[miluna]

Hi,
I'm a college student who is trying to lose some weight and eat healthily. I'm pretty much limited to what my school sells, as I eat off a meal plan. I'm having a lot of trouble figuring out what is a healthy diet and what is not. It seems that every potentially healthy food I can think of becomes an unhealthy food upon further study:

-I'm a longtime vegetarian, so I don't eat meat (fish included).

-I read that there have been links between high carb diets and breast cancer, so I consider cutting the sugar/white flour largely for my diet.

-First, I think of nuts as good staple (low carb, "good fats," protein), so I think maybe I'll eat 500 calories of nuts a day. However, nuts are high fat, and apparently even a diet high in good fats leads to increased cancer risk. That won't work, then.

-I think PowerBar Harvest Bars are good for fiber and protein (5g/10g) and surprisingly high in nutrients, and I like them, so maybe I'll eat one or two a day (240 calories each). However, I worry about the processed nature, carbs, and sugar.

-Wheat bread might be a good addition, but it's hard to find truly whole wheat breads and then there's the carb issue, not to mention storage.

-I think of pickles, a vegetable I like that is easy to store and perhaps good for rounding out calories... but pickles apparently have ungdly amounts of sodium and little nutritional value.

-Dried fruit is fruit, no sugar added, easy to store...but has huge amounts of carbs and surprisingly few nutrients.

-Fresh fruit and veggies... frequent recalls due to norovirus, e. coli, etc. contamination. I don't want to take that risk, peroid, and the fruits at school are sometimes of questionable quality.

-Pizza with lots of veggies... Good way to get cooked veggies! However, it is high in carbs, dairy, possibly fat, and generally not considered a "healthy" food.

-Yogurt is relatively low cal, somewhat tasty, and has probiotics, but I read that people shouldn't eat much dairy and that much yogurt isn't vegetarian anyway due to the presence of cassein (spelling?).

I drink water.

I'm trying to construct a cost effective meal plan of ~1200 calories per day, but it seems that I can't do it without running into food that will lead to my demise in some way! Any advice for me?

Thanks.

PS. I'm 19, 5'6", and around 125 lbs., looking to drop about 10-15 pounds.

[Lyria]

Hmmm...I don't know how much I would personally be able to help you as I am not a vegetarian

I consume a high level of fruit and vegetable
I eat legumes and pulses nearly every day
I have a handful of nuts nearly every day
I include avocado several times a week
I eat wholegrain breads and homemade muesli
I would LIVE on yoghurt if I could lol - adore the stuff
I eat cheese and drink low-fat calcium enriched soy milk
I eat a lot of bean curd and tofu

All food at some point has been "shown" to cause some kind of damage to us.

I basically give a big thumb to my nose at it all and eat a good balanced diet.

I eat meat infrequently...maybe 2 or 3 times a week and thats mostly fish lol.

I'm probably the only person I know who never gets sick and if I do happen to it's over in two sniffs and a cough...that same sniffle would knock the person out beside me for a week.

So basically...construct your meal plan around a sensible intake of fruits and veg, include nuts, legumes, soy products, cheese is a personal preference to the level of vegetarian the person is but go for it if you do have it, same with yoghurt...yoghurt is awesome lol.

I am also 5'6 but my goal is about 135 or so (62kgs over here in Aussie land) and I'm 24

Good luck!

[bargoo]

At 5'6" and 110 pounds you will be underweight.

[hellokitty81668]

Hi,
I don't eat poultry or meat( red and pork), only fish, .
I eat beans...... black beans, white beans, chick peas, peas , lentils, red beans, I can make lots of things with them... black bean soup, white bean enchiladas, white beans and pasta with veggies, chick peas eaten as a finger food, lentil soup, red beans and rice, without the meat.
I also eat fruits and veggies, dried fruit, squashes,
Pasta( whole wheat pasta is a good choice)
I also eat veggie burgers( you can make your own, or buy some( like Morning star).
I eat cheese, there is veggie cheese that is really good.
If you don't drink milk, there is soy milk, almond milk
oatmeal, kashi cereal, kashi tlc bars
Amy's makes a great pizza
Hummus with veggies
Smart dogs( veggie hot dogs).
I probably can think of more.
there are websites on the web that have lots of ideas for vegetarians.

