Now that the school year is underway, those that are off and running in their college years for the first time may have a hard time adjusting to making healthy food choices.

Greene County Extension Nutrition Specialist Ann Heuer says there are factors that can lead to weight gain for college students such as stress and sleeping less. For those who are of legal age, alcohol is another contributing factor. Sometimes to compensate for those factors, Heuer points out that college students will tend to lean more towards convenient food choices, which can lead to weight gain. She says to help avoid gaining weight in college, watch portion sizes and physically move more.

“A lot of people are sedentary when they’re studying or are in class. So if they can move more, if they can take 15 minutes and walk around either their dorm building or their campus, as a study break, that can help prevent the weight gain.”

She suggests having healthier convenient food options will also help. Some of those options include: whole grain crackers with cheese, crunchy fruit or vegetables with ranch or peanut butter, or simply peeling a banana or washing an apple and just biting into it.