Welcome to spring semester! Students are organizing their hectic college schedules and finding out what works when it comes to study and break time. Planning your day takes a lot of thought and consideration, but I ask you, “Are you also planning healthy meals and snacks to help with your stamina as well?” To be a focused and successful student, an individual needs to have energy, motivation and liveliness. Food is a key factor in giving you all those needs. What are you feeding your body?

Take the first step and write down everything you eat throughout a day. Is your intake too much or too little? That also depends on your eating habits, which leads us to the second step, which is to pick a type of diet. There are several types to look into but the good news is they all are very straightforward. Here are a few healthy diet examples.

Clean Eating – Focus is on natural ingredients (e.g., salmon, rice and spinach).

Low Carb – Low glycemic ingredients, high protein and sustains your energy level (e.g., chicken breast and broccoli).

Paleo – No grains or processed foods (e.g., meats, fresh vegetables and fresh fruits).

Heart Healthy – Focuses on lean meats, low-fat dairy, healthy oils, low sodium and spice substitutes.

The third step is to make a list of healthy protein, starch, vegetable, dairy and fruit options to incorporate into your day. Shop for these items and take approximately two hours out of your day to prepare for the week. I recommend buying glass containers with removable lids for warming items up (microwave safe) and regular plastic containers for cold foods.