Archive - Oct 9, 2006

With a tagline like “Everyone just pretend to be normal,” one may expect dysfunctional from Little Miss Sunshine (see the trailer here); however, one may not expect the brilliance of the films cutting, hysterical humor fully equipped with enough dramatic writing to give the story

The first year of college life can bring many changes. Freshmen must adjust to living in a new place, develop new friends and learn how to manage their time efficiently. All of these pressures often make it very difficult for new students to focus on nutrition, especially when they are surrounded by buffet-style dining halls and vending machines. As such, planning healthy meals usually falls to the bottom of the list of the many things that a freshman college student needs to do.

Fortunately, dining halls on college campuses across the country already offer many healthy eating options. Students simply need to move past the trays of French fries and vats of ice cream in favor of more nutritious foods. Fried foods and sweets are OK to indulge in once in a while, but they definitely should not be a staple in a college student’s diet. Rather, college students should be consuming a healthy balance of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats. With that thought in mind, the rest of this article is full of ideas for each meal of the day – and all of them can be made in the dining hall.

In order to start the day off right, college students must eat breakfast. Skipping the first meal of the day is not an option. According to food science and nutrition specialist Pat Kendall of Colorado State University, students complete more work and are better able to focus when they eat breakfast each day. Staying full and focused throughout the morning hours requires a breakfast that is high in fiber. According to an article in ScienceDaily, foods that are high in fiber “boost feelings of fullness.” Therefore, breakfast foods that are high in fiber, such as whole-wheat and bran cereals, will keep you feeling satisfied throughout the morning. Here are a few healthy breakfast ideas that you can either find in the dining hall, or make easily in your dorm room:
Cereal – 354 calories

• 1 cup of Frosted Mini-Wheats (or other fiber-rich cereal)
• ½ cup of skim milk
• 8 ounces of orange juice (or a serving of fruit)

Oatmeal & Bacon – 340 calories

• 1 packet of instant oatmeal
• 2 slices of bacon
• 8 ounces of cranberry juice (or a serving of fruit)

Toast & Fruit – 330 calories

• 2 slices of whole wheat toast
• 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
• ½ of a grapefruit (or a serving of another fruit)

All of these breakfast ideas are high in fiber, low in saturated fat and include a serving of fruit. They are also fairly low in calories and contain more complex carbohydrates, which take longer to digest and keep you feeling full longer. If you have a long wait before lunch, grab a piece of fruit to snack on in between meals. A small granola bar is also a great way to satisfy hunger cravings. Again, these snacks are low in fat and calories, but still filling. However, a healthy snack should not take the place of a meal. Skipping meals will cause you to be hungrier later, which may encourage you to turn to “fast” and more convenient foods, which are often high in fat, cholesterol and sodium (according to the American Heart Association’s Fast Food Report Card). A little advance planning is all you need in order to eat healthy.

Here are some ideas for lunch:
Chicken Caesar Salad – 375 calories

• 3 ounces of grilled chicken
• 1 cup of romaine lettuce
• 1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons of creamy or regular Caesar dressing
• A few croutons
• (Or toss all of these ingredients into a wheat or veggie wrap! – 515 calories)

Protein-ful Sandwich – 350 calories

• 2 slices of whole wheat bread (or a wrap)
• 2-3 ounces of turkey (or other lean protein, such as chicken or tuna)
• Vegetable toppings
• (Try to avoid mayonnaise – it’s extremely high in fat. Try mustard instead!)

Soup & Salad – 335 calories

• 1 cup of minestrone soup (or tomato, chicken noodle, etc.)
• 1 cup of iceberg or other lettuce
• Preferred vegetables – tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, etc.
• 1 tablespoon of feta or other cheese
• 2 tablespoons of preferred salad dressing (try to stay away from the creamy dressings– regular Italian or a vinaigrette is good!)
Again, all of these lunch ideas are low in calories, but contain some protein to keep you feeling full. Try to stick to lean proteins, such as chicken or turkey, when you can. Many other sources of protein, such as red meat, can be high in fat. Soup is also a great way to stay full, especially if it contains lots of vegetables. However, keep your portion sizes reasonable when eating soup – it’s packed with sodium! According to the American Heart Association, the daily intake of sodium should be less than 2,300 milligrams, which is roughly equal to one teaspoon of table salt. The average American may consume two to three times that amount each day, thereby increasing their risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. So think before you pick up that salt shaker!

