Last night, a nutritionist held some Q&A hours outside of ACDC to offer Vassar students some sound nutritional advice. VCFit, of course, was there to ask her a few questions we had about eating healthy on the meal plan.
The fruit and veggie selection at Vassar is a little questionable…what should we do about that?
As those of us who still eat at the DC know, our fresh fruit and veggie selection is limited. Fruit usually is limited to apples, oranges, bananas, and sometimes melon and pears, and while fresh veggies are better, they’re often stuck at the salad bar, raw and not always palatable. The nutritionist recommend that we do our best to incorporate all of these into our diet as much as possible, and to get creative with what we have; maybe instead of celery in the salad (AGAIN) we can put it with some peanut butter and raisins from the oatmeal area. She also said that, in order to supplement, its fine to take a multivitamin; ideally, we get our best nutrients from food, but there’s nothing wrong with it when all of the nutrients aren’t always accessible.
What’s the deal with coffee? We hear that the antioxidants are good, but the caffeine is bad?
The nutritionist said that coffee is definitely full of antioxidants, and for that reason, we should drink up. At the same time, caffeine depletes our body of micronutrients, especially calcium and phospherous, and is a diuretic, which means it forces liquid through our system and dehydrates us. The key to this paradox? Everything in moderation. Its fine to have a coffee in the morning, but not lots of it; 8-12 ounces is sufficient. Indulging more cups throughout the day can be damaging, but as long as we keep up hydration, calcium and phosphorous intake throughout the day, we shouldn’t have any worries. Still: don’t be a caffeine junkie! Sleep is a much more effective way to feel energized!
A lot of students are on a “minimum” or “standard” meal plan, which means they, on average, can only eat at the ACDC 1-2 times a day. What do you say to students who want to stay full throughout the day, but don’t want to overspend their DC points or overeat at meals?
This one can be tough, because we should be eating small meals over the course of a day, but let’s face it; I don’t like the DC enough to be on a big meal plan, and I only have one meal a day there. The nutritionist said that, when you can’t eat often, make sure your meals are healthy and full of good calories; too many fats and sugars will make us feel bad, which good food gives us energy. Also, the meals we do have should be high in protein and fiber, which keep us satiated much longer than carbs. She also mentioned that we must keep high-energy snacks on us; she said almonds, yogurt, and fruit were good, cheap things we can buy and keep in our dorm rooms for when we need a pick-me-up between meals. Also, don’t forget water; it, too, contributes to overall satiation.
She also offered some really great information about beverages, coffee, and snacking that we will be sure to share with in later posts!
Nutrition is important to our diet these days. The way food are processed today, the nutrients are depleted along with addition to preservatives and who knows what else. Fresh vegetables and fruits contain vital nutrients and minerals that our body needs. With fast food on the rise, people that don’t have time to fix a healthy meal, especially for students, will not get the daily recommended vitamins.