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" The four years spent in college can easily take a toll on your body if you aren&amp;#039;t careful. The stress of exams, intense social calendar, and lack of sleep are pretty much staples to any life on campus. Add the typical college diet of ramen noodles, mac and cheese, and dining hall buffets to that list, and the result isn&amp;#039;t pretty.  Eating meals on the go and late-night snacking in the dorms are quick and easy, but rarely healthy. The good news is that no matter how busy or broke you are, there are some shortcuts you can take to avoid unhealthy foods while still maintaining a reasonable budget.  Fruit Fruit is among the healthiest snack options, and the variety of options is just one reason to make it a staple of your college diet. Apples, bananas, and grapes are delicious and relatively inexpensive options. Dehydrated, or dried, fruit is another great idea if you&amp;#039;re worried about shelf life, but watch out for the &amp;#039;sugar-coated&amp;#039; options. If you prefer the fresh stuff, bring back some &amp;quot;leftovers&amp;quot; from the dining hall (Hint: hooded sweatshirts are useful). Nuts  Like fruit, nuts are a great healthy snack alternative given the right portion size. Making a healthy trail mix (nuts and dried fruit) is a great on-the-go snack for a busy student. Peanut butter is also filling, cheap, and healthy. Yes, it contains fat, but it&amp;#039;s &amp;quot;good fat.&amp;quot; Instead of grabbing lunch on campus, make a sandwich using some natural peanut butter and your favorite pairing (bananas or jelly always work).  Cereal Cereal can be healthy, but brand selection is vital. Look at ingredient labels, and choose only whole-grain cereals-those where the first ingredient listed includes the word &amp;quot;whole&amp;quot; (as in &amp;quot;whole grain rolled oats&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;whole wheat flour&amp;quot;). In lieu of Cap&amp;#039;n Crunch, try healthy staples like Special K, Kashi, Total, and Cheerios. Like peanut butter, cereal is price-efficient because it lasts over many servings and does not go bad. Granola Bars  Granola bars are similarly tricky. As with cereals (and all other carbohydrate-based snacks, like pretzels and rice cakes), you want whole grain something to be the first ingredient. You don&amp;#039;t want it to be sugar and you don&amp;#039;t want it to be flour. Nature Valley granola bars, for example, list whole grain rolled oats as the first ingredient (they pass!), while Cascadian Farm&amp;#039;s options list a sweetener called &amp;quot;organic brown rice syrup&amp;quot; (they fail). To reduce costs, buy in bulk. Buying granola by the pound is another great option, and is delicious when mixed with yogurt and fruit. The Bottom Line To stay nutritious within a budget: (1) buy healthy foods in bulk; (2) check non-perishables for whole grains; (3) save food from the dining hall; (4) manage your portions and keep leftovers; and (5) plan your snacks. By choosing carefully, you can make nutrition work to your economic advantage. For more ideas on a healthy lifestyle in college, and especially in those dorms, take a peek at the Campus Life section over at Unigo! "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.seventeen.com/life/school/a13482/healthy-food-you-can-afford/>