Don’t Let Your Studies Get Derailed by Hunger: 5 Reasons You Need to Eat Healthy in College

It’s easy for students to grab fast food and convenience items on today’s college campuses, but constantly eating junk food can lead to a whole host of problems. Students need to eat a healthy and balanced diet to fuel their bodies and minds. Here are five reasons why it’s important for you to seek to eat healthy and nutritious foods during college. 

1.Beat the Freshman Fifteen

If you don’t care at all about the health benefits of eating a balanced diet, the possibility of avoiding unnecessary weight gain may be enough to encourage better eating habits. In an environment where many young people are first responsible for their nutritional needs, it is often quicker and easier to just grab something and keep going. Then there are the parties and midnight snacks while cramming for exams. All of that can combine to be a disaster if you are used to having all of your meals planned out at home. 

Beat the freshman 15 by sticking to a healthy and balanced diet. Check with schools about dining hall options that focus on whole foods instead of grab and go convenience. Dorm-prepared food can be healthy, too. In fact, you may also be surprised at the culinary marvels that can be produced with a microwave and minifridge. 

2. Boost Metabolism and Immune Systems

Your digestive system impacts your overall health and wellness in many ways. Your metabolism -the rate at which your body digests food- can be encouraged by focusing on foods that are high in protein. 

As scientists discover the wide-reaching impact of the gut microbiome, the importance of making good food choices for everyone, including college students, is becoming clear. What you eat can have a serious impact on your immune system. Eating foods high in fiber and adding a prebiotic supplement may help you fight off colds, viruses, and even the flu that can quickly spread through campus dorms. 

3. Maintain Energy Levels

Between classes, clubs, sports, studying, and a party or two, students need a lot of energy just to get through a regular day. A healthy diet can help provide that energy safely without resorting to drinks loaded with caffeine and sugar. High fiber fruits and vegetables will produce a steady stream of energy instead of a peak and crash cycle that is common with energy drinks.  

4. Encourage Brain Development

The human brain requires an enormous amount of fuel to function properly. Things like amino acids, glucose, and electrolytes are absolutely necessary for proper brain function. And, these all come from your food. So, healthy food choices and a proper, well-balanced diet can help your brain perform at its best while you are in school. Which, when you think about it, is really why you are there in the first place.

Diets that are lacking in essential nutrients like complex carbohydrates, proteins, and water can quickly lead to some serious symptoms. Confusion, mood swings, lack of attention, and trouble focusing may all be effects of an improper diet. 

So, eat a balanced diet to boost memory and study power. You will be able to concentrate and focus better, and your mood and energy levels will be more likely to stay stable over time. This way you can avoid so many late-night study sessions and cramming the week before finals, saving your time for a fun evening with friends instead. 

5. Establish Lifelong Habits

The habits you form in college will stay with you throughout your life. Students who maintain healthy eating habits can set themselves up for lower rates of chronic health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and even some cancers. 

Don’t settle for whatever food is cheapest and easiest. The nutritional choices you make in college can affect your ability to learn and will likely impact you for the rest of your life. Use your time in college to prepare for more than a career, set yourself up for a long and healthy life while you learn.