At Mines, students spend a lot of time thinking, especially about energy, but often they forget to think about to think about where their own energy is coming from. According to the Society for Neuroscience the human brain uses 20% of a person’s daily energy. For students this means that eating properly is a crucial part of success in school. This can be difficult to navigate, especially for freshmen, so here are some helpful tips and tricks.
Don’t Skip Breakfast
It is well documented that eating breakfast helps students perform better and learn more. If you are not a morning person, find something that is quick and easy to grab as you head out for class. Although, when finding something to grab look for something that has whole grains and protein. A few ideas are Greek yogurt, a granola bar with protein, or a banana with nut butter.
“Eat Your Vegetables”
Even though in college no one has their mom breathing down their neck to eat fruits and vegetables, it is still crucial to be getting the recommended amount of daily of vitamins and nutrients. The USDA recommends going to a variety of colors of fruits and vegetables, which is an easy way to ensure that you are getting a variety of nutrients. Vitamin C is especially important for students living in the dorms and need to maintain a strong immune system. One orange has almost an entire serving of vitamin C, other sources of vitamin C include broccoli, spinach, and bell peppers.
Don’t Be Afraid to Cook
This doesn’t mean that you need to pull out a pot and pan, but at least have something that you can microwave to have something hot to eat that allows for a break from Mines Market. Grocery stores sell plenty of healthy options that are advertised as “microwavable foods”, but plenty of regular food, such as pasta, can be cooked in the microwave as well. The internet is full of ideas of fun recipes to make in the microwave which are well worth experimenting with. Often this can be a great solution to homesickness as well. People associate food with emotions and memories, so getting that family cookie recipe and making it with your friends may be what can help get you through a rough week.
Microwave-Baked Potato
Ingredients and supplies:
- Potato
- Fork
- Paper Towel
Wash the potato and slightly dampen the paper towel, then poke holes in the potato with the fork to keep the potato from exploding. Once this is done, wrap the potato in the damp paper towel and microwave it on high for about 4 minutes, or until the potato is tender.
Suggested toppings for your potato:
Along with all the “classic” baked potato toppings, cottage cheese is a great, higher protein, substitution for sour cream that still offers a nice creamy texture. Broccoli also pairs well with a baked potato and can be steamed simply by covering in a microwave safe bowl and microwaving it for 2 to 3 minutes.
