Pepper Jack Cheese, and Snapped Peas.
After school or after work, I am so hungry from the exhaustion of the day I go home and just raid the kitchen sometimes. In order to get the raid urge under control I have a afternoon snack I usually eat on the way home. That way when I enter the house, there is no need to go into the kitchen before dinner. I like to eat a carb snack that way I can have energy to either work out or do something fun before dinner. If taking the time to put all your food in plastic bags is hard to fit in, do it the night before. Inside the bag “Hunger Killers” is raw mixed nuts, and dried fruit. This is my go to emergency snack. If I’m so hungry Ill take a handful from this bag and munch, this is much more healthier than munching on candy, or pastries.
Start preparing a lunch box before bed! It’s easier to plan a meal before your taste buds tell you what you are in the mood for, which may be something unhealthy. Bringing a lunch to school or work will save you money and take the tough food decision off your shoulders.
Bowl of Oatmeal! 1/2 Grapefruit! 1 Hard Boiled Egg! 1 Small Apple!
Fastest, Easiest way to air pop your popcorn! Great for Dorm rooms!!
Study Snack Swap!
It’s hard to get through school without studying so it’s a must! Studying sometimes gets boring, frustrating, tiring and can lead to mindless snacking! If you are going to go for the snacks to help you study make sure you make smarter choices!
Eating chips from a bag is bad enough but one serving of Doritos has 150 calories, 9g of fat, 17g of carbohydrates. It’s so easy to eat away not thinking about what you are doing. Plus who wants cheesy fingers all over their homework?!
One serving of jelly beans has around 100 calories, that doesn’t seem to bad, but it doesn’t help when all the calories are coming from sugar and carbohydrates. After eating one serving of small jelly beans you will be left wanting more.
The average Ben & Jerry’s ice scream has close to 1000 calories per pint with 78 grams of fat. So when you are mindless snacking on delicious ice scream that may do some damage!
Drinking lemonade can make you feel so refreshed, but when your lemonade has 30grams of carbohydrates and 30grams of sugars you will only be feeling refreshed for about 20 minutes before you crash leaving you no study time.
Microwaved Popcorn has around 150 calories a serving with 7grams of fat. That’s just a serving, so eating out of the bag may lead you to more can a serving! Ever eaten an entire bag of microwaved popcorn? I’m guilty of it!
When I was a little kid my favorite snacks were Zebra cakes and even though they are unhealthy for kids they do more damage to your body when you get older. Those little cakes leave you wanting more and its unfortunate because they are 330 calories! That’s almost and entire meal!
There are healthy kinds of fruit snacks you can eat and most parents would prefer their kids eating fruit snacks vs. candy but for me they just don’t cut it. 1/4 cup of fruit snacks is around 130 calories. They leave me hungry and wanting more.
Bags of Cookies are just pointless. You think you are eating cookies in proportion when you are basically eating several portions of pure sugar and carbohydrates. This is just a crash food and shouldn’t be eaten as a snack but as a desert in moderation.
Sometimes when you are trying to stay awake late to study the first thing that comes to your mind is caffeine, so you stop by a coffee house and grab the most delicious frappe you can find! You probably will be taking in around 700 calories after adding all the syrup and whipped topping. I know some people who drink one of these everyday. I wouldn’t want to be them 3 years from now.
A regular sized snickers bar has about 240 calories. It is high in sugar and carbs and is one of the worse choices for studying. Just like all the other sweets it will lead you to a crash and an unfocused study.
Instead of eating the Doritos try a portioned size bag of Organic Cheddar Pita Ritas! They have so many nutrients that Doritos cant compare to. You will end up saving tons of calories.
Instead of eating those little fruit snacks try a fresh fruit cup! They will keep you satisfied after indulging and also give your body more nutrients. A mixed fruit cup at Panera bread is around 70 calories and would be a perfect grab n go snack.
Instead of eating a 330 calorie zebra cake swap it for a rice cake! You can eat 8 rice cakes before you equal the same amount of calories as a zebra cake.
Next time you need your caffeine fix, try a unsweetened ice tea! It has about 5 calories and just as much caffeine. Do I need to explain further why it’s the better choice vs most frappucinos?
Instead of getting your energy from little sugary jelly beans go for the trail mix instead! It has so many more nutrients that your body needs to stay energized.
Instead of going for the chocolate candy bar go for the fiber one bar! Your body needs fiber and sometimes we forget to include it in our diets. Fiber one bars are so delicious and half the calories of most chocolate bars.
