My Beef with Food

photo credit: Yaroslav Shuraev

by Juan Miguel Bugayong (Student Health Guest Blogger)

The demanding combination of attaining a degree, maintaining a social life, and growing as a student can be extremely difficult. We, in turn, tend to sacrifice parts of our daily lives in order to meet the vast rigor of college, and a lot of the time, it is our daily meals and nutritional intake that get deprioritized. 

I bet you can relate to this: You finally get up to the alarm you’ve been snoozing for too long. It’s about 10 minutes until class starts, and you immediately rush out of bed not even thinking twice about getting in a quick breakfast. After about 4-5 hours of straight classwork (and maybe a banana from the student health Farmer’s Market table if you’re lucky), you’re left with a lot of homework with deadlines, team projects that needed coordination with others, and midterms that needed to be studied for. Even though you haven’t eaten all day, the stress of your to–do list takes priority. 

I’ve lived this story, and I’m sure you have too. Even after three years of college, I am still struggling to eat three healthy meals a day, let alone a regular breakfast. Whether I’m reaching for granola bars or instant ramen, I’ve developed this idea that meals need to be quick and easy in order to comply with my busy lifestyle. 

If you’re like me, you’re definitely not alone. Instant ramen, mac and cheese, and microwavable chicken nuggets are among the highest eaten foods at colleges, and all of these delicacies have one underlying thing in common: quick and easy.

Plus, navigating the world of campus dining can be a challenge for students striving for healthier eating habits. In the hustle and bustle of college life, it's easy to succumb to the convenience of fast food and processed snacks. However, after taking some extra time to find the foods I like that also taste good and don’t take too long to make, I was able to plan meals that helped sustain a more fulfilling diet throughout the school year. 

 I took some time to really plan my meals in the kitchen and have strategies to overcome my fast food laziness. f you are looking at where to start, here are a few things I recommend: 

The Student Health Cookbook

One program that Well-being and Health Outreach Ambassadors (WHOA’s) in USC Student Health made that helped me was their new cookbook! This cookbook has everything you need about basic nutrition and grocery shopping tips covered, plus it includes recipes made by students that cover breakfast, snacks, main meals, and more. The cookbook helped me to be efficient with making meals while also eating a balanced diet. The best thing about this resource is that it was made by students, for students. I liked knowing that I was also capable of making a change towards a healthier lifestyle in nutrition, because other students were indirectly inspiring me along the way. 

Meal Planning

Another key strategy I used was meal planning, which allows people to make conscious decisions about their food intake, plan ahead for those busy times, and understand how the food they are eating might help fuel their academic or daily success. You can start your own meal plan by thinking ahead to what sort of ingredients you have, how much time you have available for prepping and cooking, and what sounds good for you to eat that week. Write it on a note in your phone, make a spreadsheet, or journal it - something where you can see what’s ahead. Then, stick to it! Pivot when you need to, but notice why you make changes so that your plan can be even more accurate next time. 

Utilize Campus Resources

Did you know that you can make an appointment with a no-cost, professional  USC Student Health dietician for a personalized look at meals, eating, and more? Go to MySHR and find the dietician/nutrition type under appointments. If you aren’t looking to cook, campus dining facilities offer a variety of options that are worth exploring. Different stations, menus, and vendors often have healthier options that are worth a try. 

From struggling so much with a brand new lifestyle, to finding healthy habits and creating a sustainable, yet scrumptious meal plan, the importance of food should be highly coveted. From meal planning, to reaching out to campus resources, to even getting together with your friends to create these meals, finding your own meal plan is easier than one might think! By incorporating these habits into your routine, you can enjoy not only improved physical health but also enhanced focus and energy levels for academic success. 

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Trojans 360 is USC’s official student-run blog. Content created by students, for students.