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The Healthy Study Snack List
For those of us lucky college kids, its Mid-term time again! Do your brain and body a favor and snack smart during those late-night study sessions, hours of Facebook homework and pages of papers. ;)
Stress really does make you hungry, but if you eat yourself into a Hot Cheeto food-coma, your grades and your waist-line will suffer. Here is my list of the top Healthy Study Snacks for whatever you are craving:
1. Popcorn – Great snack instead of chips! They now make 94% fat-free Whole Grain popcorn, which is just 20 calories per cup. Paired with a tart green apple, it’s a perfect salty/crunchy healthy alternative
2. Low-fat string cheese – I just learned today that Kraft makes string cheese in ‘Sweet BBQ,’ ‘Tomato Basil,’ and ‘Cracked Black Pepper’ flavor. For only 60 calories, I’d try all three! Portion control makes string cheese a great snack.
3. Steamed Edamame – the shelled soybeans will be the perfect replacement for nuts or trail mix. (Trail mix and nuts aren’t unhealthy but if you’re like me, it’s hard to stick to the 3 Tablespoon serving size.) These things are addicting but with only 60 calories per 1/4 Cup of edamame and a ton of protein, snack on!
4. Non-fat Yogurt – Add fresh fruit for extra credit : ) It’s a balance of protein, calcium, vitamins and minerals. Your body will thank you.
5. Something Caffeinated: Skinny Latte’s or Non-fat Cappuccino – the worst thing you can do to your body when it’s already in a heightened state of stress from school is chug an energy drink. Seriously – those things have more sugar than a regular soda, not to mention chemicals that are in no way natural or beneficial to your body. Skinny latte’s are the perfect non-fat, sugar-free pick-me-up.
6. Something Hot: Oatmeal – if it’s a cold night and you’re looking for something comforting to go with reading your textbook, don’t underestimate the power of a bowl of oats :P It’s not just for breakfast! I’ve made oatmeal for dessert plenty of nights, but go for a low-sugar variety.
7. Something cold: Popsicles! So many fruity flavors, even chocolate. The sugar-free kinds are just as delicious and usually under 50 calories. Have 2!
8. If you absolutely must go to the vending machine: Nature Valley Granola Bar – They do have a decent amount of sugar, which could leave you hungry again after an hour or two, but they are 382 times better than a King-Size candy bar or bag of cheese puffs (who wants orange dust all over your keyboard anyways?!).
If you are as big a fan of Pinterest as I am, Pin this Study Snack List here:
And I’m a college girl with mid-terms myself so share your own study tips/healthy snacks! :)
Nutrition 101 (Part II)
Yesterday I started raving about the Nutrition lecture in my Healthy Lifestyles class. I didn’t quite get to finish! You can read the first part here.
Picking up where we left off,
F.) Once upon a time, all meat and dairy products had our recommended allowance of Omega-3 fatty acids, the good fats that are essential to our bodies. Then, we began to alter the diet of our cows, chickens and pigs; they went from grazers and scratchers to being fed corn. Now, their meat no longer contains Omega-3s, but Omega-6’s instead. While Omega-3 is an anti-inflammatory, Omega-6’s are pro-inflammatory. Now we must eat wild-caught fish, flaxseeds, canola oil and walnuts to get the Omega-3 fatty acids, but most people resort to a supplements.
G.) Fun Fact: The average American consumes 300 more calories per day now than they did in 1985. (That adds up!)
Stock Up Smart!
H.) Grocery Shopping tip: to stock up on healthy groceries, shop the perimeter of the store. That’s where all of the natural products are – the produce, dairy, deli, breads, etc. The center aisles are full of processed and junk foods that can be avoided.
I.) Along the same lines as above, be smart about what you buy in bulk at stores like Clark’s or Sprout’s. I love trail mix and nut medleys, but I know that if I have a 2lb. bag in my pantry, I will eat the whole thing way too quickly. Find out the serving sizes of what you are buying in bulk, try to measure out servings and stick to them.
J.) There are always conflicting reports about what is and is not nutritious. For instance, the recent USDA’s “My Plate” says to add a glass of a dairy product to your meal. The recent Harvard School of Public Health’s very similar plate says to limit your dairy intake. Some studies say eggs are good, some say eggs are bad. Sometimes you just have to use your best judgement, and when in doubt, Moderation.
I feel like we just touched the tip of the ice burg, but that about sums up the lecture. Feel free to add any healthy nutrition tips below in the comment section!
Pin this here: 
Pre-Weekend Workout
The Gilmore Girls will be reunited in T-3 hours! No, not the originals…my mom and I! She is driving up for the weekend as we speak, so I got myself to the gym bright and early.
I like to “pre-burn” calories before I eat them, and knowing that we would be out and about the next three days, I had a lot of pre-burning to do! Again, I was treated to an empty gym. I say it every time like I’m surprised, which I shouldn’t be because it is always this way. I just can’t wrap my brain around how 20,000 students can pass up this brand new two-story exercise center!
Anyways, this morning was a repeat of last Friday’s Rise and Grind Workout, with some minor adjustments because I had to get through it FAST.
Instead of doing the bicep, tricep and back exercises with free weights, I opted for machines.
As always, the lunges and squats kicked my butt (while BUILDING my butt…oh the irony). Some one told me that if you smile while you work out, you can trick your brain into thinking you are actually having fun:
(Smile like this in the gym and people will think you are absolutely crazy.) I didn’t understand – isn’t working out already fun?! ;) Okay some days it takes more work than others. But I left the gym satisfied that I would be guilt-free eating out tonight! Time to have a monumental mother-daughter weekend. Happy Friday!