Animal crackers are the best thing since cookies! They are really low in fat and low in calories. You can eat about 20 of them for 120 calories. Most sugary cookies are 120 calories per cookie, not worth it! Animal crackers are my favorite snack. I also love dipping them in almond breeze.
Lemonade is great but so is flavored water! It has no calories and keeps your body hydrated and doesn’t flood it with un-needed carbs and sugars. Flavored lemon water is my favorite.
One thing to invest in for college is an air popper for you popcorn! Especially for mindless munching! One cup of original popcorn air popped is 15 calories with 0 fat! Its guiltless!
I don’t know about all of you but I could sit down and eat an entire pint of ice cream and be left wanting more. Since most pints are about 1000 calories and everyone needs their ice cream fix now and then I buy Arctic Zero! It’s 150 calories for the entire pint with 16 grams of protein! My favorite is Vanilla Bean.
School is a period of adjustment — new friends, a packed course load and lifestyle changes. Food habits vary during school; classes interfere with mealtimes, home-cooked meals are a distant memory, and there is unparalleled access to unhealthy (yet tasty) food choices. Step into a school cafeteria and witness the variety of food options and frequently unregulated portions. Cafeteria eating does not have to mean weight gain. You can maintain a healthy diet throughout school if you learn about the school’s food choices, educate yourself about healthy eating habits and practice portion control and moderation.
Become an Informed Eater
Schedule an appointment with the school dietitian. Meet with her to discuss your concerns about making healthy food choices in the cafeteria. Determine with her what nutritious foods are available at your particular school.
Look at the cafeteria menu before going there for a meal. Many schools post their menus online or on a wall outside the cafeteria. Choose a healthy option before you get there. Hunger can complicate decisions and diminish willpower. Pick your food ahead of time to prevent the influence of emotions, fatigue and hunger.
Research the nutritional information of foods that are offered in the cafeteria. Ask a food services manager how food is prepared and what condiments are used in meals. Ask if dietary requests can be accommodated in the cafeteria (less oil, no butter). Request a brochure that lists nutritional information or a link to the information on the school’s website.
Navigating the Cafeteria
Walk through the entire cafeteria if you did not plan your meal ahead of time. Scan the cafeteria for healthy options. Choose baked or broiled foods, whole grains, low-fat, low-sugar and low-sodium foods.
Include vegetables, low-fat dairy, complex carbohydrates and lean sources of protein in each meal. Mix and match items from different areas of the cafeteria to meet your dietary needs. For example, combine a baked chicken entree and the salad bar.
Limit your intake of fried foods, desserts, juices, sodas, chips and other high-calorie foods. Treat yourself occasionally (two to three times a week) to the aforementioned foods and stick to one serving size. Restrictive diets can lead to binge eating.
Choose low-fat condiments — low-fat mayonnaise, low-fat salad dressing, reduced-calorie butter and low-fat cottage cheese — and use them sparingly.
Wait 10 to 15 minutes in between courses if your cafeteria is an all-you-can-eat establishment. Assess your hunger level and determine if you need more food.
GO HAWKS!!!
Game-day favorites — chips, nachos, pizza, wings, and ribs — spoil many diets. If you’re a sports fan, you may also be glued to the couch for hours every week, so you’re not burning off the extra calories from game-day foods. Try these tips:
- Serve veggies and low-fat dip as part of your spread.
- Eat from a plate instead of grazing at the buffet. This helps you keep track of how much you’re eating.
Take advantage of Gym Class.
Sometimes being a student makes us have less time to work out because we are busy with homework and other out of school activities, or we are just way to tired and want to relax. Dont dread having gym class, take advantage of it and put 100% to your workouts! This will impress your gym teacher and help shape your body!
Start a committee
Get together with a group of students or staff members and talk to your schools or offices about putting in healthier vending machines!
Vending Machine Madness
When you walk into the break room or cafeteria, the vending machine often is set up so it is the first thing you see. The shiny wrappers and colorful packages are meant to catch your eye, but the vending machine can be detrimental to your diet if you don’t choose wisely. Believe it or not, there are some healthy options inside your vending machine. All you have to do is look past the food loaded with fat and sugar.
Nuts
Nuts always are a good option when your stomach is grumbling but you want to keep your diet healthy. Be sure to choose nuts that are raw and unsalted. Nuts give you a rich source of healthy fats and proteins, and also are full of fiber, which is helpful in ensuring you feel full until it is time to sit down for your next meal. The key to eating nuts is to practice moderation, as the calories can add up quickly. Your best choice is a 1 oz. serving size of cashews, which contains 10 g of healthy fats, 5 g of protein and about 150 calories.
