One of the toughest challenges we face as college students is maintaining healthy eating habits. If you have lived on campus at any point in time, you would know that most of the time it can be extremely difficult to eat clean. College will throw numerous roadblocks at you when it comes to eating clean, such as tight budgets, time constraints, lack of cooking tools etc.

Throughout my time here in Whitewater I have figured out certain ways to keep my diet in check. But before we start, by no means is this going to be an easy process; this quest you are on to eat clean will test your will power, mental strength and your ability to handle cravings. So without further delay let’s get started.

Eat breakfast

  • Now this doesn’t mean grab a pop tart rushing out the door because you’re in a crunch for time. Before you eat that pop tart and spike your blood sugar through the roof, consider some other options. I recommend you stop by Ike Schaffer Commons in the UC for breakfast. They are open from M-F: 7am-10am for breakfast. They have a variety of good food options such as oatmeal, an omelet station, a variety of fruit options and much more. Because Ike Schaffer Commons is located in a convenient location, you only need 15 minutes to eat your food and get to class.

What about lunch

  • We have two options here. The first one is to visit the Drumlin Dining Hall for lunch. Drumlin has a variety of stations in which you can pick your food from, such as the Hearth Stone Ovens, International Grill, and The Kitchen. Now some of these options are healthier than others, so my recommendation is that you get the majority of your food from the International Grill. They almost always have rice and a healthy meat option to go along with it. The Heat Stone Ovens for the majority of the time has pizza and foods with high amounts of carbohydrates and fats, so i say save this for your cheat day. Now this is where your willpower comes into play. You might crave some pizza on certain days, but you have to fight it, and not break. Drumlin also has a dessert station towards the back. Now I’m not saying don’t treat yourself to some cookies and brownies but if you hear that cookie calling your name, just say “no”.
  • Next option is to visit the Esker Dining Hall. Now if you prefer not to eat from the buffet section at Esker, they do have a stir fry station. Now this may take some practice and trial and error because you have to cook your own food. So if you have at least 45 minutes between your classes, I suggest you visit the stir-fry station and make your own plate.

Finally dinner

  • This is almost the same as lunch; if you visited Drumlin for lunch you can go to Esker and make your own stir fry plate or vice versa. Also remember Dining Services has a Steak and Shrimp Night every month for dinner. Keep an eye out for these events and take full advantage of this. Please remember to try to limit the consumption of brownies, cookies and other sweets. A healthier alternative is to have a bowl of fruit; both Esker and Drumlin serve fruit.

Late night snacks

  • For this you can visit Erbs or P Street. I recommend you get just a sub and a drink and avoid getting any fried foods. Another option is to have healthier foods in your room such as greek yogurt, salted peanuts, granola bars and different types of fruit.