The Fed+Fit Podcast | Nurturing a Healthy Mindset for a Healthy Lifestyle
We’re back with our 35th episode of the Fed+Fit Podcast! Remember to check back every Monday for a new episode and be sure to subscribe on iTunes!
Find us HERE on iTunes and be sure to “subscribe.”
[powerpress]
We would LOVE some feedback, so feel free to leave a review in iTunes, comment below, or even give us a shout on social media!
Ep. 35: Food & the Freshman 15 (FFCS Part 3)
This is the Fed and Fit podcast starting your week off with motivational thoughts on real food and fun fitness activities with Cassy Joy Garcia and co-host, Charissa Talbot. Remember our disclaimer; the information and opinions shared in this podcast are solely those of any given individual, and not a substitute for medical advice. Here are the ladies.
Today we are introducing part 3 of the Fed and Fit college student miniseries; all about food.
TOPICS:
1. The Freshman 15 [3:44]
2. Avoiding the Freshman 15 [10:20]
3. Food lists [15:37]
4. Foods to keep on hand in the dorm room [21:32]
5. Ordering off a menu [31:00]
6. “A day in the life of…” scenarios [33:17]
Cassy Joy: And we’re back! Thank you guys for joining us again on this Fed and Fit college student miniseries. Today we are moving on to part 3; we are going to talk about the Freshman 15; talk about why it happens, what it’s all about. What to eat on campus, and then how to stock your apartment or dorm room. And joining me once again is our resident hall resident expert {laughs}.
Samantha Garcia: {laughs} That’s me.
Cassy Joy: Or is it resident-resident hall expert? {laughs}
Samantha Garcia: I don’t even know anymore.
Cassy Joy: Samantha Marie! Thank you for joining us Sam!
Samantha Garcia: Yeah, thank you so much for having me back again!
Cassy Joy: Of course. I was driving around this morning from Crossfit, and then I went to a coffee shop to knock out some work. Because sometimes, I don’t know why. I get a lot of work done when I’m home, but when I’m in a coffee shop, I feel like all of the strangers around me are holding me accountable to the to-do list.
Samantha Garcia: {laughs}
Cassy Joy: {laughs} They just saw me draw!
Samantha Garcia: Right!
Cassy Joy: So anyways, I crushed through a bunch of stuff on my to-do list, and I came home so that we could record this together, and on the drive home I was thinking about how I was going to introduce you; I was thinking, gosh, I’ve called Sam so many names over the years, for whatever reason.
Samantha Garcia: {laughs}
Cassy Joy: I, for a very long time, I don’t know why, I just think the name Samantha is just so fun, and there’s so much you can do with it! {laughs}
Samantha Garcia: {laughs} Well thank you.
Cassy Joy: You’re welcome. There’s Sam, Sammy-Sam, Sammy Joe Bob, Sam Joe Lee.
Samantha Garcia: Sam Joe Lee? Have you ever called me that?
Cassy Joy: Maybe not to your face. {Laughs}
Samantha Garcia: {laughing} Well yeah, just now. That’s new.
Cassy Joy: I think I just made it up.
Samantha Garcia: Sam Joe Lee.
Cassy Joy: Do you like that one?
Samantha Garcia: I do, it’s interesting. I think my favorite though is Sammy Joe Bob.
Cassy Joy: Sammy Joe Bob. I use that one a lot.
Samantha Garcia: You do.
Cassy Joy: It just rolls off the tongue. Yeah, so thanks again for joining us. If you guys are just now tuning in, and you missed the first two parts, this is a series that Sam and I have collaborated on because we really want to highlight, I guess just how to really make the most out of your college experience if you are a college student, and also to highlight some tips, tricks, and methods for anybody who is going through a life transition.
I am currently now in my late 20s, and I turn 30 next year March. Hmm, you’re going to have a 30-year-old sister, Sam.
Samantha Garcia: Oh my.
Cassy Joy: {laughs} And so, life transitions, now that I’ve been through; college was a while ago, I have experienced other transitions. And I know that a lot of these things that we talk about are going to be useful to a wide array of people. So I encourage you to listen and see what you can draw out of what we can talk about today that you can apply in your own life.
1. The Freshman 15 [3:44]
Cassy Joy: So, let’s go ahead and jump into it! Like I said, we’re talking all about food today for the college student and folks in transitions, so we wanted to give you some food for thought. {laughs} badum-psh!
Samantha Garcia: {laughs} That’s good. Food for thought.
Cassy Joy: Did you like that?
Samantha Garcia: I do.
Cassy Joy: I liked that so much I wrote it out in our show notes.
Samantha Garcia: {laughs} Food for thought.
