College Diet Help

[SwolerThanGabe]

Hi, I'm a student at Loyola New Orleans, and I could use some help planning a more healthy diet, since I'm on meal plan. Could someone critique what I'm doing and perhaps come up with some healthier alternatives?

9AM Breakfast:
Eggs, Hasbrowns, Sausage/Bacon, 20oz Water
Go to Class

11AM WorkOut - 20min cardio, 1 hour weights, sometimes an extra 15 minutes cardio afterwards

2:00 Class and another 20oz water, maybe a yogurt or something to hold me over

6PM Dinner
It's all-you-can-eat, but generally I get one plate of food, plus a salad. Generally the entree is something pretty carb-heavy (all they serve), like pasta or rice with some chicken, pork, or beef.

Looking at this now, I'm realizing the breakfast could probably use some work.
Here's a link to the "menu" on the dining services website
http://www.loyno.edu/dining.services/ormenu.html
It's not completely accurate (dated).

A big problem with our cafeteria is that they define "healthy" as being "vegetarian," which we all know is way off base.

Any and all help is appreciated!

 

[Grizzly]

Well, dude, your protein (and probably your overall caloric intake) is way too low. Go to the store and buy a bunch of tuna fish. Put it in your closet or under the bed or something and eat that frequently throughout the day. Some protein powder might be helpful, too. Either way, you need to eat more frequently. Like twice as many times as you are eating now.

 

[SwolerThanGabe]

What about chicken salad, is it healthy? I really hate the taste/smell of tuna.

 

[110%]

What about chicken salad, is it healthy? I really hate the taste/smell of tuna.

you can also buy canned chickens, just buy that instead of tuna if you hate tuna.

 

[NateDogg]

What about chicken salad, is it healthy? I really hate the taste/smell of tuna.

It probably has a ton of fat in it (mayo) if you are getting it in your cafe, ask them though, maybe they use low fat mayo? You never know until you ask I guess.

ND

 

[strength]

listen up, your current diet needs help

you better learn to like tuna, dont like the smell?? cmon gimme a break.

U need to supplement protein shakes and eat every three hours. Layt off the sausage and bacon on the morning, eat one or the other and some good carbs, i like grapefruit in the morning. Your water intake is way to low as well. Do some more research and youll be on your way. General guidlines can be easily fulfilled while in college. The basics, Tuna, chicken, fish, water(lots of it). healthy fats(flax oil), stay away from beer, eat good clean food, and eat it often, once you get the hang of a regular diet look into some more supplementation, i.e creatine, ALA, and whatever else you want,

and never do cardio before a workout, save that for last, you burn more fat that way and save energy for your workout

 

[ladymacbeth]

Hi, I'm a student at Loyola New Orleans, and I could use some help planning a more healthy diet, since I'm on meal plan. Could someone critique what I'm doing and perhaps come up with some healthier alternatives?


Hi Gabe, I too know the horrors of the meal plan. I cancelled mine after one quarter, especially after seeing those sunday breakfast...EGADS! Unless you have crazy willpower, I suggest you go without it next quarter, and take everyone's advice and start stocking up on tuna, etc.

The salad bar here always had raw tuna, have you checked? Say you don't like the smell? Suck. It. Up.

My advice would be to get the menu for the meal hall and plan the healthiest meals a few weeks in advance. That always kept me straight. Also, if you don't already, try getting an account on something like www.fitday.com (it's free), and break down the meals you plan BEFORE YOU EAT THEM, to see exactly where you're getting your pro/fat/carbs. I'm saying this because meal plan foods are often complicated (i.e. eggplant chicken parmesan), so you can't very well say "just ignore everything and eat tuna, because it's safe". Try seeing what's actually in the stuff you're putting down your gullet, you might be surprised...

If your diet isn't up to par, make it so. Imagine the respect and admiration you'll receive when you're the only dude on the meal plan who doesn't put on 30 pounds of fish sticks...

And stay away from that ice cream machine. I'm serious. Put down that cone. Put it down! I know you're thinking about it!

