Is the Freshman 15 Inevitable?

Obviously, it's not like you gain 15 pounds just by entering college. But there are things about college life that make it easy to gain weight. Like staying up so late with friends that you're hungry for another meal long after you've had your dinner. Or going out for fast food whenever someone asks if you're interested. Or skipping breakfast to save on sleep, only to stuff yourself with high-calorie snacks later in the morning. Or eating too much in the dining hall, just because the food is unlimited.

The best way to avoid gaining weight when you start school is to plan ahead, and stick with your strategy. If you've never had much problem with your weight, you're probably not used to thinking about it. Here are some ways to avoid putting on weight, which is always better than having to take it off:

• When your friends suggest going out for fast food and you really want to go along, you can go with them, but try to choose healthier foods, like a salad. Or consider splitting your orders. One thing you can count on—if you eat full portions of fast food regularly, you are extremely likely to experience weight gain.
• Do your best to make breakfast a habit. Include protein in your meal as well. That will keep you feeling satisfied, and you'll be less likely to overeat later.
• Identify your weak points in terms of food, and make a point to replace them with healthier choices. If you love ice cream, try replacing it with low-fat yogurt. If you love candy, try fruit instead.
• Drink water instead of soda.
• Keep an eye on your portion sizes. A meat portion is about the size of a deck of cards, for example.
• Try not to mix eating and studying. You pay less attention to what you're putting in your mouth, and before you know it, you've eaten a whole bag of chips.
• Get regular exercise. It will help you burn calories.

Foods to Avoid, Foods to Choose in the Dining Hall

There's such a wide variety of food offerings at U.S. colleges and universities that it's hard to make specific recommendations about what to eat and what to stay away from. You probably have an idea yourself about what foods are healthy and what aren't. Lean meats, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, whole grains are all on the "good" list.... you've probably heard this before.

You'll want to avoid creamy sauces, lots of butter, huge mounds of pasta, big cookies, ice cream, cake, etc. It's logical.

In terms of serving sizes, keep the following things in mind:

• A serving of cereal is about the size of your fist.
• A serving of rice, pasta or potato is about the size of half a baseball.
• A serving of cheese is about the size of four dice.
• A serving of meat is about the size of a deck of cards.

Cooking 101

Some people rarely cook when they're in college, especially if they eat their meals in a dining hall. But if you're going to be living in an apartment, it's good to know some basic things about cooking healthy meals.

Here are some ideas:

Rice and pasta are easy and inexpensive. Brown rice is healthier than white rice, and whole wheat pasta is healthier than white pasta.

You can actually cook vegetables quickly by putting them in the bottom of a colander and pouring boiling pasta over them. That's an easy, healthy meal that you can add spices to.

You can also cook vegetables by stir frying them in a pan with a little olive oil and spices, or by boiling a little water on the bottom of a pan and adding the vegetables for a few moments, with the pan covered.

Cook meat and chicken according to directions on the package. You need to do this to avoid consuming dangerous bacteria. You can cook meat in a pan on the stove, with a little bit of oil, or the oven or microwave. Same goes for chicken.

Grocery Shopping—Healthy Foods on a Budget

If you're going to college and will be doing all your grocery shopping for the first time, it can be surprising to see how fast your money goes. Good nutrition is an important component of your health, so you need to make smart choices when you're on a budget. Here are some tips:

• If it's convenient (i.e., if it's already prepared), it's going to cost more. Stay away from the prepared foods counters if you want to stretch your money.
• Buy large quantities of food, because that's the cheapest way. But only buy what you're sure you'll use.
• If meat is taking up a lot of your food budget, consider other sources of protein instead, like dried beans (kidney, pinto, black beans, lentils, etc.) or tofu. These are all much less expensive than meat.
• Snack foods have a high cost per pound. They might seem inexpensive, but they provide no nutrition and aren't a good buy.
• Try to avoid buying soft drinks. They're expensive and they give you no nutrition.

Managing Diabetes on Your Own

When you go to college, you're on your own when it comes to taking care of your health. This is a big change for most people, but if you have diabetes, it's even more challenging.

There will be new food choices, new schedules, more parties, new activity levels. All of this can affect your blood sugar.

For more about managing diabetes when you go away to college, read our current Diabetes E-Magazine.