Cassy Joy: Food for thought. Ok. Number one; we’re going to talk about the Freshman 15. So let’s talk about what it is, why it happens, and how you can beat it. That sound good? And the Freshman 15, I think applies to a lot of different occasions. It could be that you’re 19 years old, and in college, and all of a sudden you’ve just gained 15 pounds and you don’t know why it happened. You know, it just happened overnight. All of a sudden, none of your clothes fit, and they call it the Freshman 15 because, for whatever reason, that’s an average number that some people gain.
Maybe you just moved to a new city, and you got a brand new job and you are just trying to get settled, and all of a sudden you’re gaining weight and you don’t know why it’s coming on; or you’re just getting larger, and you’re not feeling great. That could be another example.
So let’s dial in really quickly just to talk to college students for a second. Some of you who are going to college are probably coming from homes with amazing kitchens, and maybe a very gracious mother who likes to cook you food. And that’s wonderful, and you never realize how much you appreciate it until you don’t have it. But when you’re coming from that environment to a college environment where you are responsible now entirely to buy your groceries, to plan your meals, and to feed yourself, it can be a big transition. And when you are in that big transition, sometimes it can be easy to just rely on junk food; kind of the easier things to eat.
And, if you’re also paying for college yourself, it can be easy to think, well I can’t really afford groceries, so I’m just going to live off of ramen. I don’t know how many people; myself included, in college lived off of ramen that I knew.
So, {laughs} I think Samantha is building some shelves in the background! {laughs}
Samantha Garcia: Sorry!! {laughing}
Cassy Joy: It’s ok.
Samantha Garcia: I’ll stop.
Cassy Joy: {laughing} Are you organizing your desk drawers or something?
Samantha Garcia: {laughs} No. Don’t worry about it.
Cassy Joy: Ok {laughing}
Samantha Garcia: {laughing}
Cassy Joy: Oh man.
Samantha Garcia: Talking about food was making me hungry.
Cassy Joy: Oh, you’re in your kitchen. {laughs}
Samantha Garcia: Yeah, I’m back at my table now, with my computer in front. I can wait.
Cassy Joy: Oh my gosh, that’s really funny.
Samantha Garcia: {laughs}
Cassy Joy: No, it’s ok Sam. I want you to be comfortable. Because really that’s what this is about, to be comfortable! You know, the reason why we tend to lean on junk food is because we’re uncomfortable cooking our own meals now. You know, we’re uncomfortable planning how to really feed ourselves in a way that nutritionally supports us and our needs the way that maybe our parents did when we were at home. So it’s about reestablishing comfort levels with your new environment, and that goes for the young professional who just moved and took a new job. It’s going to be uncomfortable to be where you are right now, but knowing that it’s going to be uncomfortable for a little while, and you just have to make good habits at the beginning, those habits will become comfort.
So, why you are gaining the weight. You could be eating too much junk food because it’s easy, like we said. It c could be a product of both your age changing and the fact that you’re not nutritionally supporting your metabolism. So some people say when you turn 18 your metabolism just slows down, and that’s why you gain weight, because you don’t have that childish teenager metabolism anymore. There is an ounce of truth to that, but really the majority for your fuel for your metabolism comes from how you nutritionally support it.
Sam and I were talking before we started recording, and I told Sam, I was like, you know, when I was in college, or when I was in high school, I was relatively, I guess, I mean I felt pretty healthy, I did pretty well for myself. Granted, our mother cooked most of my meals. Then I went to college and I started eating all this junk! I ate out a lot, I just ate what was comforting and what was easy and available. And then I didn’t feel good and I thought that was it, you know, my metabolism is just changing and I’m not going to be able to get it back.
After college, and if you know a little bit about my health story, it was a few years after college that I really took my health into my own hands, and I completely rethought nutrition, and I became much more strategic with what I was putting into my body. I was able to make my metabolism younger again.
Samantha Garcia: Mm-hmm.
Cassy Joy: So don’t think your age is the limiting factor here. It’s how you’re supporting it. And then another reason why you’re probably gaining weight is that you are less active than you were in high school, or in your previous life, period. So keep that in mind. We’ll talk about fitness in a coming episode.
Another contributing factor; a big one, is stress. That could be a reason why you’re packing on the pounds. It is both messing with your cortisol levels, which has a lot to do with your metabolism, your hormones at large and just how your body functions on the molecular level. And then stress could also be causing you to eat more; again, going back to that comfort food.
And then lastly; I had to, what is the phrase, is it beat a dead horse or kick a dead horse? Both that it’s not very pretty.
Samantha Garcia: Beat a dead a horse.
Cassy Joy: It’s the worst saying in the world.
Samantha Garcia: It is, it’s so sad.
Cassy Joy: Why would I even bring it up? {laughs}
Samantha Garcia: I don’t know Cassy. Continue. {laughs}
Cassy Joy: I want to take it back! {laughs} Ok, so not to berate the issue, that’s a much nicer way of saying it.
