Eating Balanced Meals in College

EATING BALANCEDMEALS IN COLLEGE

An Interview with Dr. Jennifer Farrell

Program Director for Didactic Program in Dietetics & Undergraduate Coordinator

Why are you such a passionate advocate for nutrition and dietetics?

"I grew up in a family where we loved food! We loved to cook new and healthy foods, and both of my sisters ended up going into a food-related field. When I found a science of nutrition course, I fell in love with it and realized that there is a career for somebody who loves food. What comprises a balanced meal?

"Your three macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. A healthy meal is going to have all of that and as many vitamins and minerals as you can pack in there. There is still going to be some fat in there, so a "fat-free " meal doesn 't make it a healthy one. Two servings of vegetables and a healthy protein is a really good start for a meal, and grains are excellent at providing a lot of vitamins because they ' re enriched, but you don 't have to have grains at every meal if you ' re getting a lot of carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables.

What challenges do you see stopping young adults from eating balanced meals? How can they be overcome?

"Timing of meals. Because the [class schedules on week days] are inconsistent, you end up skipping meals, so you ' re ravenous, and you grab something to fill that hunger quickly. It' s that inconsistency of meals, and grabbing meals late at night, that makes it very hard to plan [meals] out, and that makes it easier to grab unhealthy options like comfort foods. Planning out to have something in your bag, like nuts, a piece of fruit, etc., might make it easier to tide you over between healthy meals as opposed to going for the unhealthy option.

"The problem with diet-tracking apps is that we become number-focused, but our bodies are not number-focused. Our body is going off biological cues for hunger, activity, and sleep. These apps allot us the same number of calories each day, but our body doesn 't need the same amount each day. One day you will be hungrier, and another day you won 't be as hungry because it' s a wave.

There ' s a concept called 'intuitive eating,

' which I love, that says sure, go ahead and use those [diet] apps to figure out what you ' re eating, but if you ' re not hungry, stop, and if you are hungry, eat. If you ' re craving a food, it comes with emotion- so try to figure out what emotion you are trying to fill with that craving and maybe move to something different if you can meet it without food. If you are going to eat that cup of ice cream (or whatever it may be), make it a part of your day, not just a reward. It is key to see food as something that we can enjoy and that nourishes our body.

How can college students on a budget make sure to eat balanced meals?

"The meal plan is an easy way [to eat a balanced meal] because it' s not money coming directly out of the students ' pocket, it' s pre-paid. But, if you ' re living off campus and have access to a kitchen, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables are great options. They ' re a very healthy option that' s less expensive, and you

don 't have to worry about them going bad. Grains are also cheap, so rice and pasta tend to be a staple, but they don 't provide many vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols. That' s why pairing them with vegetables can be a good option.

Canned meats also make great patties: you can add some veggies and grind them together with an egg or mayonnaise to make a good protein. Beans and lentils are also very healthy and inexpensive if you have the time to cook them.

Do you have any other advice for students looking to improve their diets?

"My go-to advice is always to start with fruits and vegetables, because those are the groups that get pushed to the side. If you ' re going to a buffet, start with those groups on your plate. Also, on-campus dining and many restaurants have their nutrition facts online, and if you want to stick to eating healthy, you can make the decision of what to get before you arrive.

FSU's Food for Thought Pantry

FSU has a food pantry for currently enrolled FSU students facing food insecurity. The Pantry is open from 8:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday. It is located in University Center A, Suite 4148.

FSU' s Food Pantry is accepting donations of non-perishable food items, cash, and gift card donations. For more information on how to donate, visit the Food for Thought Pantry FSU website.