College students face a number of stigmas when they first leave home and start living on their own. From not having their parents nearby to help clean and answer questions to being responsible for their own cooking and cleaning, the move from High School to College can be a bit of shellshock for many teenagers. Nowhere is this more apparent than in their eating habits, where many college students experience a great deal of downward digression. A recent 2009 study, published in the Nutrition Journal, found that one in four freshman gain at least 5 percent of their body weight, an average of about 10 pounds, during their first semester. All of this can be avoided though with healthy cooking and an eye for good choices. This book was written to provide every college student just learning to cook for themselves with viable, affordable alternatives to pizza and ramen. Every college student will learn the basics of what it is they need to be focusing on in their diets after leaving home. Starting with a basic discussion and introduction of nutrition and what the body needs on a daily basis, you will learn additionally which foods and nutrients are best for improving your mental acuity as well as your sleep each night. You will learn the importance of fluids and proper nightly sleep to supplement your diet and will be given a list of different ailments and problems that might develop should these issues be ignored or overlooked. Health professionals and college life experts have been interviewed and have provided their insight into what foods and lifestyle changes can be made for college students to keep them as healthy as possible. You will learn the basics of the right ingredients, what you should always avoid and why the occasional meal out will not kill you. You will learn how to avoid gaining all that extra weight and finally some of the top recipes currently available for quick, healthy cooking and how you can use these, regardless of whether you are stuck in a dorm room or your parents basement. The key to healthy living for college students is in a good diet, and this book will provide everything you need to maintain that.