Samantha Garcia: There you go.
Cassy Joy: You could be packing on the pounds because you’re not sleeping enough or drinking enough water. And if you are not sick of hearing us talk about that, go ahead and listen to parts one and two of this series; we talk all about it.
2. Avoiding the Freshman 15 [10:20]
Cassy Joy: Ok, so how can we beat the Freshman 15 and feel better than ever? Sam, you want to take it away? Take it away Sam! {laughs}
Samantha Garcia: Take it away, Sam. So you’ve got to start thinking and taking care of your body as much as you’re responsibility as it is to get good grades in class. The way you’re going to get good grades in class is if you feel good, you’re energized, and you’re mind is working to its optimum level. That’s why Cassy was saying food for thought. Food is really to help fuel your brain and those synapses are firing as rapidly as possible, so you can learn more information and really be as successful as possible in college.
Because I know all of you that are going to college want to get involved; you want to either be in a sorority, fraternity, student organization; you want to have some type of leadership role. You want to do something with your free time. Because yeah, you’re not in class all the time, and you want something to do on the weekend. So in order to make your academics a success, you’ve got to make your body a success.
Cassy Joy: Ooh! Nicely put.
Samantha Garcia: You have to really focus on what you’re putting into your body so you can just continue to feel like you’re a machine that is getting so much accomplished. I know it’s going to be exhausting, and you’re going to have time when you really need to rest, and you’ve got to take those times. Like I was saying, make your body your responsibility as much as your grades are. The two will help each other out; it’s not like you’re having to focus on only one thing and that’s’ all you have time for. You’re not giving yourself the best opportunity to make those great grades if you aren’t taking care of yourself. And like Cassy was saying, don’t be eating ramen all the time. I was subject to that too! It’s quick, it’s easy, I’m hungry, I want to get something. But if you’re living on campus, or you’re out or something like that, you probably have a meal plan. Go to the campus dining. And we’ll talk a little bit more about that as we move on, but there are options for you. So don’t feel like you have to just focus on one area in order to make it feel like you are feeling good about your grades, or just feeling good about your health.
Cassy Joy: Totally. And kind of think about your health and wellness; and I know a lot of you listening know this already, but I think it’s good to reiterate. Your health and wellness is the foundation for your entire life. If you are not taking care of yourself, you can’t take care of anybody else. So that’s really what we’re trying to promote here. College will be easier, and more fun, and you will find easier successes if you are covering the bases first, and really taking care of yourself. You’re keeping your mind sharp, your body feeling fresh and energized. It will make your world that much better. These are things I wish I knew when.
Samantha Garcia: Right.
Cassy Joy: {laughs} Ok. But that’s my job now. That’s why I’m so excited to come out with a series like this. Because man; if I had had this information when I was in college, I don’t think that I would have found myself in the complete health breakdown that I did.
Samantha Garcia: Mm-hmm.
Cassy Joy: I just didn’t know. You go back to; I didn’t know, or maybe I didn’t realize how important it was.
Samantha Garcia: Mm-hmm.
Cassy Joy: Maybe I did realize that eating burgers, and pizza, and pasta for all of my meals all day long, and drinking coffee all day, and not sleeping, and staying up till 3 a.m. studying. You know, maybe I knew that wasn’t necessarily healthy, but I didn’t realize the long lasting impact that it had, and I also didn’t realize the impact that had on my academic performance.
Samantha Garcia: Right.
Cassy Joy: I struggled. I mean, I made good grades, don’t get me wrong. But man I had to really work for them. And I think it would have been so much easier if I had just taken care of myself.
Samantha Garcia: Mm-hmm. And the thing that people can get stuck into is when you’re eating burgers and pasta and all that kind of stuff, and you’re drinking coffee and you’re getting stuff done; it feels like you’re thriving. You’re happy that you’re getting food inside your body, you’re happy that you’re working on the millions of things you decided to put on your plate, plus academics. So it really feels like you’re thriving; but in the reality sense, things can be going so much smoother, you might have a lot less stress if you decided to switch out a pasta meal for a healthier option.
Cassy Joy: Good point. I’m really glad you brought that up, because what we’re going to talk about the types of foods in a little bit is, we don’t want you to throw the baby out with the bathwater. You know? We’re not saying that you need to have a complete overhaul on all of your meals in order to be successful in college. But what we are saying is, you know what, a little improvement here may actually result in a great yield later on. You might found out that if you have a really healthy lunch, your afternoon classes all of a sudden don’t feel like they’re as much of a chore.
Samantha Garcia: Mm-hmm.
