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The stress of college is known to push students to eat horribly, especially if living alone for the first time. It’s hard to remember to eat your broccoli when there is no one nagging at you! Then there’s the reality that school takes up a lot of time and energy. It may be difficult to find time to cook, but your body needs proper fuel for those late-night study sessions, so it’s important to make time.

It all starts at the supermarket. Grocery shopping can be a difficult task with all of the pre-packaged foods available. They’re quick and easy, but usually unhealthy. It is a good idea to instead stick to this mantra from the Mayo Clinic: ‘shop the perimeter.’ This means sticking to the fresh foods available in the store: fruits and vegetables, meat and seafood, dairy, and grains, all available around the outer areas of the store.

Then there's takeout. It might feel like it’s impossible to cut out the convenience of fast food altogether, but it helps to think about your choices. Try a McDonalds chicken Caesar salad (500 calories with light Caesar dressing) instead of a quarter pounder with cheese and fries (1090 calories).

It’s easy to eat healthy on campus now too. Karin Thompson oversees the catering, vending and cafeterias on all four campuses. She says, “We are expanding our salad bar and packaged salad selections to meet the needs of our health conscious customers. We have added a new feature this year called "Under 3" This is a takeout program featuring items that are under $3 in price and under 300 calories.“ And don’t forget the Student Centre Kitchen at Progress, where you can get healthy chili (vegetarian or meat), and create your own salad or sandwich, starting at just $2.49. This means that you can save time, stay under budget, and keep yourself healthy throughout the school year.

The City of Toronto has created a database to let you know the real cost of healthy eating in the city, which can help you budget for groceries. Toronto Public Health also has a variety of tools that can help you to eat healthier. For example, this nutrition guide helps you manage stress (inevitable during exam time) with proper nutrition.

Remember the next time you reach for that unhealthy meal: it may seem easiest, but there are healthy alternatives that are just as quick and accessible.

So here's to staying healthy.

Karan Warraich,
President, CCSAI
416-289-5000 ext 2324
kwarraich@centennialcollege.ca

Read more Karan's Corner here.