The Current 2020

Oreintation 2020 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 19 Health & Wellness PRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM F. SHABAN Vegan meat patties PRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM F. SHABAN A pot full of soup that lasted for a week PRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM F. SHABAN Tupperware to sustain planned meals A Begginer’s Guide To Meal Preping Going to college can come with a lot of changes. Depending on your situation, you might be living by yourself for the first time, shopping for your own groceries, getting adjusted to a new sleeping schedule and much more. All of these aspects can impact your health. If you’re looking to eat healthy, save time and stay on top of your well- being, meal prepping can be a great option for college students. Check out these helpful hints to make your meal prepping a success. Get your (practical) supplies While it would be nice to own all of those fancy reusable containers with different sized compartments and removable parts, sometimes it’s not always in the budget (or the storage capacity of a mini fridge). Instead, head toAmazon or Target to order some meal- sized packages -- preferably stackable ones -- and a few smaller containers for dressings, sauces and dips. It can also be helpful to have a box of reusable sandwich and snack bags as well. Plan ahead Before you head to get groceries, pick out which recipes you’ll be using this week. To make it a little easier, print out the recipes or save them as images, highlight which ingredients you need, and then go through each one, separating the ingredients into sections like produce, breads, etc. By putting your ingredients into sections, it can be easier to visualize how much of one thing you’ll need, especially if it’s in more than one recipe. Or, pick out just one recipe you really want to make for the upcoming few days and take a look at the ingredients to figure out how else you can use them. This can be a great option if you’re short on space in your fridge and looking to cut down waste. Take one trip to the kitchen If you don’t have a kitchen in your room or you don’t have access to one at all, planning to make all your meals at once can be incredibly helpful. That way, you don’t have to worry about taking trips to the kitchen or getting out all of your supplies every day. Make your meals in batches, separate them into containers and put them in the fridge until you’re ready to eat. If you’re worried something may go bad, stick it in the freezer -- this works well for keeping cooked food like soups, stews and grains fresh for longer. Be flexible Sure, those beautiful bento boxes and colorful dishes on Pinterest might be tasty and nutritious, they also might not be the most practical while you’re in college. That might work out for some people, but for others, especially those who are looking to meal prep to save time and money, it’s not always attainable. Make meals you’re comfortable with, whether that’s burritos and sandwiches, soups and salads or culinary masterpieces that belong on the Food Network. Either way, just take your time to plan out your meals and prepare them when you’re able to. You’ll thank yourself all week long for being able to have some healthy and delicious meals to grab when you’re running late, rushing around, doing homework or just don’t want to cook after a long day of classes and work. Being Vegan In College: It’s Possible Whether you’ve been an omnivore your whole life and want to go vegetarian, you’re just looking to eat more plant-based meals, you want to quit all animal products cold turkey (or cold tofu) or you’re hoping to continue your current lifestyle, I’m here to let you know it’s possible to be vegan in college. Take some of these tips to help make your transition to being plant-based in By: Madelyn Rinka Co-Editor-in-Chief By: Madelyn Rinka Co-Editor-in-Chief college a little bit easier. Know the lingo and do your research Unfortunately, you don’t usually get an all-encompassing handbook when you decide to go vegan (unless you’re close with someone who’s already vegan and willing to help you out). That means, you have to take the time to do some research and study up. Blogs, videos, movies and books can be incredibly helpful -- luckily, there’s plenty of resources available online to help you learn the difference between vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, fruitarian and the list goes on. Check out how other people cut animal products out of their diet to help you find your path (although this shouldn’t be taken as a substitute for medical advice should you feel you need it). Read the signs (and ingredients) Tofu and tempeh and seitan, oh my! Reading menus as a new vegan can make your head spin. While this vegan language gets easier to decipher over time, it can be difficult at first. As a little hack, go straight to the bottom of the ingredients and look for the bolded “contains” text. If it says the product contains any non-vegan ingredients, you can put it back and save yourself some time. If it doesn’t, then you can scan the list and see if there’s any other ingredients you don’t want to consume. Oftentimes, animal products might have different or confusing names like carmine, whey or casein, which can be hard to spot in an ingredients list. Fortunately, this usually gets less daunting over time, and pretty soon you’ll be able to spot an animal product in the ingredients with ease. Plan your meals I know this can be difficult while in college, but hear me out. If you know you’ll be out of your room or apartment all day and hopping between classes, work and extracurriculars, pack a healthy vegan meal (and snacks) to eat on the go. It can be easy to break and eat some non-vegan food when you’re pressed for time and limited on options, especially when you’re just starting out. While NSU tends to offer some satisfying plant-based options, sometimes you’re just not feeling what’s on the menu. Rather than turning to a non-vegan option, turn to your lunchbox. Consider packing your food the night before so you don’t have another thing to rush in the morning. Don’t beat yourself up over mistakes Going vegan shouldn’t be a major stressor. It can be a difficult change and it’s easy to accidentally slip up or consume an animal product without realizing it, especially while you’re in college. If you make a few mistakes when you’re first transitioning, don’t beat yourself up over it. Personally, I was vegetarian for years before I decided to go vegan, which took me a few months. Try taking it slow by setting smaller goals, like eating two plant-based meals a day or only eating non-vegan on the weekends. Even cutting out animal products just a few days a week while you’re working on your transition can help make a difference. Here’s an extra tip: search “vegan” on The Current’s website, nsucurrent.nova.edu, to check out some other articles we’ve written on this subject!