3. Food lists [15:37]
Cassy Joy: You can stay awake during them and you don’t need that afternoon coffee. So let’s go ahead and jump into these foods real quick. So we’re going to talk about; we’ve broken up a bunch of the food categories so we can just do a brief overview, and we’re going to run through it because a lot of you are already familiar with this material, but we’re going to talk about the foods that will help you thrive, and the foods that will not help you thrive. Ok, and we’re not out to demonize them, there’s no bad foods. It’s just foods that either make you feel good, or that make you feel not good.
So, the make you feel good foods are; the list is pretty short but it’s pretty diverse if you really think about it. All of the leafy greens; so that’s the kale, the collards, the spinach, all that stuff. Simple proteins, and by simple proteins I mean just grilled steak, or hardboiled eggs, or baked chicken. Nothing that’s breaded or fried or whatever it is. Other crunchy vegetables will always make you feel good. Those are the bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms whatever strikes your fancy. Starchy vegetables, include potatoes and squash. Fruits, sparkling water, we’re going to include that here, and herbal teas. Those are all enjoy as much as you want, and if you only eat those you will feel amazing.
In the middle category, could make you feel just ok, I’ve got nuts and nut butters, peanut butter; some of you might tolerate peanut butter, and that’s fine. And the reason I’ve got nuts and nut butters in this category, in the middle one, is because some of you may tolerate them and some of you may not. Furthermore, it’s easy to overindulge on nut butters. You know, it’s really easy to sit down with, I may or may not have done this at one point in my life.
Samantha Garcia: {laughs}
Cassy Joy: A jar of almond butter, a bag of chocolate chips, and you just go to town with a spoon. {laughs}
Samantha Garcia: That’s awesome. {laughs}
Cassy Joy: It is pretty awesome. So it’s easy to overindulge in these things, and that’s why I put them in the middle category just so you know; you know, this isn’t one of those foods that you can eat the whole jar and feel like a million bucks, because you probably won’t.
Samantha Garcia: Right.
Cassy Joy: Other middle category foods; white rice, if you really want to mix up your starch game. All baked goods. So those are the muffins, the cookies, even if they’re healthy cookies, it’s still a cookie. Quality dairy is in this middle category. We’re talking about grass-fed dairy, whole milk; no reason to get skim. Natural sweeteners; so honey, maple syrup, molasses, coconut sugar. Coffee is in this middle category as well, so these are enjoy moderately foods. And then I also put in its own bullet point; gluten free pizza. {laughs}
Samantha Garcia: {laughs} Necessary.
Cassy Joy: You know what, it deserves its own bullet point.
Samantha Garcia: It does. They’re so available.
Cassy Joy: They’re so available. I personally eat probably, I indulge in gluten free pizza probably once a week. And it does not make me feel amazing, but it also does not make me feel as terrible as regular pizza. And I get it without cheese; I just get extra meat and vegetables, and then I’m just a happy camper.
Samantha Garcia: Mm-hmm.
Cassy Joy: So that’s the moderate category. The foods that will make you feel not good, no matter which way you cut it, these are not health promoting. Sam and I are not telling you to avoid them completely, we’re just saying, please so in making informed decisions, because these are not going to make you feel awesome.
Samantha Garcia: Mm-hmm.
Cassy Joy: All other grains. We’re talking wheat, barley, whole wheat, rye, brown rice, I can’t even think. Corn; corn is another grain. Corn is one that if you tolerate it ok, I would put it in the middle category. Another food that won’t make you feel good no matter which way you cut it is alcohol. It will never make you feel good in the long run, ok? So just know that. It’s not a health decision.
Samantha Garcia: {laughs}
Cassy Joy: And if you want to know more about alcohol and how it affects you, listen to part 2 of this series. Artificial sweeteners; no which way you cut it, they’re not going to make you feel good. We’re talking about all the packets you see on the table; the pink ones, the blue ones, the green ones, and the yellow ones. They’re all no bueno. Sodas, and diet sodas, both of them, not going to make you feel good. Fried foods; no way is it going to make you feel great. Breaded food, same thing, no breaded food is going to make you feel awesome and like you’re ready to go tackle that midterm. Cereal is not going to make you feel good. It’s a grain product, so try to avoid cereals and start to get a little bit more creative about what to eat for breakfast.
Samantha Garcia: Mm-hmm.
Cassy Joy: Breads; we’re talking about hamburger buns, hot dog buns, pizza bread dough, what do you call it? The crust! {laughs}
Samantha Garcia: Mm. Yeah.
Cassy Joy: The bottom part. And then pasta. None of those foods are going to make you feel good. Ok, so jumping into this last part. How are we going to put this into practice while we are on campus? And what Sam and I have done is we have broken it up into how you can stock your dorm room/apartment, and then also what we advise that you order off of a menu, if you’re eating on campus or you’re just out and about. These are the things you can do to really support your new healthy decisions.
