I want you to think of eating a little different now that you are on your own. You are going to have to make a choice for every meal, snack and morsel that goes in your mouth. Eating should first and foremost be about fueling your body and your brain. I want you to think about the importance of what goes into your mouth to help you get the results you want. I am not talking about becoming a health nut, training for an iron man or going all plant based. I want you to make conscious decisions about your food choices that will have a real impact for you. Here are a few ideas to help you make good choices. 

1. Start your day with some natural sugar (a banana, an apple, any piece of fruit or an OJ). Give your brain and your body a natural sugar boost. The apple has fiber that will make you feel full and hold you over just a bit more while you sit in class. Ideally you dunk that fruit into a nut butter. Apples and peanut butter or bananas and almond butter make a good start to the day. 

2. Think about a protein source every time you eat. No one is ever protein deficient (really) but the more you fuel your body with a protein source, the less likely you will reach for the junk. For breakfast that could be anything with eggs or breakfast meats, nut butters, protein shake or a protein bar. During lunch, this could be beans and rice, salads with meat choices, chili, soups, 

3. Vegetables have to find their way into your diet. You probably have many you like and you need to make the choice to add them to your plate. Starting your meal with a simple salad will fill you up with good for you, whole foods and you may be less hungry for the fried stuff. Fruit is also a great source of the vitamins and minerals you need to eat some of that too.

4. Have a protein bar you love on hand at all times. Keep one in your backpack for when you are not in your room. Have something to eat that will hopefully keep you from reaching for Cheetos when you are starving. If you get to the point of super hungry the bad stuff is not going to satisfy your hunger. 

5. The saying “You are what you eat” is over used and annoying to hear but honestly it is SO TRUE! Junk food, fried food, processed food, will leave behind a trail. It could be acne, tiredness, fogginess, lack of attention, stomach pains, heartburn, hair thinning and a host of other ways it shows up during your day. If you decide you want to be high functioning on your own then you need to eat that way too.