Healthy Tips for Back-to-school

Newswise — Alexa Schmidt, Binghamton University‘s registered dietitian, offers the following health and wellness tips for college students.

Tips for beating the ‘freshman fifteen’• Seek out campus resources.• Sign up for an active gym class.• Find the walking trails on campus or map out a route to do each day.• Buy a pedometer and strive for 10,000 steps per day.• Try a yoga class.• Check to see if your school offers meditation classes- you just might like it!• See the dietitian on campus to find more info about healthy dining choices.• Eat breakfast every day.• Do not skip meals. Try to eat every 3-4 hours.• If you are up late studying, plan an evening snack instead of calling for take out or hitting the vending machine. Try a bowl of cereal topped with a banana or ½ PBJ sandwich with cup skim milk or yogurt mixed with nuts and fruit.• Try to get adequate sleep each night.

Alexa also offers the following no muss, no fuss healthy snacks.Stock your dorm room with healthy snacks so you can enjoy at any time. Some ideas:• 1 slice whole-wheat toast, 1-tablespoon natural peanut butter, 16 grapes.• 2 tablespoons hummus, 12 baby carrots.• 1-cup multigrain Cheerios and 12 almonds.• 1-cup vanilla or plain yogurt and 4 strawberries.• ½ cup oatmeal and ½ cup blueberries.• ¼ cup roasted soy nuts and ¼ cup raisins.• 1-cup lowfat cottage cheese, 1 peach.• 2 celery stalks, 1-tablespoon peanut butter.• 1-ounce Swiss cheese and 5 crackers.

Remember to go for variety. Do not eat the same thing every day to ensure you are getting a wide range of nutrients.• Choose more wholesome foods like fresh fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean meats (skinless chicken, turkey, fish).• Swap your soda and fruit drinks for water or skim milk. You might like to add lemon, orange, or lime slices to water.• Like coffee? Try it black or add skim milk.

About Alexa Schmidt:Alexa Schmidt, RD, CSSD, is the registered dietitian with Sodexo Campus Services at Binghamton University and works with students, faculty, staff, and athletes. Schmidt is board certified in sports dietetics and teaches classroom based nutrition courses. She recently co-authored the instructor’s resource manual for the textbook, "Nutrition: Real People, Real Choices."

Schmidt graduated from the University of Delaware with a major in dietetics and a minor in biology.