Dear Abby- College Edition

Dear Abby,

I’m going into college next year and I have been super worried about eating healthy, so I asked 6 of my friends who started college this year what one piece of advice they would give to a college freshman about eating healthy. These are the responses I got:

Use your meal plan, Keep healthy snacks in your room, Eat breakfast, Limit sugary or caffeinated drinks, Meal prep, Don’t get a meal plan, Buy groceries.

I’m just not sure which ones I should try, or if I should try them all, but they don’t all work together. Please help.

Dear Concerned Healthy Eater and Almost College student,

Each piece of advice is good advice, at least from the person who gave it to you. Going to college is the first time in your life that you are able to make all the day to day decisions in your life on your own. You can take your friends advice or not. What is important is finding what works for you. I️ would recommend trying one or two of those and see if they work for you. If they don’t try the next two. There are different flaws in every piece of advice. Use a meal plan or don’t use a meal plan, those are completely opposite pieces of advice. They came from different people who live their lives differently. The advice don’t get a meal plan, buy groceries, and meal prep all go together in the lifestyle of some who lives off campus. If you live on campus some schools will require a meal plan.. You will live your life a certain way and you have to prioritize things in the order which they matter to you. The key to eating healthy, even just being healthy is BALANCE. If you do eat bad one day, work out. If you skip a meal, make your next meal even healthier. If you need a coffee to get through your day drink a coffee. Just focus on keeping you healthy, your body will tell you what it needs, listen to it. If you’re falling asleep in the middle of the day take a quick nap. If you are hungry, eat. Yes, do try one or two of the advice given to you of it matches with your style of living and eating. Most importantly balance, and listen to your body.