Julia Busatto
The Silhouette

1. Plan Your Day/Prepare meals in advance
This may seem like a no brainer, but take 10 minutes out of your day either in the morning or the night before to make a food plan. If you use a planner or day journal, write in the times where you think you will want to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. (Don’t forget to include snack times too!) This will not only regulate a food schedule, but help you make time to eat healthy. Also, if possible, allow yourself time to make meals in advance. Tupperware is a student’s best friend. On Monday nights I know I have five hours of class with a 40-minute break. Since I don’t have time to go home, I plan to bring leftover pasta or a sandwich.

2. Grab and Go Healthy Snacks
No matter how long you plan to be out for, always have a piece of fruit or a healthy nut or protein bar with you. Eating fairly frequently, specifically every three hours, will help you maintain your blood sugar and decrease over-eating at mealtime. Other grab and go snacks like yogurt and cheese can be easily tucked in your purse or backpack. The night before put the snacks you plan to bring tomorrow in the same place at home, so on the rush out the door in the morning they are easily available.

3. Be Smart when Dining Out
Although we try hard, we always end up grabbing a meal out every so often, especially when we are busy. Restaurants realize our desire to eat healthy, and offer many healthy options. When eating out, look for words like steamed, baked, poached, roasted, broiled or grilled. Do your best to avoid foods with the words fried, crispy, pan-fried, sautéed or stuffed which are good indications that the foods are high in unhealthy fats.

4. Stay Hydrated
I cannot stress enough how important it is to drink frequently throughout the day. Often you may feel hungry when you are dehydrated, causing you to overeat. Carry a portable water bottle around with you throughout the day, which will also help you refrain from drinking juice and pop, which are high in sugars and caffeine.

5. Supplement
No matter how good your diet may be, it is incredibly difficult to have a perfect nutritional profile. A good quality multivitamin/mineral is a must-have, along with probiotic supplementation. Every person is different and needs a different supplementation plan to stay healthy. Vitamins are a quick and easy way to get nutrients you may be missing in your diet, or do not have time to consume.

Eating healthy doesn’t have to take a significant chunk out of your day. If you plan ahead, which us Marauders should be professionals at by now, maintaining a healthy diet while busy can be an easy task.