4. Foods to keep on hand in the dorm room [21:32]
Cassy Joy: So, Sam you want to take it away real quick and talk about; we’ve broken it up also into dry goods, fresh goods, and if you have a freezer, some things that we recommend you keep on hand.
Samantha Garcia: Yeah. So, dry goods. And also, all these items, you could have your parents send to you in a care package. If they’re contacting you, seeing hey, how are you doing, we want to send you something. Or, there’s a lot, like Texas A&M has the Aggie Mom’s club, and the Aggie Moms love to send care packages. So if you’re on that list, you can give them an idea of, these are some things you could send to me that would be really, really helpful, and you wouldn’t have to go out and buy.
So, dry goods. Anything that it’s in a can or a package that can keep. So, sardines, Wild Planet Foods. We’ll have the link in the show notes for this. Tuna, sparkling water; love sparkling water. I have a case in my fridge now, and my students saw me drinking all my water across campus, and a couple of them told me; I saw you drinking sparkling water so I went and bought a case. I’m like, yeah! That’s great!
Cassy Joy: {laughs} That’s awesome! And that’s a great soda replacement.
Samantha Garcia: It is. If you want something sparkly, go for a sparkling water. It will definitely make you feel better. Also mustard and mayo. Primal Kitchen is a great option for the mayonnaise, and then mustard, just something that is a really natural mustard seed is delicious, as always. Cans of grain-free soup. Annie’s is a decent brand. That’s a really good thing to have in a pinch instead of ramen. Really simple, easy to just put it in your microwave in your dorm room, and you’re set. Healthy protein bars; which are like RX bars are Cassy and I’s favorites. Those are a really good option, too, if you’re in a pinch and you’re running late to class, you overslept, something like that, something happened. Grab one of those instead. 100% grass-fed whey protein powder for making shakes and smoothies in a pinch. Smoothies are a great option. You just have to check, if you’re living on campus, double check with your residence hall that they allow you to have a blender, or even like a Nutribullet or something like that, Magic Bullet. I know some colleges and universities do not allow blenders because they think you might be making a margarita, and we all know that’s not the case.
Cassy Joy: {laughs}
Samantha Garcia: So just be aware of your stipulations around what you can have in your dorm room. And then a bag of sweet potatoes; just raw sweet potatoes. Those are always a good option, you can poke holes in them, put them in the microwave, heat them up.
Cassy Joy: It is true. You know, and that gets a lot of taboo. When you’re living in a dorm room, your microwave is pretty much your only method of cooking.
Samantha Garcia: Mm-hmm.
Cassy Joy: So what Sam and I are, we want to pat you on the back. You can use that microwave. You can get creative.
Samantha Garcia: Totally.
Cassy Joy: And you can totally make yourself a loaded sweet potato in no time, which sounds; talks about a comfort food. That is a comfort food. All you have to do is take your sweet potato, and you wrap it in a damp paper towel and you microwave it for 3-4 minutes. I would do 3 minutes, and then you go, careful that it’s going to be hot, but kind of pinch it. If it’s soft, then it’s done, but if it’s not totally soft then microwave it for another minute, and so on until it’s done. And then you just cut that bad boy open, and you can stuff it with some meat that you’ve got maybe in your mini fridge, and I don’t know, whatever else you’ve got, and it is delicious.
Samantha Garcia: That sounds awesome. I want one right now. {laughs}
Cassy Joy: I do too. I want all the things. {laughs}
Samantha Garcia: I want all the things. We need to feed ourselves, Cassy.
Cassy Joy: We need to feed ourselves before we record these. It’s like going to the grocery store; we’re like, gosh that sounds so good! {laughs}
Samantha Garcia: Yum. Need to eat that now. And then also nut butter; like Cassy was saying. Know your allergies, especially if you’re living on campus, and if you do have an allergy be sure to carry an EpiPen with you. Because you don’t know what you’re going to run into across campus. If you’re allergic to peanuts, you have a really bad reaction to it, and something happens, just make sure you have those kinds of things with you, and at least your roommate knows that you may have a nut allergy.
Again, if you’re not allergic to nuts, then get some healthy nut butter options. I love, this is actually not a nut, but sunflower butter is so good. It is delicious. I had a friend who is allergic to all nuts, and he introduced me to that. I was like, this is the best discovery ever.
Cassy Joy: It’s delicious.
Samantha Garcia: So yummy! Almond butter, is it Jason’s, is that right?
Cassy Joy: Justin’s.
Samantha Garcia: Justin’s. Justin’s brand of butter has really good, easy to find options. He also does the little packages, too, so if you’re in a pinch and you just want some almond butter on top of your apple slices or something like that as you run off to class in the morning, then grab that. It’s going to be super simple.
