College is an entirely new way of life compared to what you might be used to at home — it’s a time when lifelong habits are formed and vulnerable. When it comes to having a positive relationship with food, there are many things you can do as a college student to take a step back and really think about what you are putting into your body. 

According to Camryn Bell in an analysis of college students’ nutrition practices, the balance between practicing healthy nutrition and becoming a young adult is important to learn. 

“College is an important transition period for most individuals to develop habits, but it seems that unhealthy ones are being formed,” Bell said. 

There is a major difference between filling your body with junk food and eating a balanced plate of nutrition for dinner every day. However, it is way easier to grab a party-size bag of chips from the store than a fruit or vegetable. Finding that balance between a treat and something healthy is something to think about next time you go on a grocery run.

Eating is one of the main ways to fuel your body with energy, so it’s important to remember to properly make time to sit down and eat instead of skipping a meal during a busy day. 

“The largest barrier for college students to eat healthy is time and availability of food, with money being the third highest barrier,” Bell said.

Giving yourself 20 minutes to sit and eat something is a great break and gives your body the nutrients it needs on a busy day. When you know you will be busy with class and obligations, remember to make the time and stick to the planned time to eat.

According to the article “Why Are Students Struggling To Eat Healthy In College” by American Dining Creations, there are different struggles regarding eating and tips for eating healthier during college. 

“Students have heavy workloads, which can cause them a great deal of worry,” American Dining Creations said. “And when students worry, making time for meals becomes sporadic and lackluster. Worried students are prone to lose their appetite or stress-eat their favorite junk foods. Good food for students’ brains is necessary to focus and do quality schoolwork, but students often turn to foods that end up making them feel worse in the long run.”

As a college student, skipping a meal and using caffeine to supplement your hunger during the day is easy, but these are not healthy or even come close to a meal. Supplements consumed in a negative way deteriorate your body and often make you hungrier for real food. 

It is also important to remember to balance treating yourself and consume healthy meal options. There is nothing wrong with a late-night sweet treat once in a while when balanced with other healthy options throughout the day.

College is all about finding what works for you in every area of your life, including eating and finding a balance between everything.