As students enter college, their whole lives  shift — including their diet. Eating healthy can seem impossible when faced with options like the University’s dining halls, especially with the freedom to eat a bag of chips for breakfast without parental judgment. 

The University’s dining halls operate under an “all you care to eat” buffet model, where students use meal swipes to enter and are free to eat as much of whatever the dining halls serve at a particular time.

For new students nutritionally unaware, this can be a curse.

“In the dining halls, we try to offer things for everyone,” said Flora Mendoza, assistant director dietitian of Dining Services. “We’re not going to force you to eat healthy if you’d rather have chicken tenders and fries.”

A healthy visit to the dining hall may be a daunting task, but students who understand their nutritional needs and select their food wisely can set themselves up to feel their best. 

“A helpful mindset is to always ask yourself, ‘What can I add in?’ instead of focusing on what to cut out,” wrote Ginny Williams, registered dietitian nutritionist and former Dining Services nutritionist, in an email. “If you’re craving pizza—go for it! Then ask yourself, ‘What can I add to make this meal more nourishing?’”

Macronutrients can be the key to building a nourishing plate. The three macronutrients the body needs are protein, carbohydrates and fats. While carbohydrates and fats are sometimes stigmatized, all three macronutrients are essential.

“I feel like every year there’s a new fad diet that really messes with macros,” Mendoza said. “The secret is almost never to cut out an entire macronutrient group or to focus heavily on one.”

The internet’s latest craze is high-protein diets. Although this may seem like the healthy way to go, Mendoza believes most people can achieve their natural need for protein without solely focusing on the nutrient. Williams also warned of the dangers of listening to everything online.

“Here’s the truth: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” Williams wrote. “If it sounds ‘diety,’ restrictive, or promises fast results, stay away. Real balance doesn’t come from rules—it comes from tuning in to what your body needs, not what an influencer says you should eat.”

Williams and Mendoza recommend that students research online to find nutrition information and listen to their bodies rather than falling victim to the internet’s spread of misinformation.

“We don’t need to eat seven chicken breasts a day as long as you are eating a balanced diet,” Mendoza said.

A balanced diet consists of all three macronutrients, as well as the inclusion of dietary fiber — a nutrient Mendoza says very few Americans get sufficient amounts of. 

“Eating fiber is kind of the best thing for your health,” said Mani Nakamura, professor in ACES.

Fiber and protein have the most satiating effects of the nutrients and can prevent unnecessary overeating, according to Nakamura. 

Understanding personal nutrition can be difficult, especially for new students. As a result, the University provides resources to help students focus on their nourishment with the available dining options.

To view the nutritional breakdown of food in the dining halls, students can utilize the menus on the Illinois app or visit the EatSmart website. 

Mendoza suggests reviewing these resources to understand the nutritional makeup of the foods students have to choose from.

“(Macronutrients) may not be as spot on, but always the macronutrients and the fiber, those are going to be entered by one of our menu management dietitians, and they are going to be accurate as long as you’re following the serving size,” Mendoza said. 

The University also offers students the opportunity to speak with dietitians. On the Illinois app, students can text the dietitians of Dining Services with specific campus-related nutrition questions. 

Nakamura proposed another way students can go about their diet mindfully.

“The important thing is not just what to eat,” Nakamura said. “How you eat is very important.”

He recommends that students eat three meals a day while sitting and refraining from snacking on the go. Rushing a meal or constantly snacking can lead to overeating, since the mind cannot register what is being eaten. 

However, with this in mind, students can still recognize that they can fit some of their favorite foods into their balanced diet.

“If you’re most of the time focusing on nourishing your body with protein, fiber, healthy fats, and a variety of vitamins and minerals—there is absolutely room for your favorite treats,” Williams wrote. “Think of it like this: A balanced diet isn’t about perfection—it’s about patterns. You don’t have to ‘earn’ dessert, and you don’t need to cut it out to be healthy. Food is meant to nourish and be enjoyed.”

Thankfully, eating healthily doesn’t always have to mean cutting out ISR’s Andes mint pie.

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