Be Prepared

My friends usually laugh at me because I plan ahead if I know we'll be driving for a while, or that we'll be gone all day because I think ahead and bring healthy snacks to avoid spending money and calories on the fast food that they love to drive through. My snacks often consist of either a turkey sandwich, cut up bell peppers, carrots, or simply turkey and cheese slices. Here's some simple snacks or mini meals that you can buy the staples for and have ready to go whenever you need them:

1. Turkey sandwich- Whole Wheat, multi-grain or health nut breads are a good staple to constantly have in your pantry since they are versatile for many different meals and foods. My turkey sandwiches consist of break, a few slices of turkey breast, dijon mustard and lettuce. Putting mustard or light ranch dressing are good alternatives to mayo on a sandwich, and putting mustard will keep the sandwich fresher longer than mayo.

2. Peanut butter sandwich- It's been everyone's staple since they were 4. You can do peanut butter and jelly, peanut butter banana and honey, peanut butter and honey, the variations go on. Moral of the story, peanut butter sandwiches can be in your bag all day without going bad, and peanut butter has some protein to keep you going strong for the day.

3. Turkey and cheese "roll ups"- By getting sliced turkey and your favorite cheese, and simply rolling them up together, you can have a simply, low-carb, high protein snack that can be brought around easily. If you need a little extra flavor, put some dijon mustard, and that can also act like glue to keep the roll- ups rolled.

4. Sliced vegetables and fruit- Bell peppers, carrots, celery, apples, oranges, they are all good. They may not keep you full for as long as a sandwich will, but if you just need something to munch on, it's way better than reaching for a bag of chips.

5. Nuts- A handful of nuts a day can be good for you. Packing a small bag of almonds or cashews can be good if you just need something small, but nuts are high in fat as well as having protein, so you need to be sure to keep the quantity low.

These are just a few ideas to get you started. You'll feel much better about yourself if you are eating your homemade snack, rather than spending the money on a burger and fries, only to feel bloated afterward. Oh, and one last thing... ALWAYS BRING A BOTTLE OF WATER. Staying hydrated will also help you trick your body into thinking you're full, so bring a refillable bottle everywhere you go to stay hydrated and round out your healthy snacks.

Pizza!

Pizza isn't necessarily a food that has the reputation of being healthy, but by making it yourself at home you can control what goes on it, and just how healthy it is. It can also be extremely affordable to make it yourself, and great to make with your roommates and friends, as I did tonight.
I made a BBQ Chicken Pizza, which was simply a store bought pizza crust, bbq sauce, cheese, onion and chicken. I believe that the total came out to about $9 for all the ingredients, and we were left with extra cheese and bbq sauce for next time. The recipe I modeled my pizza dinner off of comes from www.myrecipes.com, and was named Quick 'n' Easy Chicken Barbecue Pizza. I didn't completely follow the measurements, and instead of using pre-grilled chicken, I simply sauteed it with a little olive oil. I also put a little bbq sauce on the pieces of chicken before I put it on the pizza to give it some uniform flavor.

Other pizza ideas that you can use are any vegetables that you have around that are getting old, left over lean meats, and a variety of cheeses. It is also a food that can be good the next day as well, so if you are just cooking for yourself, portion out how much you'll eat for dinner the first night, and the rest can be saved for the next day or two.

Portion Control

Since calculating body gain and loss is basically a mathematical equation, portion control is one of the most important factors in maintaining a healthy weight. If you want to lose weight, your caloric intake must be less than your calories burnt. If you're simply trying to maintain your weight, you just need the calories you burn to equal the calories you consume.
When you're cooking for yourself, or at a place that has large portions, even "all-you-can-eat" buffets, it is important to remember the size of your stomach, and to not stretch it out. One of the ways to do this, if you aren't going to avoid these types of places all together, is to look at the appetizers or small entree parts of the menus. Restaurants such as Cheesecake Factory have the "small plates and snacks" section, and seeing as their portions are huge to begin with, the appetizers and small bites can be perfect for a meal that won't stretch your stomach and will be affordable.
Another portion control trick is for when you are eating at home. By buying children sized plates and bowls. Since they are smaller, they give you the allusion that you are eating the full bowl of pasta, or a full plate of your chicken, but in reality you have cut your portion size down. It is a more casual alternative to measuring your portions with a measuring cup or weighing it.

