Tips for healthy eating on a college budget

Returning to classes in the spring usually means balancing the old with the new. The traditional plenty of Winter Break and the realities of a strict diet contrast starkly with the relatively decent shape you had worked into before the holidays, and the flab now hanging from your frame. So I began to wonder: Is it possible to live up to New Year's resolutions about health while new classes, crappy jobs and a crazy budget combine to make eating unhealthily the simplest option?

Here are some frugal and healthy tips from an eternal student:

1.  Eat "Home-Cookin'" – Eating at home (yours, not your parents') not only saves money, but it allows you to control what and how much you eat. With a little forethought and for about the same price as a sausage, egg and cheese bagel and iced mocha latte, or whatever your particular morning addiction happens to be, you can prepare the equivalent for many days. Use plastic wrap and reuse grocery bags to package food, utilizing the freezer for storage and weekly variety. Dedicate water bottles for water, juice, coffee or tea to prevent coffee-flavored juice.

2.  Go Native – Grains and rice made into bread and noodles are integral parts of our ancestral humanity. They are also at the base of the USDA Food Pyramid, which recommends six to 11 servings daily. Luckily, supermarkets are loaded with bread products, noodles and cereals that are cheap and easy to prepare.  Spend more time in the produce isle because five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables are recommended for every day. Be creative with whatever is on sale by Googling a recipe that sounds good, then experiment with it. Freeze the leftovers in individual serving containers and remember to label them.

3.  Take a Hike – Exercise is a great substitute for celery sticks. We are lucky to have open spaces surrounding our campus, so get out there and explore, or ride a bike up some hills. Fruit and granola bars are highly portable, and nothing beats a trailside sunset with the native extravagance of smoked gouda, veggie crackers, pocket knife-sliced pears and a buttery Chardonnay.

4.  Go Out to Lunch – As a restaurant critic on a budget, I know the best deal is always lunch. The smallest portions are usually served, and who says you have to eat everything? Eat half and save half for a later meal, simultaneously stretching the budget and shrinking the waist.

5.  Drink More (Water) – Your body is 55 to 65 percent water, and we live in a very dry climate. Most college students drink coffee, which in large quantities acts as a diuretic, and some college students choose to drink alcohol, which dehydrates the body, among other things.  Purchasing beverages can become a huge expense, so buy in bulk or try making some tea or lemonade at home.