FEBRUARY 18, 2009 | THE MEREDITH HERALD ’-Educating Women to Excel \ VOL XXVI • ISSUE 12
INSIH
2. News . '
■ Carol Health Center is
- Here for You ■ .
3 Events
■ A New Perspective on Thin
4 Science & Technology
■ Tanriing Tirhe .
5 Arts & Humanities
■ A Dark Cornedy:
SchoblgfrI Figure -
■ A Controversial Cruxifix.
6 Sports
■ Rites of Spring
7-8 Opinion & Campus Life
■ A Bulmic’s Smile
■ Get Rid of the Dollar
Menu Blues •• ■
STUDENTS CAN AFFORD
HEALTHY SNACKING
Janice Swab
Contributing Writer
I frequently hear that students want to snack on healthy
foods but think they cannot afford to do so. Hamburg
ers, pizza or other high calorie foods are so easy to grab
and eat on the run—and they taste really good to most
students. What’s a poor student to do? Let’s consider
some aspects of the “snacking problem” along with some
workable solutions to make 2009 a healthier year.
1) Reduce the need for snacks whenever possible.
Students who eat in the Meredith Dining Hall have
many healthy choices at every meal. The fruits, veg
etables, \vhole grain breads and healthy protein choices
are there at every meal. What does this have to do with
snacking and budget? Eating regular meals that you’ve
already paid Ibr seems a sensible idea. Breakfast can
be eaten by anyone—the Dining Nall opens well before
any class begins. Aliter a good breakfast that includes
protein, you don’t feel the necessity for a heavy lunch
so salads could be the main part of that meal. Eating
dinner toward the end of the Dining Mall hours (thougli
not running in at the last minute) can mean less snack
ing early in the evening.
2), Work on alternatives to your usual snacks.
The three-healthy-meals-per-day option doesn’t always
work because some students don’t schedule a “lunch
period,” but that does not give an excuse to snack on
unhealthy foods. There are healthy choices in the Bee-
Hive; low-fat yoghurt and fruit are only two of the op
tions there. With a little planning you can always carry
a healthy, filling snack that can be nibbled over a period
oi time rather than wolfed down as pizza and hamburg
ers usually are. Nibbling will lead to eating less be
cause you do not begin to feel full until sometime afler
beginning to cat. Dried fruit and nut mixtures (with
out the M&M’s) are good and they do not need to be
bought already mixed. Pretzels, whole wheat crackers,
snacks made with “natural” peanut butler are a few ofr
Photo Couitesy ivmv nulntion-for-alhleles c
the snacks that carry easily. Compare the cost of the
ingredients that you prefer for making your own snacks
that last for several days with the fast food you might be
eating during that time; You’ll probably be surprised at
how much you're spending on fast food. Always keep
some fruit to snack on if you get hungry before dinner.
The large backpacks students carry should always con
tain a source of healthy snacks for the body as well as
food for the mind.
Keep a record of your snack habits and what worked
best for you and refer to it when you’re making your
plans for renewing a supply of snack foods.
Good intentions go awiy during late night activities.
At this time it is necessary to really work hard to make
those good snack choices: flavored rather than buttered
popcorn, low-calorie drinks, whole grain crackers and
breads. Don’t forget the power of friends who arc will
ing to help you make good choices at these times.
3) Drink before you snack.
Often the biggest sources of hidden (and unsatisfying)
calories are those that students drink. The last lime I
checked. North Carolina was the number one state in
soft drink consumption per capita. What a sad statis
tic! Water is always available and water bottles can be
refllled at water fountains. Tea and coffee do not need
to be high calorie drinks and fruit Juice is never a good
option when compared to the real thing. Another thing
to think about: much of the lime when we feel hungry,
we are actually thirsty.
4) Get as much sleep as you need. It is very dif
ficult to resist snacking on junk food when you’re
really tired.
5) Exercise eveiy day.
Unfortunately, this is where too many students fail
in their good intentions. Exercise is actually the easi-
See SNACKING, PAGE 2
j Green Tip for
the Week of
February 18
Bookmark web pages
instead of printing. ,
tliem out for research. '
During the 2008-09 academic
year, Meredith College’s cam
pus theme is “Sustaining our
. . Environment: Qevelbping ^
our Greenprint.” To help the ;
Meredith community make
daily choices that are ben
eficial to the environmetnt,
Angels for the Environment
have compiled a year’s worth
of tips for greener living.
To view green tips from
previous weeks, visit www.
meredith.edu/campus-theme/
environmental-tips.htm.