Cassy Joy: That’s a great idea. I’ve used those packets when I’m on the road, I’ll just squeeze them on a banana.
Samantha Garcia: Mm-hmm.
Cassy Joy: That sounds good too. {laughs}
Samantha Garcia: {laughs}
Cassy Joy: Oh man. And I really appreciate your EpiPen remark. The risk management professional in you came up a little bit there.
Samantha Garcia: I know, I’m sorry. It’s just, I don’t want that to happen in my building, so hopefully I’m giving myself some good karma here.
Cassy Joy: You are, yeah. Lots of good karma.
Samantha Garcia: {laughs} Too much has happened this week for me not to try and work on that. {laughs}
Cassy Joy: Oh goodness. Well that’s always a good thing to work on.
Samantha Garcia: Right? Exactly. And then also, fresh goods that you can have in your refrigerator. Eggs; you can microwave them in a ceramic egg cooker or just a regular bowl. I do that all the time. Honestly, if I slept too late. Like last night, I had a call at 3 a.m. because a student had locked themselves out of their room, and I had to go let them in. My sleep schedule was a little messed up, and I got up later this morning. So I cracked some eggs into a bowl, popped them into a microwave, got a little bit of the Jimmy Dean sausage crumbles and heated those up to, and made myself a little breakfast bowl. And it was so filling and delicious. So that is a really easy, quick option that you can do right in your microwave, and not even have to think about it.
Cassy Joy: Nice. Very resourceful.
Samantha Garcia: Mm-hmm. It’s a really easy option. And I also love to put some cilantro in there, and avocado.
Cassy Joy: Oh my gosh.
Samantha Garcia: Give it a little pizzazz. It’s so yum.
Cassy Joy: This is so unfair.
Samantha Garcia: I know right.
Cassy Joy: I’m so hungry now. {laughs}
Samantha Garcia: {laughs} I want all the things I’m saying. And also, you want to get some fresh crunchy veggies; so bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, whatever you like, whatever makes you salivate, I guess. Whatever makes you hungry.
Cassy Joy: {laughs}
Samantha Garcia: Put those in your fridge, because then those can be a quick option for just getting some of the; oh, the baby bell peppers, those ones that comes in packages. Those you can just munch on. Really tasty; you can put those in your lunch. Same with baby carrots; put those in your lunch. That could be a yummy option.
And then fresh fruit. Berries are always delicious. You can put them into a fresh fruit smoothie, whatever your liking is, but keep those three things on hand in your refrigerator, and I promise you’ll be a happy person.
Let’s see; if you have your mini fridge, you could possibly also get a mini freezer for, I think, for St. Mary’s we allow students to have freezers. The majority of students don’t actually bring them, because they’re like, I don’t want to carry one more thing into my room. But if you can have a mini freezer, do it. Get it for your dorm. It’s a really good thing to have around. So you can have frozen kale, which is easy to quick steam in the microwave and feel like a million bucks. Frozen cauliflower, and also frozen meals. There are some frozen meals out there that are really good, healthy options. They may not be 100% paleo Fed and Fit, but they’re going to be in that category of make you feel ok. They’re going to fill you up, and you’re not going to have to think about it too much, to where you can eat, get on the go, and get back to studying whatever it is you need to be doing.
And then frozen leftovers are always a good thing to have. So portion those out and put them in little packages, so that way you have these little quick meals that may be your Fed and Fit college student ready.
Cassy Joy: Mm-hmm.
Samantha Garcia: And you can just pop in the microwave and be ready for that. Also, if you’re not great about keeping fresh fruit in your refrigerator, then get some berries for your smoothies. Those are going to save you, really quick in the food processor or blender that you have, and you’re good to go.
Cassy Joy: Bam. That was awesome.
Samantha Garcia: Boom.
Cassy Joy: Those are really great things. You know, and like Sam said; those dry goods, get those in advance. Buy those in bulk, ask your parents to send you some if they’re wanting something to send you. Those fresh goods, those really short list of eggs and vegetables and fruits, those are the things you can buy every week from either your on campus store or if you are able to go to the grocery store, those are great things to pick up.
Samantha Garcia: Mm-hmm.
Cassy Joy: And then the frozen foods, you can buy again just all at once, and fill that freezer up.
Samantha Garcia: Yep.
5. Ordering off a menu [31:00]
Cassy Joy: Ok, so, quickly moving on; ordering off of a menu. This list is pretty short, but I want to run through it just to cover our bases. So when you’re looking to order off a menu, and you’re sitting there starting up at all of the options, and you’re like, oh my gosh there’s nothing here on this menu that is healthy. I challenge you to see an opportunity for yourself, because there’s always one.