Trail Mix
When you are craving something sweet, you might be tempted to choose the various cookie options. By selecting these cookies, you are setting yourself up only to get a quick fix of sugar, and you will be tired and hungry soon after you eat them. Trail mix makes an excellent substitute. Trail mix contains tons of protein and healthy fats and, unlike cookies, will keep your metabolism running in high gear and give you lots of energy to burn. Keep in mind that most vending machine packs of trail mix actually contain two servings. One serving contains about 8 g of protein and about 250 calories.
Animal Crackers
When you simply must have the crunch that comes from a cookie, consider selecting a package of animal crackers. Animal crackers are lightly sweetened and have a flavor that is guaranteed to take you back to your childhood. Choose the original animal crackers and avoid the varieties that include frosting and sprinkles. A 1 oz. package of animal crackers contains just 4 g of fat and 130 calories.
Dried Fruit
While vending companies obviously cannot place fresh fruit inside their vending machines, dried fruit might be your next best option. When deciding on what type of dried fruit to purchase, avoid any that are covered in sugar, which that takes a healthy snack and makes it just as bad as the candy bars. Most dried fruit will be fat free and less than 100 calories per serving.
Whole-Grain Chips
Whole grain baked chips, like Sunchips, are a low-fat, fiber-rich alternative to traditional chips. When choosing your chip, keep an eye out for the “Whole Grain” stamp, which signifies that the product is at least 50 percent whole grain. Frequent whole grain consumption is associated with a decreased risk of stroke, heart attack and diabetes, the Whole Grains Council states.
Reduced-Fat Popcorn
Reduced-fat popcorn is another whole grain option that’s considerably higher in fiber than most other vending machine snacks. Eating fiber can help curb appetite and reduce Type 2 diabetes risk, MayoClinic.com states. A vending machine-size 2 oz. serving of low-fat popcorn contains 8 g of fiber.
Chewing Gum
Sugar free chewing gum is often found at the bottom of vending machines. Putting gum at the top of your vending machine snack list can help reduce your appetite and help you lose weight, the May 2007 issue of “Appetite” states. In this study, volunteers that chewed gum before a buffet lunch ate less than those that didn’t chew gum. Additional chewing gum benefits include a reduced incidence of dental caries and improvements in focus and concentration.
Healthy Snack Bars
Granola and other healthy snack bars are also available in individual vending-machine portions. Research the products first to make sure they are as nutritious as you intend, and not cleverly concealed “candy bars.
Pretzels
While many other foods have more nutritional value than pretzels, this snack makes a good alternative to candy bars and soft drinks. Unsalted pretzels made with enriched flour have just 2g of fat and 229 calories, according to NutritionData. Pretzels also contain iron, calcium, fiber and protein. Try pretzels made with whole wheat flour for an even healthier snack.
Sunflower Seeds
While 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds contains 205 calories, this snack also contains folic acid, vitamin B5, selenium, copper, manganese, magnesium, vitamin B1 and vitamin E. The George Mateljan Foundation reports that one serving of sunflower seeds contains 90.5 percent of the recommended daily value for vitamin E.
Granola Bars
Granola bars contain fiber and protein that help you feel full. They also contain calcium and iron, which play important roles in bone health, oxygen storage and DNA synthesis. Nutrient Facts reports that one granola bar with almonds has 120 calories, 5 g of fat, 1 g of fiber and 2 g of protein. This snack also has zinc, thiamine, phosphorus and magnesium.
Pack your lunch the night before!
Mornings can get very hectic and put a pause on your healthy lifestyle!
You can also use the healthy dinner leftovers!
It gives you extra time to plan a healthy balanced meal!
Gives you extra time to eat a healthy breakfast!
At night you can pack what you should eat. In the morning you may pack what you crave.
Tape or staple the sack at night that way you can add more food in the morning!
Freshman Fifteen
Typically the first semester at a college or university is a transitional period for a college freshman, where they break apart from the rules and regulations of their parents to become self ruling young adults. This change of lifestyle removes the parental guidance teens have lived with their entire life. In this new environment, a college freshman is able to go as they please, do what they please, drink and eat what they want, when they want.
