Healthy Habits For Fall Semester

Welcome back students! Whether you are a freshman or returning for another year, the transition from your summer schedule to your school schedule is likely to be different. You may have a schedule packed with classes, labs, work and/or co-op. At the start of a new semester, when your schedules are changing and busy, the things that tend to take a back seat for many students is eating right and exercising. You might find yourself saying "I will eat better next week" or "I will start exercising as soon as I am settled." Try to stay on track from the beginning as this could help you stay on track throughout the year.

One way to do this is to eat breakfast each morning before you head off for the day. Breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day! This will give you the energy you need to stay focused in class and avoid feeling sluggish. Your breakfast doesn't need to be a large meal. Try to include something with carbohydrates (whole grains - whole grain toast, whole grain cereal, or a breakfast bar) and a protein source (peanut butter, eggs, string cheese, low-fat yogurt, or milk) along with a piece of fruit. Try to think balance!

Something else to consider is if you have classes back-to-back throughout the day. If that is the case, you should pack some healthy snacks to keep your energy going until you can sit down to have a meal. Snacks to pack in your backpack: granola bars, dry cereal, whole grain crackers, pretzels, trail mix (nuts, dried fruit, and cereal), nuts, and/or a piece of fruit. And make sure to keep a bottle of water with you; this will likely help you avoid overeating or from making less than healthy choices when you finally have time to sit down to have a meal.

-------------------

Nutritionist Christine Clark works with Dining Services to provide you with tips and techniques to stay healthy during your time at Northeastern. If you have any further questions about this topic or are looking for more information about any other nutrition or diet topic, such as food allergies or sports nutrition, please contact her at christine.clark2@compass-usa.com.

Comments

Fish For Your Heart?

Cutting back on red meat is a common recommendation for both health and sustainability. What’s less clear is what we should replace the meat with. A recent study looked at this and the results may surprise you. If not red meat, what? Red meat appears on many lists of foods to eat less of due mostly to its saturated fat and cholesterol content, and the fact that we tend to eat too much of it. A recent study looked at what we should consider substituting for red meat when we follow the advice to cut back. Of all of the substitutions the study looked at, one stood out as the best choice – fish high in omega-3s. The fatty fish showed more benefits for heart health than poultry, unprocessed meat and even lean fish. Is fish safe to eat? Fish, especially the kind that gives us omega-3s, has long been considered a healthy choice. Warnings related to contamination by mercury and other toxins has left many people wondering if fish is safe to eat. For most people, the benefits of eating fish far ...

Superfood: Tomatoes

Fruit or vegetable? It is a fruit that works well as a vegetable! Tomatoes are considered a type of superfood because they are rich in lots of great nutrients. They contain lycopenes, which is an antioxidant that offers a protective effect in the body. Tomatoes are also a great source of vitamin A, E and C, which means tomatoes contain even more antioxidants than just lycopenes. Incorporate tomatoes and tomato products to help boost your immune system as well as promote skin and eye health! Good News: You should eat pizza!! Through research at the Harvard School of Public Health, it was determined that consumption of oil- and tomato-based products -- specifically tomato and pizza sauce – there was an association with cardiovascular benefits. So, choosing 1-2 slices of pizza paired with a side salad can be a healthy meal option.

Cutting the Salt!

Salt is found in more food products than you may realize. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that American's should consume fewer than 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day of salt (this is slightly less than 1 teaspoon of salt). Adults age 51 and older, African Americans of any age and people with high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease should reduce their sodium intake to 1,500 mg a day. These new dietary guidelines emphasize the importance of making meals and snacks from scratch versus choosing processed foods too often. The most common salts available are table salt, sea salt and kosher salt with the major differences among these being taste, texture, and processing. Kosher and sea salt have a larger course grain providing more air space, which in turn provides less sodium when used in place of table salt. The chefs in our kitchen across campus use kosher salt in their recipes to provide an overall reduced amount of sodium. Using items lik...

Choosing Healthy Foods

Search This Blog