David Delgado
Eating is the last thing on a student’s mind. It’s hard enough trying to get to class on time, deciding what to wear and maneuvering off Interstate 45 to make that right turn on Cullen.
Moreover, students forget that breakfast does not have to be loaded with carbs and sugar. It may be more expensive than a sugar bomb, but if you can find it on campus, grab an apple, a banana, a pear and 16 fluid ounces of water — breakfast is served.
In order to keep our brain power at maximum capacity, it is important to eat small meals throughout the day. The goal is: every few hours, eat something. Remember the brain is constantly burning off calories with every new Calculus formula learned, or when writing a ten page paper for English class — even while learning the basic laws of physics.
One point to keep in mind is toddlers know best. Observe a kid for a day and you will notice that they are always hungry — or always putting some kind of snack in their mouths. That’s not a bad thing. We somehow forget this as adults. Eating small meals throughout the day keeps your metabolism going. Some doctors suggest eating every two hours.
If those calories are burned and not replaced with small healthy meals, students will reach lunch with growling stomachs. This is what leads to the tendency to overeat. Sluggishness kicks in. Once that occurs, who wants to study?
Instead, just think how delicious a super-sized salad with hard boiled egg is. Raw broccoli bites with ranch dressing, taco salads, bite size carrots, walnuts, grapes, oranges and lightly-salted cashews are all wonderful snacks in between classes. These super foods are light and full of antioxidants. By 11 a.m., it’s time to get some real food — all the protein and carbs a student can get.
To some degree, carbohydrates are okay. Believe it or not, high caloric intake should be eaten between noon and 3 p.m., when the body is able to quickly digest, rather than right before bedtime.
Already start each day with proper snacks and plenty of water? You are well on your way. Proper diet and exercise will not only reduce stress, it will enable students to study longer and enjoy well-balanced lifestyles for the years to come.
Choosing between a cheap bag of chips and a no-added-sugar oatmeal bar is the difference between being an A student and a C student.
Kamilah Sage is an economics senior and may be reached at [email protected].
But Kamilah, you have ignored the elephant in the living room. The only way to keep the wolf from your door is to eat protein. A hard boiled egg, a cheese stick, a piece of sausage. don't be lured into the sugar trap. Because while sugar is sugar, it is also in Many processed foods, including those oatmeal bars. It's protein that will save you my girl. Keep those grades up. Been a long time since I lived off Cullen and was at UH daily. Good to know things are still percolating there.
Linda West Eckhardt
James Beard award winning cookbook author
Editor Everybody Eats News.
check it out
if it was good to eat healthy unprocessed foods, uh would have them available throughout the campus. clearly students should be drinking soda and eating junk food as snacks and then have fast food as a meal, then starbucks as another snack, and then grab some more fast food before going home.
i agree. if you go to Einstein's they have cookie bites (a cookie cut in pieces) and muffin bites covered in sugar and the fruit cup is $5 when it should be $3. if you want to get anything remotely healthy you have to go to the food mart on the first floor of Calhoun lofts where they have alot of protein bars, roasted nuts, and vegetables with dip and hummus. the problem is the availability and readiness of the healthier choices at the closer restaurants. i bring my own snacks and lunches every day because it is cheaper and i know what im putting in my body. it amazes me to see so many overweight people stuffing their faces with greasy fries and burgers….. and you wonder why you are fat.