First and foremost, look for anything that’s not breaded or fried. That’s a good place to start. Salads are always a good option. Just make sure you ask for no cheese, ask for the grilled protein option instead of any of the other ones, and then you can use lemon wedges or lime wedges for dressing instead of their dressing that has probably some not great stuff in it.
And then remember that you can always talk to people. Sam and I were talking about this before we came on the show. You know, it sometimes, when you go to a restaurant, I understand the tendency to want to say, I can only have whatever is on the menu.
Samantha Garcia: Mm-hmm.
Cassy Joy: And the truth is, people want to work with you. They want to help you find something that you can have and you can enjoy, so don’t be afraid to look at somebody and say, you know what, I can’t have anything with bread, it just does not make me feel good, or with dairy. Do you have any options for me? I guarantee they’re going to be able to come up with something. They’ll be able to give you a hamburger with some avocado and maybe bacon on a lettuce wrap or something.
Samantha Garcia: Right. And a great place to get some inspiration on that is actually Cassy’s Instagram.
Cassy Joy: {laughs}
Samantha Garcia: And check out her, is it #Paleooffthemenu?
Cassy Joy: Mm-hmm. I’ve started a new one, #CassyJoyeatsout.
Samantha Garcia: There we go, #CassyJoyeatsout and #Paleooffthemenu. I look at those all the time, Cassy, if I’m running over to Chipotle.
Cassy Joy: Really?
Samantha Garcia: Yeah. And I’m like, what does she get again, it’s so good, looks delicious. And it is; it’s awesome.
Cassy Joy: Aww, that makes me happy! I didn’t put her up to that, guys. {laughs}
Samantha Garcia: No she didn’t, I promise. {laughs} It’s hard to pressure me into stuff.
Cassy Joy: Sam will do what Sam will do.
Samantha Garcia: That’s true.
Cassy Joy: Sammy Joe Bob. Ok, yeah, so those are some examples. Sam do you want to run through these two scenarios, or do you want to save them for the next episode?
Samantha Garcia: We can run through them now.
6. “A day in the life of…” [33:17]
Cassy Joy: Ok. So what we’re going to do really quickly is we’re going to say “a day in the life of a freshman” of what that freshman eats, and we’re going to talk about scenario A is Freshman 15 freshman, and scenario B is the Fed and Fit college student.
So, Freshman 15 freshman. What does that freshman have for breakfast? Let’s say they order a latte from the on campus Starbucks. Because that’s so awesome, you can just walk to a Starbucks; and maybe a breakfast biscuit sandwich. You walked also to the Chick-Fil-A next door, and got yourself some sort of a yummy honey butter chicken biscuit thing, that also sounds delicious right now! {laughs}
Samantha Garcia: That does. You made it sound yum.
Cassy Joy: I did make it sound yummy. Oopsie. And then, that freshman then goes about their morning. They’re a little bit sleepy in classes, but they’re kind of ok. They’re kind of hungry and you know, just not feeling great, but it’s fine. And then lunch rolls around, and they go into the cafeteria, and they see that big ol pasta line, and they’re like, you know what, I’m going to stand in that line for pasta today. I have so been there. Because for whatever reason, in the cafeteria; Sam was even saying it’s the same at the college she works at, or the university she’s at, is that the pasta line for that food station is the longest out of all of them.
Samantha Garcia: It is.
Cassy Joy: So this Freshman 15 freshman decides, you know what, they deserve some comfort food. So they’re going to stand in line for pasta, and they’re going to have a soda to wash it down. Then the afternoon rolls around, they’ve been in classes, and they’re feeling pretty sleepy. They can’t really stay awake in classes right now, and they’ve got some work to do and some projects to work on, so they’re going to go ahead and get another latte in the afternoon.
Dinnertime, you know they’re going to grab some dinner before their study group meets up, so Chick-Fil-A is just right there again, so maybe we’re going to get a Chick-Fil-A sandwich and some fries and maybe another soda, because the caffeine will really help us stay awake. And then, you know we’re in our study group, and a chocolate shake sounds really good right now, and it will be comforting, and it will just be something to help keep me awake while I’m studying.
So that is Freshman 15 freshman. I pretty much guarantee you’re going to not support your overall health and wellbeing by making those choices, and you’re really making your studying job and your job of being a student more difficult.
So, the Fed and Fit college student; what do that have for breakfast? Do you want to run through it, Sam?
Samantha Garcia: Yeah. So, you may still want a coffee, which is in those categories of make you feel ok. I have coffee every morning, but just a little bit. And you’re probably sweetening it with maple syrup or honey; I think most Starbucks have honey available for you, and probably some whole milk if you wanted it a little bit creamy. Then you go into the cafeteria, and get a cheese-free omelet with all the veggies. There’s usually omelet stations in most cafeterias for college campuses. And then for lunch, you go back over to the cafeteria, and you decide to get a chef salad because that salad bar is always empty; no one is ever hanging around there.
