Many of us find the summer to be an easier time to eat healthy; Farmer’s Markets are open with fresh fruit and vegetables, the warm summer sun allows us to spend more time outside doing activities, and the stresses of the school year are eased often letting us slow our addiction to caffeine. Summer however is coming to its end, and another school year is back in full swing.

How to Stay Healthy on Campus Graphic

What does this mean for your food intake? Are you changing your exercise regime? Are you turning back to the ever-supportive caffeine drinks?

If you are like me and want to stay active and healthy but know that your daily life is going to get more hectic you may often turn to on-campus vendors for your food and drink needs. Can we find healthy, or at least healthier, options from these vendors?

Food

MacEwan Eats offers us a wide variety of food on-campus but finding the healthiest options might be challenging if you do not know what you are looking to eat.

  • Grab & Go Foods: Student life is busy, but fast and convenient snacking does not have to be synonymous with unhealthy. Express and Campus Convenience both offer healthy snacking options for students, including gluten-free, vegan/vegetarian, locally grown, and halal friendly snack options.
  • Meal Time: One of the most popular food spots on campus is Subway. Boost the nutrition factor in your sub by piling on the veggies, avoiding processed meats, and opting for flatbread or salad to save calories! Other food places on campus that provide a variety of food choices include: Booster Juice (watch out for high sugar content options – choose a protein booster and sub skim or almond milk for frozen yogurt), SEASON (exclusively vegetarian/vegan), or the newest edition to campus, Explore India!

Activity

As a student in 6 or more credits, you are assessed a Sport and Wellness fee, which gives you access to our facility. As the cold of winter approaches move your activity inside and visit our fitness centre, pool, gymnasium or sign up for a recreation league. We have facilities and programs to help keep you moving and motivated throughout the year. See our program guide for activity options offered throughout the school year.

Drinks

Caffeine, the driving force that keeps many of us awake enough to get through the day-to-day schedules and that special provider of energy as the days get shorter and colder. I am with you in not wanting to compromise on the taste of my caffeinated beverages. However, as we spend more and more time inside it is important to make healthier choices. To the coffee and tea drinkers out there; replace your double-double with a single cream and sugar or go a step farther and replace it with low-fat or non-fat milk. To the latte drinking fiends, try your latte or specialty drink half sweet, light or no whip cream, and replace the full-fat milk with non-fat or soy milk.

The key to all is to remember to eat and drink as consistently and well as possible. A healthy, nourished, and hydrated body will lead you down the path of success in and out of the classroom!

by Megan Denholm

Megan is a Bachelor of Kinesiology graduate from the University of Alberta. She is a CSEP-CPT certified Exercise Specialist with the MacEwan University Sport and Wellness fitness team.