Staying healthy at university can be extremely difficult, we graduated university nearly 3 years ago now (wow time really does fly) and have been through fresher’s week, the weight gain and the weight loss. We hope you find these tips useful when starting university to help you avoid making some of the mistakes we made.
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail
Before you start university make sure you go to IKEA, Dunelm Mill, Marks and Spencer or anywhere else that sells cheap kitchen utensils, pots and pans & Crockery.
If you don’t go to university with pots and pans then it is likely you will buy ready meals because you have nothing to cook your meals in
Research Recipes
Look at some recipes before you head off to university so you have an idea of the meals you are going to cook. There are hundreds of recipes online so you don’t even have to spend money buying a cook book. If you have a few stable meals in mind then it will be a lot easier when food shopping.
Be clever with your drink choices
Some Alcoholic drinks (well most) are extremely high in calories.
With it being fresher’s week it is likely you are going to be drinking almost every day consuming way more calories than you usually would.
Stick to something like vodka, soda and fresh lime this has barely any calories in and tastes delicious.
Home Cooked Meals
Home cooked meals are by far the cheapest and healthiest way to eat when at university. We would recommend cooking in bulk and freezing the leftovers. This way when you are really hungover and can’t be bothered to cook you will have a delicious home cooked meal waiting for you to put in the microwave. This will also help save you some money on the expensive unhealthy takeaways.
Walk
You will probably find you will do a lot of walking at university, especially if you don’t own a car. It is the cheapest form of transport (obviously) and can really help burn a few extra calories. Walking to and from University is a great form of exercise and the fresh air is a great way of getting rid of a hangover.
Keep Fit
Research local Gyms before you start university so you can get an idea of the price and add this into your budget. If you cannot afford a gym then why not join one of the sports clubs at university. Rach did Cheerleading at University and loved it! Not only is this a great way to keep fit you will also make some new friends who have similar interests to you.
If none of these take your fancy then just get outside and pound the pavements, running is free and a great way to keep fit.
Limit the amount of take away you eat
Try to limit the amount of take away’s you eat when at university. You will probably find when you are not out partying people will suggest having a ‘Pizza movie night’ or something. Don’t restrict yourself to much, have a take away with your flat every once in a while eating healthy doesn’t have to be antisocial.
Plan your meals
You might find that going to the supermarket can become quite fun (yes we said it fun). Before University we never really did a weekly food shop, but when we joined university we realised it can be really enjoyable. We would suggest however, taking a shopping list with you so you have an idea of what sort of food you need to purchase.
OH and another tip is DON’T go food shopping when you are hungry!
Stay hydrated
When drinking alcohol the body can become extremely dehydrated. The body doesn’t want alcohol in our system and likes to ‘get rid’ during this process it also loses a lot of water. Make sure you are trying to drink the recommended two litres a day to keep your body hydrated especially after drinking copious amounts of alcohol.
Practice Cooking Pre starting University
If you have never cooked before make sure you practice cooking before you start university. Ask you Parents, Guardian or even a friend to help you cook some simple meals.
But most importantly just enjoy yourself, university should be some of the best years of your life. Don’t stress yourself out if you don’t always remain on plan! We are jealous your uni experiance is only just Beginning!
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