Fitness Brief

    For many college students, a supposedly ordinary trip to the grocery store could be a potential disaster waiting to occur.  Running up and down the aisles to toss only the same 15 foods into the grocery cart every visit can be a recipe for trouble, unless you’re taking home the right foods. 
    A typical, off-campus student grocery shops every other week and can easily be following a pattern that has a negative impact on their body.  A student can easily throw the cheapest items into the cart, but a low cost usually does not translate into high quality.
    Sarah Miller, a senior marketing major at GCSU, usually makes a list before she heads to the store in order to keep from making these shopping mistakes.
    "I usually go to the fruit and produce section first and get fruits and vegetables that will not go bad in a couple of days.  Most of my money goes towards yogurt, juice, milk, bottled water, fruit, vegetables and soup," Miller said.
    All of the above are nutritious choices for any shopper wondering what they should purchase on their next grocery trip.  One concern commonly shared amongst students is the cost of healthier foods as opposed to less wholesome alternatives,
    "Two weeks of food is $30-$45, but that includes other necessities (like soap).  That is worth it, you should be willing to spend a little more money to be healthier instead of taking shortcuts and having [health] problems down the road," said John Fogleman, a sophomore business major. 
    Lindsay Smith, a sophomore nursing major, agreed with Fogleman’s awareness of his grocery shopping habits.
    "I just think you need to be careful about the eating habits you develop [in college] because that may dictate how you are for the rest of your life," Smith said.
   That said, here are a few "must-purchase" foods for the next time you plan to take care of those groceries, as suggested by Dr. Liz Applegate in a recent interview with "Runner’s World" magazine:  Whole wheat bread (check the nutrition label to be sure those exact words are written), chicken breasts, green vegetables (frozen veggies last longer and are less expensive), skim or 1% fat milk, fruits, eggs, turkey, black beans, almonds or peanuts, and whole grain cereals (no marshmallows).   It is best to avoid foods with excess sugar (< 20 grams), white flour, trans-fats, and high amounts of sodium.  When in doubt, do a little outside research to be sure that what you put into your body will benefit you the most. 
    "I watch the food network a lot.  I really like to take a healthy alternative on things and having a balanced daily intake of food.  You can notice the difference in how you feel by what you eat," said Fogleman .

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Nov 10 2006. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry