Affordable eats can make students more affable, healthy

Editor,

It’s proven that college makes you gain weight.  
The “freshman 15” is the dreaded statistic we hear entering college life.  Stress can cause bad eating behaviors.  Then, of course, students are busy — too busy to cook or have time to get to a kitchen between meals.  It’s hard to be in college and eat healthy.  
Mommy and daddy aren’t buying and making food. However, a healthy student is a good student.

USA Today reports that 66 percent of college freshmen do not eat proper amounts of vegetables and fruits.  Instead, the study showed 60 percent of freshmen eat artery-clogging saturated fat.  

Fifty-nine percent of those surveyed reported not being aware of horrible eating habits until college, and 41 percent of students reported a decline in their overall happiness their freshman year.  

There may or may not be a connection between happiness and eating.
It can be affordable to eat well.  The United States Department of Agriculture suggests eating three times a day and limit snacking to twice a day.

Be aware of how often you eat and try to eat at similar times.
Livestrong suggests buying from farmers markets that sell cheap, local and fresh food. When you find time to go buy in bulk, freeze what you can.  

Restaurants, for the most part, are a waste of money. Healthy places are expensive and the cheap restaurants are generally unhealthy and filled with fats.

Local grocery stores like Village Market, Fruit Basket and Talin Market are fairly cheap compared to grocery chains like Albertsons and Smith’s.  

When you go, buy in bulk.  
Try to buy potatoes, oatmeal, whole-wheat pasta, brown rice and beans.  Seek sales on produce and take advantage.
If you do choose to snack, Young Women’s Health suggests animal crackers, canned fruit, protein and energy bars, fresh fruit, granola bars, high fiber cereal, nuts, oatmeal, popcorn, pudding, canned soup, trail mix and tuna fish.
Try to cook if you can, and be aware of what you eat.  

For now, I want to give you tips on making a college staple more exciting.  College students are notorious for eating Ramen because it is cheap and hearty.  The website, MattFischer.com, has recipes for Ramen.

Thelma Greenfield
UNM student