The HUDS Diet

Banish that flab – Aylin Ermin gives us tips on how to eat healthy in the dining hall.

Gone are the days when nutritional information graced the hoods of dining hall entrée platters. Now, gauging grams of protein, fat, and carbohydrates has become a mere guessing game (or you can whip out your laptop and look it up on dining.harvard.edu). Here are five tips to keep off the Freshman fifteen:

1. Plan Ahead

You have the resources, so use them! You can map out your meals  at http://dining,harvard.edu, which provides links to nutrition facts for each dish, offering data on calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, and protein per serving.  This is the most accurate way to apply numbers to each and every thing in the dining hall.

1. Join the Portion Police

Many of us suffer from a distorted sense of what constitutes an adequate serving size.  Consider this: one serving of meat, fish, or poultry is the size of a computer mouse; one serving of fruit or vegetables, pasta, or rice is the size of a small fist; one serving of milk, yogurt, or chopped fresh greens is the size of a small hand holding a tennis ball; and one serving of cheese is the size of a thumb.

When you’re perusing the various options in the dining hall, use your hand as a visual aid in determining portion sizes.  Using smaller plates will also gear you toward choosing smaller portions.

1. Be a One-Hit Wonder
   

Don’t go back for seconds. Since we live under the same roof as a virtual buffet, it’s tempting to go in and out of the dining hall for more food every few minutes, especially when no one is there to stop you.

To avoid overindulgence, make a rule to serve yourself as much as you need to assuage your hunger, then never go back for seconds. And don’t be fooled– filling a little bowl up two to three times is just as extravagant as filling a larger bowl up one time.

1. Enjoy Your Salad Days

Embrace the salad station. Make sure to prepare a mixed salad before you even look at what else there is on the menu.  By eating a salad first, you’re getting a healthy fix of vegetables as well as filling up before you eat anything else. Spice it up with salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice or balsamic vinegar.  Avoid the pre-made salad dressings, which tend to be loaded in fat and sugar.

1. Keep it Sweet and Simple.
   

Avoid the dining hall desserts and make your own! Get creative with fruit, honey, yogurt, raisins, and whip cream.  Don’t underestimate the delicious sweetness of honey in a simple yet healthy cup of yogurt, with granola added for some crunch. Try this: cut up an apple, sprinkle the pieces with a small amount of brown sugar and butter, microwave for a few minutes, then enjoy what tastes just like apple pie filling.