LOSE THE UNHEALTHY EATING HABITS,
GAIN HUGE HEALTH BENEFITS
D id those homemade
desserts this holiday
season tempt you into
letting your diet slip?
Or maybe you've started to hear
talk about spring break beach
plans, and the thought of biki
nis and beaches sound terrify
ing. Or perhaps you just made
a New Year's resolution to get
healthier. 'Whatever your reason
may be to get in shape, you're
in luck. 'With the new dining
options on campus, making a
few easy healthy diet changes
have never been easier for Elon
students!
It's never a bad idea to be
more conscious of what you
are putting into your body,
especially as a college student
with a demanding schedule.
Between classes, logging long
hours in Club Belk, and jug
gling extracurricular activities,
it's all too tempting to sat
isfy your hunger pangs with
dining hall pizza again. But
fortunately Elon dining options
make it easy to be both busy
and healthy. A healthy diet can
make a huge difference in how
you feel, your energy level, and
how well you perform in class.
With the multitude of delicious
options on campus, making
nutritious choices should never
mean sacrificing taste and
variety.
You've most likely heard
this before, but combatting
the dreaded "Freshman Fifteen"
begins with a healthy breakfast.
Making time for a balanced and
filling breakfast helps jump-
start your metabolism, improve
cognitive and memory func
tion, and plays a crucial role
in preventing weight gain by
stopping cravings later in the
day. Freshii, the new retail loca
tion located in the middle of
campus in Moseley Center, aims
to provide students with quick
and energizing meal options
Alex Jakaitis
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS
on-the-go. For just one retail
swipe, you can have a variety of
fresh breakfast options, as well
as a drink and a side. Check
out their house-made oatmeal
with nuts and fruit on top - it's
filling, delicious, and low-cal,
and is therefore the perfect way
to prepare for an early class.
Freshii however is by no means
only great for breakfast - their
lunch and dinner menu is full
of intriguing salads, wraps,
noodle bowls, and soup, and is
all made with high -quality and
fresh ingredients.
There is great news for
PHOTO BY KATY CANADA
every Elon student looking to
improve their eating habitS:
nutritional information on
nearly everything is readily
available. Nutritional informa
tion sheets are posted next
to every food option in all of
the dining halls. Keep an eye
out for fat and sodium content,
not just calorie count the
lower, the better! But even if
you're craving a cupcake off
the overflowing dessert bar.
or a burger and fries is calling
your name, try to enjoy them
in moderation. Making a few
easy modifications can change
Nutritional
information
sheets are
posted next to every
food option in all of
the dining halls. Keep
an eye out for fat and
sodium content, not just
calorie count.”
a greasy meal into a nutritious
dinner. For example, try an
open-faced burger or sand
wich by just taking off one of
the pieces of bread, and save
yourself the carbs and about
6o calories. Substitute fries
for a salad with your favorite
vegetables and light dressing,
and you'll stay fuller for longer
as well as help meet your daily
vitamin quota. Also, saying no
to soda, both diet and regu
lar, is always a good idea. Do
yourself a favor, grab a glass of
water instead and you will cut a
great deal of sugar out of your
daily intake. Stay away from the
sneaky things that can add a
lot of excess calories and fat
to your diet: condiments, extra
cheese, fatty dressings, and salt.
Snacking throughout the
day is a necessity for most col
lege students to stay energized.
But don't sabotage your health
by bee-lining to a vending
machine. A free and easy way
to combat mid-day hunger is
grabbing a piece of fruit on
your way out of the dining hall.
When your eyes are blurring
from tiny textbook print, and
you need an energy boost,
you'll be glad you did.
Staying healthy on a college
campus doesn't mean spend
ing hours in the gym or eating
nothing but salad. Making a few
simple changes, and you will
notice an improvement in your
body and your brain. For more
helpful tips and information
about nutrition at Elon. check
out the CampusDish website.