In today’s day and age, it is increasingly difficult for students to make healthy food choices while maintaining good physical and mental health. The combination of school or work, personal activities, extracurriculars and volunteering, and other components that constitute a busy schedule can make preparing healthy meals a challenge. However, it is vital to ensure you are consuming healthy, nutritious food in order to have the energy and fuel to perform at your optimal level, both in your academic and personal pursuits.
Written by Megan Liang
Here are some tips for healthy food choices for students:
Eat three meals a day: Don’t skip meals! Food is your body’s fuel, which is needed to perform daily tasks such as attending your classes, playing sports or exercising, spending time with friends, taking care of yourself, and much more.
Diversify your diet: Make sure you are consuming a variety of foods from each of the five different food groups. Ensure that you include fruits and vegetables, grains, meat or alternative proteins, and dairy products or other calcium-rich foods in your daily meals and snacks.
Fibre is your friend: Fibre is a carbohydrate component found in plant foods like fruits, vegetables, whole-grain bread, brown rice, beans, seed, nuts, and more. Its chemical structure renders it indigestible by humans. It is essential to consume fibre as it reduces the effects of chronic gastrointestinal problems and irritable bowel syndrome, and decreases your chances of developing colonic cancer.
Include healthy fats: Fats have a bad reputation, especially saturated fats, but it is important to consume healthy fats such as avocados, olive oil, and salmon in moderation. Humans need fats in order to survive, since they are a concentrated source of energy and provide sustenance for far longer than carbohydrates. They provide essential fatty acids that are essential for a variety of the body’s processes such as metabolism and vitamin absorption.
Consume sugar-rich foods in moderation: It is okay to have a treat every now and then, but make sure you are not consuming too much sugar as it can raise your blood pressure and lead to increased chronic inflammation. This can increase your risk of developing heart disease. You can always opt out for healthier natural sweeteners like maple syrup, agave, coconut sugar, and dates instead
Maintaining a balanced diet is essential in order to achieve health in all aspects of your life. You can revolutionize your health today simply by nourishing your body well, so what are you waiting for? After all, health is wealth, and starting the journey when you’re young will lead to a prosperous life in the future.
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