Avoiding the Ten Pound Spread... Low Fat Eating Ideas for Today's College Student

Life as a college student is stressful! Right? You've got classes, and tests, and maybe problems with your roommate. You're going though challenging transitions and new experiences.

In the stressful life of a college student it is important that you take time to focus in on your personal well being. Finding time to relax, de-stress and exercise are very important, and you need to make these things a priority as you transition to college. In addition to these things, you need to consider the food choices that you are making on a daily basis and their overall impact on your health, if you want to avoid the "freshman spread".

Yeah, I know you may feel like your going to live forever, but a diet lower in fat can reduce many health problems and reduce calories.

This may not be anything you worry about now, but diets high in certain types of fat have been linked to a myriad of health problems, including obesity, high cholesterol, heart disease, and stroke. Additionally, many nutritionists and cancer specialists recommend the reduction of fat in the diet as a cancer prevention strategy.

In addition to reducing health problems the benefits of reducing fat in the diet are two-fold; limiting fat in the diet typically reduces calories, as foods that are high in fat generally have two times more calories that foods that are lower in fat.

Fat 101

Some fat in the diet is important in that it aids in the transportation of fat-soluble vitamins, such as A, D, E and K. Fat in the diet cushions organs, and provides for insulation and assistance with digestion.

Some fat is good and some not so good.

• Omega 6, or lineolic is polyunsaturated fat that is an essential fatty acid that is found in corn, soy, and other vegetables. Small amounts of this fat are needed, but this type of fat sustains cancer cells, so go easy on this type of fat.
• Omega 3 or Alpha-linolenic is another type of polyunsaturated fat, and is the best of all fat consumed. Cold water fish and flax are high in this type of oil, which has been noted in preventing both heart disease and cancer.
• Monounsaturated fats (olives, olive oil, avocados and peanuts) have not been linked to cancer, in fact they have been linked in the fight against cancer.
• Fats from animal products are known as saturated fats. They are found in meat, butter, cheese and eggs, and as a general rule they are typically solid at room temperature. Linked strongly to cardiovascular disease, their relationship to cancer is less known at this time.
• Transfats, which are found in many pre-packaged snacks, have been linked to both heart disease and cancer.

If you really want to become an educated fat consumer, purchase an inexpensive book that describes the fat content of various foods, and educate yourself.

So how much fat should you eat in a day?

Irregardless of type, fat in your diet should be limited to no more than 30 % of the total calories you consume in a day, and the total number of saturated fats should be limited to no more than 10 % of total calories. Fat is counted by the gram, and generally adults need a minimum of 15 to 25 grams of fat per day for the body to properly maintain itself.

Refer to the chart below taken from the book, The Complete and Up-To Date Fat Book, by Karen Bellerson to find out your recommended fat consumption per day.

Tips for reducing fat in the diet (yes...these are all things you can do while eating on a meal plan!)

• Eat cereal with skim milk instead of eggs.
• Eat plenty of fruit, which is generally no or low fat.
• Stay away from donuts and muffins, which tend to be fat loaded, and substitute lower in fat bagels, toast and english muffins. Go light on the butter, or substitute jelly or jam for butter.
• For breakfast eat canadian bacon (only around 1 gram of fat per serving) vs. regular bacon (which is fat loaded).
• Broth vs. cream soups is lower in fat.
• Substitute mustard and pickles/vegetables on a sandwich for the mayonnaise.
• Choose turkey and ham over salami or bologna.
• Eat those vegetables and fruit, they're good for you and typically have no fat.
• Try to stay away from red meat. Eat turkey, chicken and fish instead.
• When you eat chicken, eliminate the skin and eat the meat only.
• Stay away from fried food.
• Eliminate the butter and eat that baked potato or dinner-roll without the butter.
• Pasta has no fat. Spaghetti sauce is typically a fairly low fat option.
• Eat pretzels with mustard vs. chips and dips. Pretzels and mustard have no fat.
• When ordering pizza, ask for half the cheese they normally place on the pizza.
• Substitute frozen yogurt for ice cream. Many frozen yogurts come in a fat free variety, and they are delicious.
• Drink skim milk vs. regular milk. Skim milk has 0 grams of fat.
• To save the taste, use a combination of low or no fat items with the regular or "high fat" items that you normally use. As an example, as opposed to just using regular salad dressing, make it half regular dressing and half low or no fat. This will help save the taste and cut the fat.
• Find out from your food service director what type of oil they cook with...lobby for olive oil instead of oils high in saturated fat.
• If your dining facility does not label the nutritional content of the food they serve, which should include grams of fat in a serving, talk to the Dining Center Manager and your campus food committee if you have one, and lobby for this to happen.

Recommended Reading

• Bellerson, Karen J, The Complete and Up-To-Date Fat Book. Avery Publishing Group, Garden City Park, New York, 1991.
• Cowley, Geoffrey. "Cancer & Diet." Newsweek, 30 November 1998: 60-66.
• American Institute For Cancer Research, Information Series. All About Fat and Cancer Risk, (1993).