Only when we accept the seriousness of the dare – are we equipped with the power to find the solutions. So let us start the series with a question.
Is it really Challenging to Eat HEALTHY at College?
Allow me to introduce you to The College Food Pyramid, which kind of explains it why most students find it difficult to stay healthy during this most vibrant milestone of their lives.
College life is the most energetic and vibrant time of our life and therefore one must enjoy every moment spend with friends. And trust me – Staying fit and healthy on the hostel campus is NO BIG DEAL when one knows the unknown…
I will be sharing with you a few tips on this matter, but before we get into the details, let us have a closer look at the College Food Pyramid and understand the severity of the above identified question.
The PYRAMID gives us the IDEA of food choices that College Students make during their stay from HOME…
Three IMPORTANT FACTS come out CLEAR…
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The pyramid clearly reveals that Healthy foods & Well Balanced meals are eaten less.
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Children end up eating junk food most of the time due to its easily availability.
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Availability of free foods (mostly junk) makes matters worse.
Repeatedly it is found that children who stay in hostels are not able to maintain a balance when it comes to eating healthy…which is a CAUSE of WORRY to PARENTS 😦
Ever wondered as to why our children fail to eat HEALTHY ???
The reasons are many…and the solution is just ONE…But before we resort to any solutions…It is essential to understand the WHY’s before we can answer the HOW’s. 
Let us KNOW the CHALLENGES our CHILDREN face…so that we can GUIDE them in the RIGHT DIRECTION…
Lack of TIME – The FIRST challenge…
Lack of Time…simply because the child was not able to get up on time…leads to skipping of meals, and this in turn forces children to resort to eating a lot of junk food.
The first option available (which often is a slice of pizza / doughnut/croissants ) seems to be the BEST OPTION…and the PATTERN just repeats EACH DAY…
Feeling HOMESICK … Missing Home food
Many times children are not able to adapt to New foods – New place obviously means New cuisine. And not everyone is prepared for this shift…
Children often tend to miss home cooked food. Suddenly the curries, pulaos and even the basic simple curd rice (that were often taken for granted) are cherished.
Feeling homesick leads to depressed state of mind and it is this crucial moment when most children stop eating their meals. This vicious cycle if continued over a long period can lead to children falling sick.
Does this mean that when staying at a hostel your child has to compromise and sacrifice on good health? Absolutely NO.
We as parents need to understand that this is a new phase of their life. Our children are undergoing a transformation….which, as we all are aware is always going to be difficult in the beginning.
Their journey towards adulthood is taking shape…
Our children are now on their own…managing their meals and menus with their own mindsets and understandings…Let us be CLEAR on the FACT that our children, as students are engaged in a lot of learning and physical activity during their college life and hence they require HEALTHY MEALS to not only to provide them with physical strength but also a high level of mental strength to handle the daily pressures of deadlines and project submissions…
Parents & especially MOTHERS…Always remember that our CHILDREN need all the HELP we can GIVE them during this phase…of NEW BEGINNINGS !!!
So all you mothers out there, who are looking forward to sending their children to hostel, do take a moment to share some Healthy connects that your children can incorporate in their day to day routine and keep themselves fit and healthy.
Take away from this POST
I bring to you this FIRST & very essential Connect with respect to FOOD 🙂 The Foods we eat and Lifestyle Choices we make – Both drastically impact our personal health…which in turn leads to a HEALTHIER TOMORROW 🙂 Indeed, We are “What we “EAT” – Energy & Taste The Foundation of Good Health Click the link & get the connect.
So always REMEMBER this FIRST Connect …and anchor it with the RIGHT MESSAGE 🙂 The SECRET to UNKNOWN starts with ONE BASIC FACT 🙂
Food is the ENERGY of your Body !!!
ENERGY & TASTE
Next week, I will be sharing some of the basic facts associated with Healthy eating – Do take some time…Connect with your children…Share the SIMPLE & EASY secrets with your children that will guide them towards a HALE & HEARTY COLLEGE LIFE 🙂
Journeys & Reflections 