Tips on developing independent eating habits

One of the most basic functions and needs of our life is eating. We all know we need food to fuel our bodies. We have foods we like, those we avoid, those we have never had, and those we yearn to have one more time. Choosing food and dealing with the complicated relationship we have with it sometimes becomes one of the biggest challenges we face when we are in college.

Challenge 1: Navigating buffets. Attending CSB+SJU may be one of the first times you have such unrestricted
access to food… quantities, types, and times. When you enter the Reef or Gorecki, you are inundated with
choices. You might have always had someone else (parents, school) choose for you what you will have at a meal. This may be the first time you are choosing for yourself what you want and how much you want. And
there are always the choices that may be difficult to traverse: french fries, ice cream, desserts. You may also be missing your “home food”. Nothing may sound appetizing to you and this may impact your appetite or desire to eat. Oh, and don’t get me started on stress.

Challenge 2: Busy Schedule. You now must schedule yourself in everything. Classes, showering, socializing, studying, exercising, and eating. You may not always remember the importance of having time to slow down to eat and schedule your days full without much time to nourish yourself. Suddenly, eating becomes a much larger task than you anticipated. Plus, you might feel overwhelmed by the eateries on campus where you can
use your punches.

Challenge 3: Limited access to cooking space. You may be someone who enjoys preparing your own food, have food restrictions, want to make home food, or other situations in which having access to your own
preparation and cooking space would be important. Many of us do not have that access in our living spaces. You might feel limited by the appliances you are approved to have in your space. You might also be someone
who stays on-campus over breaks and feel additional limitation by the schedule available for on-campus food sources.

Some of these challenges are within your control; and some are not. You have the ability to work within what
you can control and seek information about the aspects that you cannot in order to improve your daily nutrition and help your body to function at its peak.

Recommendation: Schedule meal time. Work at the beginning of your week to ensure that you prioritize nutrition. Design your routine around time to have to eat.

Recommendation: Slow down. It can take around 30 minutes for your brain to register that you have eaten and when you are full, so you will need time to have a meal. You also have a richer and more enjoyable
experience of your food when you eat more slowly.

Recommendation: Keep your plate colorful. Your body needs minerals, vitamins, and nutrients from many types of food. A good goal to aim for is colorful meals which will provide a broad range of nutrients.

Recommendation: Advocate and ask questions. You may have more options than those of which you are
aware. Be brave and ask questions of your campus officials to understand what you have access to and what
flexibility may exist to have your needs met.

If you are having difficulty affording food and need resources, search “food” on myCSBSJU for information about food assistance and consider meeting with our campus dietitian through CSB+SJU Well-Being Center.