 

[BarryMcCalkiner]

Tuna

Part of the problem with tuna is that most people go for the cheap stuff, which is usually labelled something like "chunk light tuna." Instead, spend a bit more for the white albacore kind. Your nose and your taste buds will thank you!!!!!

Also, make sure to get it packed in water and not oil.


B-Mac

 

[SwolerThanGabe]

Thanks Ladymacbeth, that fitday site is great! I know I've been needing to do a food journal for awhile, but that makes it really easy.
Strength, as far as sausage and bacon go, it's just one or the other. I figure I need some protein in the morning, and if I'm gonna get something greasy like that, it's better in the morning.
Where in my day should I supplement the protein shakes?

Thanks everyone, this is SO helpful. You guys rock.

 

[ladymacbeth]

Thanks Ladymacbeth, that fitday site is great! I know I've been needing to do a food journal for awhile, but that makes it really easy.
Strength, as far as sausage and bacon go, it's just one or the other. I figure I need some protein in the morning, and if I'm gonna get something greasy like that, it's better in the morning.
Where in my day should I supplement the protein shakes?

Thanks everyone, this is SO helpful. You guys rock.

I would stay away from the bacon and sausage, and load up on more eggs. Try giving the ladies and gentlemen who work there a wink and a nod, and see if they'll whip you up a gigantic plate of egg whites. Throw some cottage cheese on there, and you're set protein-ified.

And if they have a soul food night once a month like they used to here, make sure that THAT is your cheat day. Ummmmmmmm...mashed potatos and biscuits....ummmmmmmmfmdmdmjfdkfjadmklf

Whoa, sorry, I need to get outta the house...

 

[PinK233]

If you have a small refrigerator/microwave in your room you can do alot with that....when I was dorming I usually had plain oats, egg whites (carton), lots of tuna, salad and protein bars/shakes, that would pretty much take care of most of my meals....you can probably get chicken/turkey/vegetables in your school cafeteria so you can make that another meal...

 

[TheProject]

Just one caveat about fitday: I started to use their site to track my data, and discovered that their nutritional info didn't jive with what I was pulling off the packages. You can setup custom foods in there, which you might want to do if you notice any discrepancies.

 

[ladymacbeth]

Just one caveat about fitday: I started to use their site to track my data, and discovered that their nutritional info didn't jive with what I was pulling off the packages. You can setup custom foods in there, which you might want to do if you notice any discrepancies.

Good call project. However, Fitday is usually right and packaged foods are usually wrong. For instance, a 2 liter bottle of diet soda has about 45 cals, not the 0 that you would get from entering in the label information. Pretty minor, but you get the point. The good thing about fitday is that you can bypass all of the bullshit that companies throw at you in order to make you think that their product is lighter/higher protein/no fat/ etc.

The one exception is that whole foods and natural foods tend to be pretty honest, especially because I've noticed that some whole foods companies don't round their numbers, and also include a sugar content where a lot of corporate type foods do not. Ok, Ok enough with my corporate rant...

 

[Grizzly]

Re: listen up, your current diet needs help

you better learn to like tuna, dont like the smell?? cmon gimme a break.

Damn straight, dude! I hate tuna fish. I mean, I fucking HATE it, but I still eat atleast 4 cans/day. How do I do it? I squish it up in the strainer really well and then I place big fingerfulls into my mouth and swallow them with some water. It almost completely eliminates the taste factor. No chewing=little taste.

 

[ladymacbeth]

Re: Re: listen up, your current diet needs help

Damn straight, dude! I hate tuna fish. I mean, I fucking HATE it, but I still eat atleast 4 cans/day. How do I do it? I squish it up in the strainer really well and then I place big fingerfulls into my mouth and swallow them with some water. It almost completely eliminates the taste factor. No chewing=little taste.

damn dude, that's some serious hatred. Ever tried the stuff in airlocked bags?

 

[Tempra]

Re: Re: College Diet Help

And stay away from that ice cream machine. I'm serious. Put down that cone. Put it down! I know you're thinking about it!

LOL@@!!