With so many different healthy eating messages out there it can be hard to know where to start. Healthy eating is defined as an adequate intake of food and nutrients helping to maintain an optimal health status[1] . When studying full-time, which for many students also means working part-time, healthy eating can be put to the side. However, a few simple steps towards healthy eating can help to maintain a healthy weight, assist your immune system, improve energy levels, help prevent diet related disease (eg: Type 2 diabetes) and assist in focus during study[2][1].
The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating provides information about the amounts and types of foods to include in a healthy diet for people of different ages, genders and eating styles. The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating contains 5 major guidelines;
To achieve and maintain a healthy weight, be physically active and choose amounts of nutritious food and drinks to meet your energy needs
Three running women
For adults, 30 minutes of physical activity/exercise is recommended daily
When eating, eat slowly and stop when you are full
Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods from the five groups every day
Ensure you are eating foods from all five food groups;
Fruit
Vegetables
Grains
Lean meats and poultry and alternatives
Dairy and alternatives
Drink plenty of water
Limit intake of foods containing saturated fats, added salt, added sugars and alcohol
These foods are associated with increased risk of obesity and chronic diseases including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and some cancers
Try swapping foods high in these components for similar alternatives:
Swap a side of chips with a side of salad
Swap sour cream for yoghurt in a recipe
Stir-fry, grill, bake or steam. Don’t deep fry
Limit 'sometimes' foods such as ice-creams, pastries and chocolates
Encourage, support and promote breastfeeding
Care for your food; prepare and store it safely
If you are taking food to University with you, does it need to be refrigerated?
Of these 5 guidelines, 1,2,3 and 5 become key when studying at University to optimize health.
Pack a small frozen bottle of water with your food to keep refrigerated food cold until you eat it.
Plan ahead. Prepare your lunch the night before. Without planning, you are more likely to pick up unhealthy snacks, such as a bag of chips, on your wy out the door.
Cook in batches ahead of time. This will allow you to take meals, such as pasta, as they will already be packaged in the fridge, convenient to grab on your way out.
Keep some meals that can be grabbed on the run in the pantry. This way, if you are caught off guard, there is a quick alternative to packaged items such as chips.
Tinned tuna with tomato and toast
Small containers of mixed nuts
For more information on the guidelines and tips on how to follow them[edit | edit source]