Finally, dinner! Many people are tempted to eat their largest meal of the day at dinnertime. However, your portions should be just as reasonable at dinnertime as they are at breakfast and lunch. Try to fill your plate with mostly vegetables, with only a small portion of protein. Three ounces of protein is considered to be a healthy serving size – that’s roughly the size of a deck of cards. Don’t make the mistake of cramming your plate full of meat and only a handful of vegetables, like some restaurants do. According to Doreen La Duca of Colorado State University, the portions found in restaurants are three to five times the size of what is considered a “reasonable” portion.
Here are some dinner ideas:

Meat & Potatoes – 455 calories

• 3 ounces of protein (poultry, beef, etc.)
• 1 medium-sized baked potato w/ 1 tablespoon of butter (or ½ cup of rice)
• ½ cup – 1 cup of preferred vegetable
Pasta & Protein – 355 calories
• 3 ounces of chicken
• ½ cup of pasta (serving should be the size of a small fist)
• ½ cup of spaghetti sauce
• Small salad (see Soup & Salad in lunch section for ideas)
Most college students don’t usually make a habit of carrying a food scale or measuring cups to the dining hall with them, so all of this talk of cups, tablespoons and ounces may be making your head spin. No worries! This serving size comparison chart from Myfooddiary.com gives you some ideas of what the servings listed above should look like.

The final key to a healthy diet? Lots and lots of clear, refreshing water. Dehydration is often mistaken for hunger, so be sure to stay hydrated in order to avoid unhealthy snacking. About 64 ounces of water (eight 8-ounce glasses, or two Nalgene bottles!) per day should quench your thirst. Try to avoid supplementing your necessary water with soda and fruit juices – both are high in sugar, which can make you crave more sugar and therefore lead to unnecessary eating.

The meals suggested above are just that – suggestions. You can substitute something else in to suit your dietary needs and preferences and still get a healthy balance of the nutrients that your body needs. Regular meals should be supplemented with healthy snacks, provided that your portions at regular meal times are moderate. Eating small snacks throughout the day, such as a piece of fruit, a granola bar or yogurt, is a great way to avoid eating unnecessarily large portions at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Just remember – a little planning ahead is all that is needed in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Note: The meals listed above have been previously used to aid in weight loss. According to Merck & Co., Inc., a research-driven pharmaceutical company, active adult women (including college students) should be consuming approximately 2,000 calories per day, while young men require about 2,400 calories per day. The calories required to maintain one’s weight vary based on height, current weight and age – these estimations are simply average. The meals provided in this article would provide the consumer with approximately 1,050-1,200 calories per day, which is why healthy snacks are encouraged in between meals. If you are attempting to lose weight, a reduction of 500 calories in your daily intake of calories is a healthy way in which to do so. One pound of fat is equal to approximately 3,500 calories (according to Myfooddiary.com), so a reduction of 500 calories per day over the course of seven days will result in the loss of one pound per week. However, consult with your primary physician before making any drastic changes to your diet.

With just about two months between graduation and move-in day, I experienced a major period of denial. I kept telling myself and others that, “I [was] sooo ready to go to college,” but I really didn’t know what IC had in store for me. It took me until two weeks ago to fully comprehend the fact that I am not going home and I do have to adjust to living without the conveniences- and annoyances (which are a bit easier to deal with)- of living with my family.

See Caylena's Facebook page.

