It’s no secret that most college students eat unhealthy food. Most of them don’t cook or are not even interested in cooking their own meals. It’s a lot easier to check out the nearest fast food and have a burger with fries rather than spend a few minutes making your own salad. The good news is some students have become a lot more health-conscious in the last couple of years. You must have heard at least once about gluten-free, paleo diets or raw veganism.

It shouldn’t surprise us that students now prefer sushi instead of pizza, and organic food instead of processed food. Believe it or not, they’ve finally realized that healthier food helps them think better. Reading books on a daily basis and being on alert all the time is not something easy to do. Burgers and pizzas won’t make your body feel energized; on the contrary, the more junk food you put into your system the more tired you will feel.

Campus dining trends

Twenty years ago the word “cafeteria” meant gatherings with friends around foods like meatloaf, puddings and fizzy drinks. Fortunately, just like most high-end restaurants and bistros campuses have changed their menus completely in the hopes of making students more conscious about the foodstuff they eat. As far as eating on campus is concerned, the choices are now endless. Even the classic sandwich is now healthier than ever. Made with whole-grain bread, cedar cheese, fresh salad and tomatoes, and grilled chicken with yogurt instead of high-fat dressing, it will definitely keep you full for a few hours without making you feel tired, bloated or overweight.

A lot of schools have also included vegan food sources into their menus, as well as ethnic and kosher foods that are unprocessed. Locally grown foods and organic options are important especially when there are so many people right now who either adhere to a certain diet, don’t eat meat or dairy, or worse, have an intolerance/allergy for various foods.

Excellent food choices for modern students

Students require healthy food sources that can keep them energized. Vitamin and mineral-enriched foods are the best. Omega-3 fatty acids for example, are essential for the proper functioning of the mind and body. That being said, salmon would be a great option for lunch or dinner. However, meals based on salmon are not exactly the most affordable. Alternatively, students can opt for dairy products, nuts, or leafy greens. These are also rich in omega-3s.

There’s one type of drink many students can’t live without – coffee. However, Starbucks coffee with sugar, whipped cream, and chocolate topping is not a healthy choice. As an alternative, students should opt for green tea, an all-natural drink that contains enough caffeine to keep you alert, as well as antioxidants, which are compounds famous for their ability to ward off damaging free radicals and thus help preserve your general wellbeing.

Healthy food on-the-go

Students are always in a rush. They never have enough time to sit down and enjoy a proper meal. For them, it’s easier to grab a bagel rather than a salad because products made with flour give the impression that you won’t need anything else, and that your stomach is full. Sadly, junk food, sweets based on flour and sugar, and sodas are slowly killing our body. It’s impossible to have a healthy digestive system by eating bad food; and when you don’t feel good you are incapable of studying either.

On the bright side, a lot of schools have included into their menus healthy snacks. Rather than allow students to stop by the nearest junk food booth, they’ve totally changed the menu in cafeterias. Students can now opt for salads on the go, healthy smoothies and sandwiches, organic dairy products and vegan food options that didn’t even exist 10 years ago.

It’s really important for students to eat healthy meals. They need fuel for their minds and bodies to function properly, but this fuel must not be taken from pizzas and Cokes. There are alternatives, and they’re usually based on unprocessed, raw foods. It’s now easier and cheaper than ever to eat healthy, so why not give it a try to see how it goes? Believe it or not, a veggie salad with shrimp and yoghurt dressing for lunch is a lot healthier and equally filling than a MigMac with fries and full-fat sweet-sour dressing.

By Christopher Austin and Supplemented.co.uk!

 Latest Campus Dining Trends for College Students

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