Also I would add that for your weight and height you don't need to lose weight, just eat healthy and exercise and you will be fine.
cheryl

[chick_in_the_hat]

Judging by your current weight the way you are eating is working pretty well. I would suggest weight training to tone you up if you feel you need it. Choosing less processed foods is always a good plan. I also say to you for being concerned with eating healthy at your age. I wish I had asked more questions then.

Oh, and

[alkali-feldspar]

I'm a 25 y/o vegetarian and I totally understand your meal plan woes. I lived on spinach and soup in college because of the shoddy meal plans. But anyway...keep moderation in mind. As bargoo mentioned, 5'6" and 110 is indeed underweight and that's equally as unhealthy as any amount of carbs, sugar, or fats.

That said, though, it sounds like you're doing a great job avoiding things you should be, but whole grains, legumes, veggies, and fruits are all considered healthy foods for a reason. Your body actually needs them all. Plus, if you're not a vegan and if you can buy a few cups of yogurt or find some string cheese at the grocery or student store every now and then, I'd recommend those too. Most universities will buy a few half gallons of soy milk if they know there's a demand for it, and in smart dosages, soy can be a phenomenal food. Does your school have a salad bar or a vegetarian station in the dining hall? These were my lifesavers in school.

Be careful, regardless of what you do and keep everything in moderation.

[blues4miles]

Just adding to what others have said. If you are 125 lbs now and 5'6" maybe you have an image problem, not a weight problem. I'd suggest adding weight lifting to your routine. Now, on to eating healthy (which is always a good idea):

You mentioned a lot of foods have recalls/bacteria and all that, well that is a risk no matter WHAT you eat. I suggest you bulk up on the veggies, and fruits too. You are a vegetarian so you are limited in good sources of protein and in healthy, non-fattening foods. I know the veggie-scare lately is freaking everyone out, but if you vary your diet enough you'll be fine. Also agree with many others who've brought up beans, eaten with rice they make a complete protein. Rice and beans are excellent by themselves as well for staples of any vegetarian's diet.

Dairy - don't draw back on this! Don't listen to all these horror stories of too much dairy being bad. If you can't afford to shop on your own at a grocery store for calcium supplements, make sure you are getting your calcium in other ways (yogurt and milk being the easiest).

And again I just want to say, sounds like you are at a very healthy weight for your height. If you don't feel lean, exercising, getting in shape, and weight lifting will help. But make sure you don't cut back too ridiculously on calories if you do add in exercise. It's best to build healthy eating habits now while you can, otherwise you will be real sorry later that you wrecked your metabolism or didn't deal with body images when you were young. Not trying to be accusative, just trying to be supportive.

[hepmelly]

i'm a college student vegetarian, too. I have been on a meal plan for 2 of my 4 years so far...it's really hard. my first year i would eat light all day, then have one meal in the cafeteria in the evening. ( it would always be like pasta with brocoli and tomato sauce)

here are a few questions for you:
do oyu have a small refrigerator in your dorm room? if not, the best way to go is keeping a few apples (great, high fiber snack that doesn't require cooling) and baby carrots.. Also, those dole fruitcups dont have to be chilled, nor do baby carrots. you can even get them in "on the go" packs. i would advise against berries, they go bad -very- rapidly. Also, soymilk does not have to be chilled (although it is better if it is)

Does your school have a convenience store where you can spend mealplan bucks ? If so, opt for buying things like those cereal pre packaged things, rather than chips. you can eat cereal dry, too.

The school i went to last year, the entire campus was vegetarian, including hte cafeteria. It made it -no- easeier. in fact, i think it was harder because there were constantly bad choices that i could make, like enchiladas.

For protein, you can always add peanut butter to your noodles. It's actually really good!

another great way to track calories is the website "mydailyplate.com" they have just about everything you can imagine from olive garden food to butter, to fruit and veggies. they have the whole nutrition lable. literally millions of foods.

P.s.

don't worry so much about dying. it will happen to you someday no matter what, it does to everyone. They do make things like veggiewash- it ensures that your vegetables and fruits are very clean.

also. natural sugar is not bad. You want ocmplex sugars in your diet. It's the bleached, white beet sugar you need to watch. It's great to want to be healthy and all, just remember that obsessing about it can be just as detramental to your health as eating at mcdonalds every day. Keep in mind that physical health is only one aspect, your spirit and mind need nurturing sometimes too. This is why it's okay to have a serving of ice cream every once in a while it's good for the spirit.

You might consider asking these questions to a campus nurse, she could possibly help get healthier foods on campus for you/ more vegetarian friendly stuff.