My college career began in the nontraditional way of Community Plunge, a special program that focuses on building leadership and friendship through small group community service. I could not have imagined a better way to start off my time here than by “taking the plunge,” even though I had to live alone in my double room for three days, waiting fervently for my roommate to arrive. Not only was my experience as a plunger exciting and fun, but I also was able to meet so many new people and had the opportunity to make a complete fool of myself, on my second day here, in front of the rest of my fellow plungers and the leaders as I participated in Travelin’ Max’s virgin margarita drinking contest.

The transition from Community Plunge to Continuing Orientation began with the long-awaited arrival of my roommate, Lizz. Moving Lizz in proved to be a success, and so began the task of learning to live with someone. I am probably very lucky with my room assignment, not only because my roomie is one of my closest friends on campus, but also because our room happens to be right across the hall from the laundry room! So, even though I wasn’t placed in any of my “top choices” on my residential preference form, I am incredibly satisfied with my room in the Upper Quads, compared to the annoying room in the Towers, which I resided in during orientation.

Attending the last July orientation session and being an exploratory student is not a fantastic combination during scheduling, so from the ride home from orientation with my mother up until the Tuesday night before the beginning of classes, when I learned I was allowed to change my schedule, I complained about the lack of desirable classes that I would be taking. Because of the registration system and my slow Internet account, I was able to add and drop classes until I had much better classes. With the start of classes, the reality of college was beginning to finally sink in.

Adjusting to a weekly class schedule and multiple group meetings, on-campus lectures or concerts, and the stairs/walking everywhere are still conscious battles for me. Time management, the freedom, and the overwhelming number of opportunities available to me are things that all college students have to deal with, but are probably some of the most challenging aspects of freshmen life. For many of us, it is the first time that we really have to do things for ourselves, and don’t have others to rely on to tell us how many things to join, when to go to class or when to do homework. I still am trying to work out which study habits work best for me, and how to keep the Internet from distracting me from my work, because everyone knows how addicting Facebook and iChat can be. As it is, I still stay up half the night attempting to finish assignments because my friends so easily sidetrack me, especially when they suck me into driving to Syracuse, since I am one of the few freshmen who paid the extraordinarily high price for a parking permit.

Before coming to school, I was very anxious about making friends. I had never really needed to make friends because I went to a school where the social structure was pretty set, so friends were not an issue. But coming here and not knowing each person I saw made me nervous and also made me hate orientation because most of the people in my session were tense and trying to fit into nonexistent standards. This idea really disturbed me because I had not found any people at orientation that were likely to be my real friends at college, and I felt discouraged. I do have friends now, though, and it is not actually as difficult as I thought it would be to make friends, seeing as how I waved to and knew so many people on Sunday at Applefest and the people I was with kept telling me that I knew everyone.

Of course, recognizing people can be a good thing or a bad thing, which brings this discussion to the topic of choice on many college campuses, none other than Facebook. Most people know that Facebook is a website for networking between people based on your college, school, job, and as of recently, your region. Well, I know for myself, the first thing I did after registering my IC email address with ITS was register it with Facebook. I then proceeded to search for my high school friends and join the most random groups. Throughout the summer, I made friends with some new classmates via Facebook and also added and was added by random people that I still do not know. Here in lies the problem- while I did talk to some people and meet them in real life once everyone was moved in, there were still a whole slew of folks that I hadn’t met. So now when I recognize people either in the dining hall, or elsewhere, I sometimes can’t tell if I know them in real life or if I had seen them online. Despite this awkwardness evoked by the website, the networking can also be quite useful, as most students have an account, so if you need to contact someone in a class or for whatever reason, it is usually fairly simple to find them on Facebook and send them a message.

With all of these observations and occurrences, I am settling in to my new life in Ithaca. As the days pass, weeks pass, and now it is October, which is sort of unbelievable because I have been here for over a month and it feels like a few days. What is there to say about college and Ithaca? I did not know what to expect coming in, and I still can’t predict anything that will happen because my experiences thus far have been so diverse and random. What I do know, despite my intense workload and the crazy erratic weather, is that I love it here at Ithaca College.