Evan Rogers

College students often find it hard to fit in a nutritious meal between classes, work, studying, and sleep. However, nutrition can play a crucial role in your academic achievements. Proper nutrition will not only boost your immune systems to get you through cold and flu season and help to reduce stress, but it will also help with cognitive function while writing papers and studying for exams.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This meal is easily skipped by students with early morning classes and supplemented with caffeine. According to BMC Nutrition, a peer-reviewed journal focusing on nutritional sciences, “Breakfast, gives the brain energy it needs to perform better cognitively… and has been linked to good learning.”

It’s also important for college students to keep up their energy levels throughout the day to avoid a mid-day crash. According to Wendy Dresner Richman, a professor here at Penn State Abington and a registered dietician, at least 300 calories fuel the brain with glucose for 4-5 hours. We want these calories to be from high quality sources.

Options at Penn State Abington’s campus are limited, as Lares Cafe is the only dining option on campus.  Even with limited dining options, it’s best to choose the healthiest options.

Lares Cafe Healthiest Breakfast Option:

 Fried egg and cheese sandwich on whole wheat bagel

Although a fried egg is not the healthiest option, it’s the best option they have to offer.  Their whole wheat bagel is the healthiest bread option.

Lares Cafe Healthiest Lunch/Dinner Options:

Grilled Chicken Sandwich, Chef Salad or Caesar Salad.

They also have the option to build your own salad which provides the opportunity to add vegetables, edamame, sunflower seeds, garbanzo beans, or olives as the healthiest add-ons.

If you have a car or know someone on campus who can give you a ride, there are plenty of food stores in the area to pick up your own healthy foods.  Here is a list of the food stores and foods that can be bought that are easy and convenient to eat while on the go, on campus, or at your desk.

Target Grocery: a little over a mile away from Sutherland. A 4-minute drive, 30-minute walk.

Whole Foods: 1 mile away from Sutherland. A 4-minute drive, 21-minute walk.

Trader Joes: 1.7 miles away from Sutherland.  A 7-minute drive, 34-minute walk.

MOMS Organic Market: a little over 2 miles away from Sutherland. 9-minute drive.

Acme: 2.3 miles away, 9-minute drive

Giant: 3 miles from Sutherland, 11-minute drive

**All drive and walk times were obtained from Google Maps.

Healthy On-the-Go Breakfast Options:

Eggs
-Hard boil them for a quick grab.

Yogurt
-Go with plain yogurt and add fruit yourself to control the amount of sugar

Oatmeal
-Soak overnight with milk or water so there is no prep needed in the morning.
-Top with fruit and/or mix in peanut butter to add flavor

Avocado Toast
-Use whole wheat toast as it’s a healthier option than white bread

Fruit
-Apples, Oranges, Bananas, Peaches, Plums

Healthy On-the-Go Snack Options:

Nuts
-A handful will do and can be kept in a backpack for when you’re on campus or studying.

Edamame
-High in protein and fiber

Hummus
-Can use vegetables or whole wheat pita bread for dipping

Popcorn
-Avoid microwave popcorn and other options that contain palm oil

Fruit and Vegetables
-Cut into slices and keep in backpack as a handy finger food

Nut Butter Packets
-Calorie dense.
-High in protein and fiber

Whole Grain Rice Cakes

-Can top with hummus and cucumbers, peanut butter and fruit, or avocado

Protein Bars
-Try not to rely on these and when choosing one, choose one with the least amount of sugar

Adding nutritious foods to our diet is important, but its also important to avoid certain foods that can deplete our energy and can make our brain foggy.

Foods to Avoid

Foods with Added Sugar
-A short spike of energy followed by a crash

Fried Foods and Fast Food
-Can make us feel sluggish and often take the place of nutritious foods that can supply us with energy

Processed Grains (rice, pasta, bread)
-Simple carbohydrates that spike blood sugar and insulin and cause a crash shortly afterwards