Derval O'Rourke: Top tips for staying healthy in college

This week I’m sharing my top tips for living your best healthiest life at college.

For my wise it’s my favourite on-the-go snack ideas plus delicious peanut butter hummus wraps.

Starting college is a big change for anyone. I moved from Cork to Dublin to college when I went to UCD, it was a monumental life change for me. During my first couple of years in college I fell into the trap of eating processed, cheap canteen food and doing little to no cooking myself.

I was on an athletics scholarship and that depended on performing so I knew I had to make changes to my lifestyle.

I started cooking more, changed the foods I snacked on and began to prioritise sleeping/ recovery. I completed a degree, post grad and then master’s in UCD. Looking back, I wish I had known these top tips from the very start of my college days:

1) Eat breakfast

This can be as simple as preparing overnight oats the night before or grabbing a slice of toast with nut butter and banana as you run out the door to your 9am lecture. It’s not expensive and will set you up for a good day at college.

2) Avoid skipping meals

Unlike in secondary school where you had designated break times, it’s common for lectures to run straight through lunch. Bring something with you to keep you going until you get a proper meal. Leaving long gaps between eating can wreak havoc with your blood sugar and impact negatively on your concentration. I love to keep Nakd bars, a bag of popcorn or a piece of fruit with some nuts in my bag.

3) Portion control

This might be the first time in your life when you have to put together a plate of food for yourself on a regular basis. Whether you are cooking from scratch or eating from the college canteen keep in mind what a balanced plate of food looks like. I aim to fill half my plate with vegetables, a quarter with protein, a quarter with carbohydrates and add some healthy fats to finish.

4) Kitchen gadget essentials

If you’re living away from home here are a few basics I would buy:

• A small frying pan and saucepan
• A baking or roasting tray
• A tin and bottle opener
• Takeaway coffee cup, don’t spend your money on expensive take-out coffee (I love bodum ones).
• Tupperware
• Large bowl
• Sieve, knife and chopping board (one board for meat/ fish and one for vegetables/ fruit)

5) Cupboard food essentials

Make healthy eating convenient by stocking your kitchen well. Here are my go to basics:

• Tinned tomatoes
• Pasta and rice
• Dried/frozen herbs and spices
• Frozen fruit and veg
• Tinned chickpeas/ beans/lentils
• Potatoes
• Oats
• Eggs

6) Move your body

Fitting exercise into an already busy schedule can be tough but making a conscious effort to include 30 minutes five times per week will pay huge dividends. Lots of universities have great fitness centres that offer group classes like pilates and kickboxing. If the gym isn’t your thing then joining a sports club can be a great way to exercise while meeting new people and having fun.

7) Sleep

I understand that sleep is not the priority for most students but it’s so important. Try to target getting to bed and banking hours of sleep a few nights a week. This will go a long way to help recover from the nights you do are cramming or out partying!

8) Hydrate

Make water your go-to, moderate your caffeine intake and limit your consumption of high-sugar fizzy drinks. Did you know that being even slightly dehydrated can have a negative impact on aspects such as decision-making, concentration and reaction times? For example, losing more than 5% of your body weight in water reduces your ability to move and work by as much as 30%.

9) Mental health matters

It’s easy to get stressed with deadlines, classes and exams but minding your mental health is vital. We all get homesick, anxious and lonely at times but if it’s an ongoing issue that interferes with your day-to-day life be sure to talk to someone. Most colleges have a healthcare centre with qualified professionals who can offer you help and support. Be sure to check in with them.

10) Alcohol

I’m not going to lecture anyone about drinking, but being mindful of your consumption of alcohol is super important. Avoid drinking on an empty stomach, alternate between alcoholic beverages throughout the night and and be sure to rehydrate before you go to bed. Using a spirit measure when drinking at home and choosing half pints, single measures or small glasses of wine when you go out can make a huge difference to your overall intake.

I can’t stress enough the importance of a careful approach to alcohol.

Fitspiration

@thefoodmedic - Hazel Wallace is a junior doctor with a special interest in lifestyle medicine. She is a personal trainer and author. Her Instagram account has recipes and workout ideas plus lots of evidence-based advice on how to achieve a healthier lifestyle. She has returned to college to undertake a masters in clinical and public health nutrition at University College London so will be a great person for any student to follow.

Snacks on the go

Snacking can be challenging when you are busy.

For that reason I wanted to show what snacks I eat when I’m on the run and don’t have time to make anything.

These are my top grab- and-go options.

1. Popcorn trail mix - 1 handful of popcorn, 1 handful of nuts, 3 squares dark chocolate

2. Banana dipped in nut butter

3. Apple and rice cakes

4. Handful of berries and nuts

5. Pot of yoghurt with dates and nuts

6. Energy ball

Peanut hummus wraps

This recipe is a super option for lunch. It’s a great lunch box filler.

The hummus is super fast to make and a great alternative for sandwiches from meat.

Give it a go for your lunch, a welcome change from sandwiches.

Serves: 6 wraps

Prep time: 10 minutes

• Hummus
• 1 tin of chickpeas, drained and washed
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 tbsp. peanut butter (a good quality nut butter i.e check ingredients for only nuts/nut oil)
• Salt and pepper to season

Additional elements:

• 1 large carrot, grated
• 1 handful of baby spinach leaves
• 6 wholemeal wraps
• Place all ingredients for hummus into your food processor and blend until smooth.
• If you have a smoothie maker you can easily make it in that.
• Scoop out the hummus and place in a glass jar.
• Spread generous helping of hummus over the wraps, layer with grated carrot and layer with spinach.
• Roll the wraps tightly and either eat whole or chop into pin wheels