Living in a sorority house can make pursuing a healthy lifestyle difficult. Most sorority houses have chefs and set menus each week which makes Ballpark day a little tricky to work around, BUT if you plan correctly there are ways to sidestep the menu and meet your healthy eating goals.
I have teamed up with my sweet friend Bri (follow her super cool healthy eating inspo insta here!) to let y’all in on some secrets of how we stay healthy while living in the ever so beautiful Zeta Tau Alpha house!
1. Plan, Plan, Plan!
With our set menu each week, not all meals are going to be the ideal “healthy” meal that you were envisioning for your dinner that night. Soooo to combat this check the week’s menu early so that if you are having Salmon for dinner one night you can snag an extra to store in the fridge for later once dinner is over. This makes for a perfect lunch the next day if you are not into eating the Chicken Finger Friday or the Fiesta Friday!
I also love love love the traditional eggs and bacon breakfast that we normally have once a week, so I have started putting some leftovers in the fridge for later in the week when we have breakfasts such as cinnamon rolls or waffles.
2. Make the Most Out of Whatcha Got
Like I said earlier not every meal will be ideal, BUT you can make it your own! Sometimes the protein on the hot bar is a great healthy choice, but the sides might be mashed potatoes, fries, or some other starchy side that I would not prefer. Instead of getting bummed and writing off the whole meal I usually take the protein from the hot bar and then pair it with a medium or large salad. (The size depends on how hungry I am and the portion of the protein.) 
My go to salad is as follows (varying depending on what is on the salad bar for the day.)
- Romaine Lettuce
- Sunflower seeds – or some other nut, walnuts are my other favorite
- Grape tomatoes
- Artichokes
- Feta cheese (I usually try to steer clear but sometimes I crave cheese.)
- Grilled Chicken – or whatever protein is on the bar for the day
- Greek Dressing or Honey Mustard (if you do honey mustard opt out of the artichokes… not a good combo)
Sometimes I will pick up and avocado or strawberries at the supermarket (Aldi has some great produce) and add these to my salads to change it up a bit. Normally this fills me up more than enough and I drink iced lemon water to wash it all down!
3. Tackling the Sweet (or Salty) Tooth.
Many times while studying late or doing homework I get “hungry” again or start having cravings. Instead of reaching for the ice cream, I reach for the Special K strawberry cereal with Skim milk to fight off that craving. Not only does it satisfy my sweet tooth but it also has nutritional value in it! (check it out here.)
Another tip is to take advantage of the fruit that is put out during the day for lunch or dinner. I normally grab what I think I might want for later when I see it because it tends to go fast. Bananas are an awesome source of potassium and natural sugars, so I normally pair them with peanut butter for a sweet and salty snack!
My friend Bri that I mentioned earlier has posted these awesome snacks on her page, so be sure to check it out for some fresh ideas!
4. Conquering the Weekend
On the weekends our chefs don’t cook for us because they are real people, and they need time off too. So Friday dinner through Sunday dinner we are on our own for meals. My go to is the sandwich stuff that they leave for us in the refrigerator downstairs, or I buy the healthy choice meals.
For breakfast, I will do a protein shake, smoothie, or Naked Juice something along those lines just to tie me over until lunch. Then for lunch, I will normally go out to eat with my friends or boyfriend. It is the weekend so I normally splurge a little into the more unhealthy side of things but everyone deserves a cheat day right?
Some of my favorite weekend snacks are:
- Fruit – any natural sugars are good sugars
- Veggie Straws – so so good!! Zesty Ranch is my favorite
- Any kind of nuts
- Yogurt – Greek yogurt is my fav
- Guacamole with Whole Grain chips – I make this with an avocado and the premade Pico De Gallo in the produce section of Wal-Mart
I hope this helped some of you in your pursuit of a healthy lifestyle. Remember that YOU are in control of your diet and how you choose to eat, our bodies are temples so we should eat like it! Also, remember that no matter how great you eat without the right portion control you will never see the right results. If you have any questions or want more recipes for salads or snacks (I have tons!) Post a comment below I would love to help you out! Happy eating!