In most family environments parents determine the time of dinner and what is served. At most colleges and universities, students are presented with various food choices for each meal. The problem is there is no one there to tell students what is healthy and what is not. The student tends to eat what taste’s good rather then getting the nutrition they need. In the household they may be forced to eat vegetables, but in the cafeteria, they are allowed to eat whatever they want (pizza, ice cream…).
Wheels or Heels
Get some wheels. Although a car may be outside of the budget, a bike isn’t nearly expensive. You can bike to class, around campus, even around town, burning off extra calories.
Credits for Fitness
Take a fitness class. Look for an aerobics class, or get creative and try a class in fencing.
Join a Gym, Not a Sorority.
Look for a gym membership. While gym memberships can be costly, you may have access to a free membership in your student fitness center. Or you may be able to leverage your student status into a discounted membership at a local gym.
Go to the Grocery Store!
Go to the grocery store. Supplement your cereal, pizza and hot wings with fresh fruits and vegetables, and other healthy snacks that you may not find in your dining hall. Instead of picking up a donut before your 8 a.m. exam, run across campus with a granola bar in your hand.
Replacements.
Incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet. Every time you have junk food, balance it with a salad, an apple or a V-8. Simply filling your tummy with more food that is good for you leaves less room for the food that made you gain the freshman 15.
Shut up and Sleep!
The National Sleep Foundation found that, “Lack of sleep could affect a person’s emotions, well-being, concentrations, productivity as well as performance. In addition, recent studies also found that the lack of sleep also give rise to many serious health problems such as increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depressions and also weight gain.” Getting enough sleep each night is important in maintaining a daily routine.
College Calorie Habits!
As a college student, eating late and eating junk food contributes to weight gain and overeating. Skipping breakfast can be harmful to your health and mental well-being. Starting the day with a healthy, well balanced meal will increase metabolism and energy throughout day.
There Better Be Breakfast!
Eating breakfast is essential to maintaining a healthy diet Food is fuel, not just for the body but also for the mind. Without some type of breakfast, the mind and body won’t function as well. Feeling sluggish, bad grades, poor concentration may all consequences of skipping breakfast.
A “healthy breakfast” doesn’t mean a doughnut and a soda. Try for some sort of protein and carbohydrate combined, preferably, with a piece of fruit. A whole-wheat bagel with cream cheese, an egg sandwich, a bowl of cereal and glass of juice are good choices.
College students often skip breakfast because sleep often seems more valuable than food, and there’s barely enough time to make the mad dash to class as it is.
Energy Fail.
Energy drinks are ubiquitous on college campuses. They provide a quick source of energy in a convenient can. But inside those cans are loads of sugar, caffeine and chemicals.They do, indeed, give you a quick burst of energy, but it quickly wears off and the student will feel even more exhausted than before. Some energy drinks have more caffeine than they claim to, and some may not work at all. At around $3 a can, as of 2011, they aren’t cost effective either.
Energy drinks can be useful in a pinch, but a good night’s sleep and a healthy breakfast will benefit the student far better than anything in a can. For an old fashioned pick-me-up, a cup of coffee works just as well—without the chemicals and sugar.
Again with the Booze!
There are a dozen reasons to avoid drinking alcohol in college, one of which is the calories. A bottle of beer usually contains over a hundred calories. Also, many health problems are associated with drinking alcohol, and binge drinking can have serious consequences.
Get on Track, Get Organized!
Creating a weekly schedule helps you stay on track with a healthy lifestyle. It’s easy to put off exercise when we forget about our priorities. When there is so much going on being unorganized can become stressful. Start preparing your day the night before to make your life more smooth.
Forgetting about your morning doctors appointment could cause you to miss your morning breakfast or fitness class leading you towards an unhealthy day.
Forgetting about the Friday night party could leave you munching away on unhealthy snacks because you had no time to prepare a healthy party tray.
Forgetting about your Friday morning exam could lead you toward stopping at a drive thru, skipping your work out to study, then waking up skipping breakfast and heading to class. Most likely you will be tired all day and have another unhealthy start.
There are so many obstacles we have to learn how to face to stay healthy, scheduling can prevent running into those obstacles.
Get into the habit of scheduling and making reminders especially if you are a student.
Keeping a healthy lifestyle starts with healthy foods. Often we start our healthy lifestyle by going to the fridge and throwing out all the junk inside of the house and head to the grocery store for a fresh shopping trip.
Cutting back at home is a great way to start off a healthy lifestyle but what happens when you open up your locker to a giant bag of cookies or an open package of gummy bears? May not be pretty. Don’t forget to stock your locker with healthy snacks. It’s important not to get hungry during the day because that can lead to unhealthy cravings.