Grocery Shopping

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The grocery store can be both your worst enemy and best friend. Getting caught up in all the different types of food can not only raise your bill, but by making the wrong choices you can raise your weight as well. Some easy tips to follow to keep both your budget and pant size small are:

1. Go with a list- Pre-plan a few meals that you can get the ingredients for, as well as listing other snacks, and ingredients you will need in the near future.

2. Only buy what you'll need- by buying extra food, you will either binge eat in order to eat it before it goes bad, or you'll end up throwing it out. One not being good for your waist line, and the other not being good for your wallet.

3. Frozen vegetables and fruits- although they may not be as jam-packed with vitamins and minerals as the fresh version, they are still healthier than many other options, and extremely cheap. The best deal in the frozen vegetable department hands down is spinach. You can use it in pasta, with potatoes, or on the side of a chicken or turkey entree. Sooooo much spinach needs to be cooked down to get one container of frozen spinach, and it's only about a dollar something.

4. Coupons and card members- everyone may tease the coupon collectors, but the truth is, you can save big when they add up. By clipping coupons or joining the club programs at your local grocery store, you can save on a wide variety of foods and other ingredients by as much as 50-75%.

They may not seem like huge changes, or like you'll actually end up saving money and making healthier choices for yourself. Also, by only having healthier food options in your dorm or apartment, you won't be tempted to make poor eating choices late at night.

Breakfast

Studies have shown that by eating a balanced breakfast, students will not only perform better on tests and in school, but it has also been said that if you eat within half an hour of waking up, your metabolism will continue working. It can help you maintain a healthy weight.

Healthy options for breakfast include something high in protein, with complex carbohydrates that will break down slower, and help you stay full longer throughout the day. I realize that as college students, we barely have time to sleep, let alone make a breakfast complete with eggs and toast every morning. But there are other options both that you can make at home, or that you can buy on the go.

Subway has the option of egg whites or regular eggs, and you can chose to have it on an english muffin, a six inch bread or flatbread. Then you can chose cheese, vegetables and have the option of putting bacon or sausage on it as well. An english muffin with egg, cheese, and vegetables is $1.50. With vegetable options like spinach, olives, and tomatoes, the small english muffin can be a filling, and balanced breakfast.

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If there's no subway around, and you want to make breakfast in your apartment, dorm or house, options can be just as cheap and nutritious. Options at home can be smoothies, using frozen fruit, yogurt, banana, and apple or orange juice. This can also be a good option if you aren't a person that has much of an appetite in the morning since you'd be drinking instead of eating. Having yogurt with granola can also be easy, cheap and nutritious. Making eggs and toast also won't take too long if you have an extra 10-15 minutes. Using the egg whites in the carton can be easy, and healthier, since the yolk of the egg holds all the cholesterol. Simply pour some into the pan and toast a few pieces of whole grain toast at the same time, make a sandwich with a piece of cheese, and you can take it on the way with you.

Setting your alarm about 10 minutes earlier can make all the difference in starting you off to a strong day because you'll be much more energetic and focused.

You Can Do IT

Everyone has to eat. It's something known, and ingrained in our brains from a young age. Since I was 8, and took my first cooking class, I have known that I want to go to culinary school, and have a career surrounding food.
What you eat is one of the few things in your life that you have complete control over. Especially in college, it can be hard for people to balance a healthy diet and small budget, but there are still healthy options that are completely affordable on small budgets, both eating in and going out.
Everyone talks about the freshman fifteen before and during college, but it isn't something that everyone has to face. With a small tricks, slight changes, and an eye for good deals, it's completely affordable to eat your way through college on a budget.