An ex-student of York St John, Jake Meays – has written a blog for us about Healthy Living at university. Jake graduated from YSJ and then went on to study an MSc in Sport & Exercise Nutrition – he now has his own business as a Physique and Lifestyle Coach.
Healthy Student Living
Ok let’s be honest here. You’re not coming to university to be healthy – period. Like most students – your degree and the social side of university will occupy most of your thoughts and energy, so nutrition and health are probably near the bottom of your priorities.
But hear me out, what if I told you trying and sticking to what I’m going to suggest could help reduce how bad you feel after a late night, how tired you’re going to feel at a morning lecture? It might even help you do better in your degree too…
Eating healthy at university is expensive – False. More money on food doesn’t have to mean less left for you to have fun with, if you’re smart about it.
So how can we save money on food and time?
- Get yourself some Tupperware tubs, enough for 6/8 meals.
- Buy in bulk – Buying larger amounts of the same food at once will save you money in the long term.
- Cook in bulk – If you’re making a meal such as spag bol, chicken pasta, tuna-mayonnaise and potato etc, then triple the portion sizes. Cook three times as much and split two separate potions off into two separate Tupperware containers and put them in the fridge or freeze them down – that’s lunch for tomorrow and the next day sorted. Do this 1-2 days a week to make all the meals you need to keep full and healthy.
Now we know how to buy, let’s look to what you buy. Firstly, a few places to look to shop are LIDL and ALDI, they’re super cheap and a reasonable quality. Always prioritise fresh vegetables and fruit where possible – if you’re not sure what to get just aim for a variety of colour! One to two different colours of veg per meal will go a long way! This small change to your veg intake will give you more energy, focus, motivation and will also potentially help reduce any symptoms of IBS you may be struggling with – because trust me, no one wants an upset tummy in the middle of a lecture.
Meal Structure
Try and structure each meal with:
- A palm sized portion of meat/fish/plant-based protein source
- A small portion of fats (2 teaspoons of coconut/extra virgin olive oil, butter etc).
- 2 handfuls of vegetables that are differing in colour (See the dirty dozen list for foods to prioritise).
- A fist/palm sized portion of carbohydrates (potato, pasta, rice etc).
For a full list of foods to opt for and a detailed method of structuring your meals, click here.
If you’re deficient in vital nutrients because you’ve gorged on nothing but pot noodles, jammy dodgers and Starbucks day to day then your body is going to be pretty terrible and slow at getting rid of toxins – making you feel more tired and sluggish. But, should you make the simple swaps I recommend you’ll find you’ll have much more energy and you might even do better in your studies…imagine!
Finally, any university blog/article wouldn’t be complete without a reading list. But we both know that’s probably going to get ignored. So instead below I have provided you with a recommended podcast list, 3 podcasts around health and nutrition. I hope you enjoy them.
PODCAST #1: The Doctors Farmacy with Mark Hyman
PODCAST #2: Happy Place by Fearne Cotton
PODCAST #3: Off Menu with James Acaster and Ed Gamble (Okay this last one is in no way educational, but it is about food, and it will make you laugh).
By Jake Meays, MSc, SENr. (And YSJ Alumni)