Keeping Apples, Bananas, Trail Mix, 100 Calorie Snack Packs, Pretzels, Water Bottles and Granola Bars are a great start to your healthy locker.
Take a picture and show me what your locker or space looks like!
The Dorm Room Wake Up Center!
My coffee station by my bed:)
A serving of trail mix is a perfect way to grab an extra boost of energy! Keep a serving with you before the gym, before a test, during breakfast etc…
Download and print a copy of your schools cafeteria menu! Mark down what your choices are and be prepared for the unhealthy days!
Mark off what days you will be bringing a sack lunch or extra fruit. If you are stuck with an unhealthy menu and an empty stomach you may over indulge or gain weight overtime with the excess unhealthy items. Allow yourself Pizza once a week and try to cut back on the school’s nachos and other unhealthy items.
After receiving tons of emails I’ve noticed the pattern of “losing weight to stop bullying”
No matter what you look like or how much you weight bullying is still wrong!
I was bullied to the extremes as a kid, and watching others go through what I did devastates me.
There are so many things we can do to stop being bullied but its unfortunate that we even have to worry about being bullied.
* My mom always told me (wow I feel like Forrest Gump) To kill people with kindness, it’s painful not to fight fire with fire but it’s one of the best methods.
I remember walking down the halls with black hair and blue highlights feeling so excited because it was the night of my first show with the band, and a cheerleader said to me “Wow look at that fat emo”….I wanted to turn around and tackle her like an animal but instead I turned my head and told her “Good luck at the game tonight”….I’m sure she felt really stupid…But she never looked my direction again after that.
*Bullies look for the weakest link. Find confidence.
Sometimes we aren’t always happy with our appearance or our lives at the moment but walking around showing our emotions to the world puts us out to target. Bullies don’t look for that bubbly smiling person because it’s a lot harder to bring someone down who is radiating in confidence. Bullies look for the weak targets who already have low self esteem and will get hurt faster. Try to find that confidence and let it shine.
*Stick with your friends.
Most likely your bully isn’t going to tease you when it’s them against you and a group of friends. Also make sure your friends don’t strike at your bully because that will dig a deeper hole.
*Stand up to your family and friends.
Not all bullying is at school or work. A lot of the times bullying comes from siblings, friends and other people who are close to you. There were plenty of times my family made comments about my weight, and friends who teased me a little. The people who matter the most are the ones that can hurt you the greatest. That is when it’s time to talk, and tell them how you feel and what it’s doing to you and your self esteem. Most of the time they will understand and it can turn into a motivation and positive environment for reaching a healthier life.
*Never be afraid to let someone know whats going on.
We are all afraid of being called a “rat” or “tattling” but bullying is serious and if you don’t talk to someone who can stop it, it will happen to others. By making people aware of the situation you are saving other students from the harassment. If you don’t stop bullying before it’s to late it can get dangerous, and in some cases deadly.
*Stand up for others
You may not be the one being bullied, but that doesn’t mean you can’t put a stop to it. If you are in a group of friends who like to bully don’t give them credit or laugh at their jokes, tell them how unnecessary and rude it is. Inform them about the cycle of bullying and how it leads to depression, suicide, and low self esteem. Not everything is easy in life and it’s hard to always be happy, but having someone constantly put you down adds difficulties. Most of the time people bully because they think it makes them look cool, feel popular, or boost up there self esteem, so if you call them out on it, they may feel embarrassed. Some bullies are mocking the behaviors that happen at home so talk and dig deep into the bullies personal life and find out what’s going on. Bulling is definitely a way to hide personal issues going on.
*Don’t target yourself.
Walk a different direction home or in the hall. Never be somewhere a lone near a bully. Also bullying also can by cyber related, so never put yourself out there for the bully to catch.
Not a day goes by where I don’t receive a rude comment or an email of someone ripping me apart and bringing me down, of course it stings a little bit but most of the time it’s from someone who obviously has some things going on in there life, and it’s a lot easier to say things behind and internet screen than to someones face so I don’t take anything personal and I click “delete” Learn to erase the temptations of cyber related bullying as well.
Together I believe we can put an end to bullying, because I am sick of it and I’m sure many people would agree!
Who is with me?
This is the perfect “QUICK TO GO” breakfast, that you can keep in a dorm! Or at home. It’s FULL of nutrients and keeps you full!