Cassy Joy: {laughs}
Samantha Garcia: So it’s probably your easiest option if you’re in a hurry to go get something real quick. So you load it up with all the yummy veggies and protein that you can find at that station, and then maybe you go around to some of the other stations that are the meal of the day stations; they might have some chili or something like that, and find an option that looks really delicious. And they tell you; most colleges now will tell you what is in the food that they’ve made. So the other day I was in the cafeteria, and saw some cooked carrots, but then there was a little tag that said they’d been cooked in brown sugar and I was like, mm, nope. Not the thing that I want today.
Cassy Joy: {laughs}
Samantha Garcia: So, you can look at the special meals, if you want something that’s hot instead of a salad, and that’s a really decent option for you. And then you get into the afternoon, you have a meeting in the afternoon, or you have a class, something like that, and you’re feeling energized. All you really need is some water to keep yourself hydrated, and you’re good to go until dinnertime. So dinnertime, you decide to go to Chick-Fil-A as well, but you get the grilled chicken nuggets, and maybe a small fry, and heck, have some more water and just wash it all down and feel awesome. Go on to your study group, have a really great time hanging out with your friends, and learning all new kinds of things, because your brain is functioning so fast.
Cassy Joy: {laughs}
Samantha Garcia: {laughs} You’re a genius; you’re out of control, you’re so smart. And then you know that you need to get your however many hours of sleep that works for you, and so you get some herbal tea, maybe with some ginger, that you heat up in your microwave, and just kind of wind down for the evening. You’re reading a book, you’re listening to a book, something that isn’t distracting so you can go to sleep and wake up the next day and feel energized to make those healthy decisions once again.
Cassy Joy: Man, that sounds like the life.
Samantha Garcia: Doesn’t it?
Cassy Joy: It really does.
Samantha Garcia: Let’s do that.
Cassy Joy: Let’s do that; I want that. And I want to touch on that. Sam said the Fed and Fit college student can totally go to Chick-Fil-A for dinner.
Samantha Garcia: Yeah.
Cassy Joy: Totally. Get those grilled nuggets, and you can either put them on a salad if you really want to make your body extra happy, or sometimes you guys, I will tell you right now, I will occasional indulge in a small French fry from Chick-Fil-A. Those waffle fries, sometimes they call my names. My names.
Samantha Garcia: Your names. {laughs}
Cassy Joy: All of my names. They call all the names. {laughs} They call my name, and that extra added starchy punch is just something that I want sometimes, so don’t feel, like we said before, that you have to totally restrict yourself all the time in order to do well.
Samantha Garcia: Mm-hmm.
Cassy Joy: And something we want to touch on before we close today. Sam actually brought this up, but I’m going to talk about it. {laughs}
Samantha Garcia: Go for it. It’s your show.
Cassy Joy: I think it’s a really great point, but we were talking about that pasta. Why is that pasta line in the cafeteria so long? And it’s because these students are looking for something comforting. College and transitions in general are uncomfortable, and we’re looking for something that makes us feel secure and happy and wholesome, and pasta is a comfort food. It always has been, and probably always will be. So that’s why that line is so long. It’s a little touch of home in the middle of the day.
So what we want to challenge you to do is to rethink comfort foods. Ok? Try to choose; think of healthier options that are good for your body as comfort foods. And start gravitating towards those. And the foods that make you feel good, maybe those can start becoming your comfort foods. So switch up the conversation, change the language, know when you’re starting to crave something that’s not good for yourself and how you can negotiate with yourself.
And Sam had another good point. She was like; soups! Soups and stews and chilis; those are comfort foods.
Samantha Garcia: Mm-hmm.
Cassy Joy: And those are also foods that happen to be really good for you. So try out some soups. If you can keep some on hand, and you’re lucky enough to live close t somebody with an apartment where you can go cook, those are great things to make in advance and freeze and store in your dorm room mini freezer. You know, you would be the envy of my dorm room if you had a freezer. That would be so darn cool.
Samantha Garcia: {laughs}
Cassy Joy: But anyways, these are all things that you can do. You can really make it work for yourself. There are all kinds of other ideas online if you’re Googling. And we’re going to keep working on resources, so you’ll have more stuff. So if that’s something that interests you, please let us know in the show notes.
I hope we answered some questions you had today. Sam, thanks again for coming on.
Samantha Garcia: Yeah, thank you.
Cassy Joy: Of course. We are excited; next episode, we’re going to talk about even more food for though. {laughs} we’re going to talk about late night snacking, what it really does, if you have trouble focusing, if you have trouble falling asleep, or if you’re falling asleep in class. What to eat before a test, all those really fun things, in addition to some fitness tips on campus. So, be sure to tune in, and we will be back again next week.
