Torie Hutchinson
The Corsair
First Year Fatties, the Fresher Five, and Easy 15 are just a few names for the Freshman 15. In their first year of college, students get to experience a brand new life style.
In high school, students were told what time to eat lunch and had only a small variety of foods available to choose from. In college, students have the opportunity to choose their own class schedule, which allows students to decide when to have a break to eat or do other activities. Even though the freshman 15 is considerd a myth, weight gain is still common among freshmen students.
Weight gain in students can be caused by having an unbalanced diet, according to Teens Health. There are many reasons why a student may have an unbalanced diet. For many students, college is their first time living on their own. Without having their parents telling them what to do, they eat all of the foods that they could not before and may leave out healthier foods.
Also, students often buy cheaper foods in order to save money, but they do not realize how picking poor quality foods affects their health. Often cheaper foods are higher in fat with far fewer nutrients. Bodies need a proper balance of nutrients in order to function; a lack of nutrients can lead to malnutrition or obesity.
Students are normally in a rush. They are trying to study, get homework assignments done, and make it to class on time while still having an enjoyable social life. For freshmen, this can make them feel overwhelmed.
Many college students enjoy snacking during studying and social activities, but since they often feel rushed, they may not stop to consider what would be a healthier decision for a snack.
Snack choice makes an impact on weight. Many normal snacks, like Lay’s fried potato chips on average have 150 calories with 90 calories of fat in one bag. Lay’s baked potato chips are a healthier choice when compared to Lay’s fried potato chips because Lay’s baked potato chips have only 120 calories with 15 calories of fat per bag, according to the label.
Fast food can be a student’s best friend or worst enemy. The convenience fast food offers is being able to order and having the food prepared all in a short amount of time without leaving a vehicle. Fast food is also normally cheaper than a sit down restaurant which affects the overall quality of the food. Pensacola State College has recently added a Subway restaurant that can be part of a healthy on-the-go decision. Subway, compared to most fast food places, is not high in grease.
Greasy foods are high in fat and calories. Common greasyfoods are fries, fried chicken, and doughnuts. These types of foods can lead to many health problems like high cholesterol and blood pressure, weight gain, heart problems, and commonly gall stones.
“Even though I am not worried about weight gain, I do enjoy the healthy addition of subway to the Pensacola campus,” Pensacola State College freshman Brittany Candella said. “Especially since I already do have a gall stone from unhealthy eating.”
While health problems can occur from college students’ life styles, not all students willgain weight in their freshmen year of college. Pensacola State College sophomore Kwashia Reed said, “I lost weight my freshman year because I tried a little bit more to become healthier.”
Putting in some effort to become healthier is still improvement. One way is to consider how much time you will have between classes in order to give yourself enough time to walk to class instead of driving to class. Walking to class can help students meet the U.S. Department of Health recommendation that people should get at least 60 minutes of exercise to help stay healthy.
Students should consider even in a rush what they are consuming or how they can add exercise to their daily routine. That alone will help prevent the scare of the freshman 15.
Torie’s Picks
For Healthier Eating
Picking where to eat or what to eat near Pensacola State College campus can be a hard decision. Here are some places to try that do offer healthier meal options on their menus. All suggested meal ideas listed are trans-fat free. According to the American Heart Association, “Trans fats raise your bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and lower your good (HDL) cholesterol levels. Eating trans fats increases your risk of developing heart disease and stroke. It’s also associated with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.”
Subway
Pensacola State College actually has a new Subway right on campus. The Subway is easy to get to and offers healthy meals. Some of Subway’s healthier options are :
• 6” Turkey Breast on a 9-Grain Wheat bread
calories: 280 total fat: 3.5g saturated fat: 1g
• 6” Veggie Delite on a 9-Grain Wheat bread
calories: 230 total fat: 2.5g saturated fat: 0.5g
Panera Bread
Going to Panera Bread is a great decision; many Panera Bread restaurants list menu items with calorie information to help customers pick a healthier meal. Try these two items:
• Half Tuna Salad on Honey Wheat
calories: 240 total fat: 8g saturated fat: 2g
• Half Smoked Turkey Breast on Country
calories: 210 total fat: 1.5g saturated fat: 0g
Taco Bell
Taco Bell offers a Drive-Thru Diet for customers who are worried about nutrition. Try these off the Taco Bell Drive-Thru Diet:
• Fresco Chicken Soft Taco
calories: 150 total fat: 3.5g saturated fat: 1g
• Fresco Grilled Steak Soft Taco
calories: 150 total fat: 4g saturated fat: 1.5g
Chick-fi-A
Chick-fil-A is another Drive Thru option that serves healthier fast foods. When you’re on the go wanting something with chicken, try this:
• Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich
calories: 290 total fat: 4g saturated fat: 1g
• Chargrilled Chicken Garden Salad
calories: 180 total fat: 6g saturated fat: 3.5g
Starbucks
Wanting coffee with something sweet? Starbucks bakery has been working hard removing high fructose corn syrups, trans-fat, and dyes from their menus according to Starbucks. Here are some of their healthier bakery items to help that sweet tooth:
•Marshmallow Dream Bar
calories: 210 total fat: 4g saturated fat: 2.5g
• Petite Vanilla Bean Scone
calories: 140 total fat: 5g saturated fat: 2.5g