Any good advice on eating healthy in the college dining halls (with all of that unlimited food)? I want to lose a few pounds so that I can race better (and I gained a bit of weight in college probably one reason being the dining halls).
Should I stick with fruits, veggies, salad at each meal? Any suggestions?
Do you drink beer at all? Do you drink soda?
Eat a colorful plate, stay away from the natty ice, don't drink soda. If you are still worried, start doing morning runs of 5-6 miles every day.
bump want to know too
Having worked with a lot of National teams in the past, I know how the "athlete's village" mentality can be a bit overwhelming when it comes to unlimited, often new-tasting, food. The college dining halls are no exception.
What I try to instill in these athletes is to limit their servings to 1 plate, without having to pile or layer food on top of more food. Drink a lot of water. If you want to get a bit more "technical", monitor your weight every couple of days and back off the extra heavy food if you're gaining excess weight. Monitor your hydration by keeping a keen eye on your urine color. It should be "nearly" clear (yellowish hue) first thing in the morning. Urine color scales are also readily available on the net if you want to get a bit more precise and pee in a bottle. Staying hydrated with water and gatorade will lower your appetite a bit.
But, in general, keep an eye on your serving sizes. I know athletes, especially during hard periods of training, feel that they need mounds and mounds of pasta/veggies/meat etc. The reality is a plate's worth of nutrituous, energy-dense food should be more than enough to keep you healthy and going strong. As the above posters have eluded to, try to keep your plate colorful (rich greens, oranges and reds are always a good choice) and try to limit the extra-heavy, greasy pasta sauces the dining halls tend to make.
Hope that helps you out a bit. Good luck!
jT