Opinions
Fighting The Freshman Fifteen

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by Heather Altz
Staff Writer
Let’s face it—college students are busy people. If it’s not class, which most of the time it is not, then it’s work. If it’s not work, it's activities and clubs or studying for that exam and writing that paper. Not many students take the time to think about what they are eating. Many do not even eat at the same time of day every day; they are just thankful they can fit “food” into their hectic balance of socializing and schoolwork.  
"Your average undergraduate has neither the time nor facilities to cook themselves a decent meal. Therefore, they often fall back on the more “convenient” forms of sustenance."

We are not talking about mom’s home cooking either. Your average undergraduate has neither the time nor facilities to cook themselves a decent meal. Therefore, they often fall back on the more “convenient” forms of sustenance. Mom bought you a giant case of soda before you left and she also took you Price Club shopping. Remember the Easy Mac, Ramen Noodles, and Chef Boyardee you bought in bulk? Why trek across campus to the cafeteria for the dining service's idea of food when you have such tasty treats resting untouched in your closet? Your school allows you to bring a microwave and a mini fridge, so you might as well make use of them, right?

Wrong!
“'There is a reason you ate that stuff when you were a kid—you actually got out of your room and ran around a bit back then."
Those so-called foods are ridiculously high in sodium and preservatives. There is areason you ate that stuff when you were a kid—you actually got out of your room and ran around a bit back then. If all you do is sit in front of a computer screen, it might not be a bad idea to limit the amount of microwave foods you eat. If you need to keep things in your room to snack on, try foods that are healthier. Try to keep your dorm room stocked with different kinds of fruit. Replacing Oreo cookies with apples, oranges, and bananas will certainly help you conquer the dreaded “freshman fifteen.”

Heather Altz is a junior journalism major at The College of New Jersey. She is currently co-production manager of The Signal. She is from Brick, NJ, a shore town between Seaside and Pt. Pleasant. She likes music, is obsessed with movies and makes an "attempt" at surfing whenever possible.
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