Avoiding the dreaded Freshman Fifteen can be a challenge in college. Junk food is readily available, dining halls tend to be all you can eat and for the first time you have the freedom to eat ice cream for dinner if you really want to. Don’t let yourself from unhealthy habits. Keep yourself accountable with these 5 tips for eating healthy in college.  

Don’t keep junk food in your dorm room. When you’re working on a paper late at night and you need a snack, you’re going to eat whatever is around. Only keep healthy snacks in your dorm room to prevent yourself from snacking on junk all night long. Need some inspiration? Try apples and peanut butter, veggies and hummus, baked corn chips and salsa, or trail mix (heavy on the nuts and seeds, light on the dried fruit and chocolate)

Keep a snack in your pack. Pack a granola bar or other prepackaged healthy snack in your bag at all times. When you’re rushing to your next class and the urge to snack hits you, it’ll prevent you from grabbing a chocolate bar or chips from the vending machine.

Fill half of your plate with fruit/veggies first. When you’re eating in the dining hall, it’s easy to fill up your plate with pasta, pizza and the special of the day before you even see the salad bar. To prevent yourself from overeating and loading up on the unhealthy meals offered, hit the salad bar first and fill up at least half your plate. If you’re still hungry afterwards, you can always get more.

Don’t drink your calories. The unlimited juice and soda available in the dining halls is extremely tempting, but you’ll end up consuming a lot of unnecessary calories. Keep a reusable water bottle with you at all times and fill up throughout the day. Limit your soda consumption to weekends or when you’re dining out.

Eat breakfast in the dorm. Opt for a lower meal plan and eat breakfast in the dorm. Breakfast food tends to be cheap. So in addition to eating healthier breakfasts every day, you may also end up saving money in the long run. Buy food like eggs, fruit, yogurt and granola — food that doesn’t take long to prep, but will fill you up until lunch. Strapped for cash? Fruit is available all day in the dining hall, so fill your backpack up at dinner and you have breakfast for the week.

Looking to build healthier habits? Take Next Step Academy’s Fitness course!