Audio By Carbonatix
We’re pretty familiar with college turnover (mmm, turnovers, move that to the “no” list). Every August ushers in a gaggle of wide-eyed freshmen just past jail bait, eager to flash their adolescent frames all over campus. (The ASU student body is anything but modest.) Slowly you notice the svelte student body start to layer until they’re departing for winter break in bulky sweaters–to hide rapidly rising muffin tops.
The dreaded Freshman 15.
Don’t worry though. We’re not your mom and you don’t need to abstain from the hallowed collegiate traditions of late night pizza runs and keg stands. Just don’t go hog wild or you’ll regret your time at the trough. (Face it, those resident hall cafeterias usher you through like livestock.) But when you barely have two bucks to rub together, eating right can be a challenge and it’s all too easy to rely on deep fried dollar menus.
Stick to our quick tips for dining on the go and maybe you can whittle down that Frosh 15 to a more manageable Freshman 5.
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Indulge in their delicious burritos too often and you’ll end up as pudgy as that three pound burrito you’re scarfing. The tortilla alone is 300 calories and that’s before you even start piling on the rice, beans, meat, and toppings. Even if you stick to calorie conscious lettuce and salsa (sorry cheese, guac and sour cream), you’re still fast approaching a 1000+ cal burrito. 8. Subway Jared lied to you. You aren’t going to lose calories by eating Subway, unless you like snooze-worthy veggie subs day in, day out. Because Subway sandwiches and salads taste terrible unless they’re packed with all that bad-for-you goodness like mayo, ranch sauce, cheese, bacon, and fatty meats. And beware the flatbread, which is actually more calories than the regular old white or wheat. Better: If you have to eat here (sorry), skip the tuna, spicy Italian, or meatball marinara and opt for the turkey sub on wheat sans cheese or mayo. To schnazz up this deathly boring sandwich, pile high the veggies and slather it with spicy mustard. Apple slices or yogurt on the side.
7. Red Mango, Mojo, Pinkberry, and other Froyo Joints We are so sick to death of the froyo trend and wish it would go the way of the Bacon Blitz or Cupcake Craze already, but for now it’s here to stay. But just because it has yogurt in the name doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Yeah it has less fat and more protein than ice cream, but it’s still loaded with sugar, especially after you top it with cookie crumbs, gummi bears, chocolate chips, and sugary breakfast cereals. And since you pour it yourself, it’s harder to keep to a reasonable serving size. Better: First, be careful with your pour. You don’t need 16 oz of froyo any more than you need 16 oz of ice cream or lard on your ass. Stick to a small self-serve portion of the traditional tart or sugar-free flavors, and opt for fresh fruit for a naturally sweet topping, or some nuts for good fat and hunger fighting power. 6. Einstein’s Einstein’s Bagels is not to be trusted. Despite our best intentions we end up walking out with a cheese crusted-bagel smeared with more fat-filled cream cheese than our arteries can handle. When your morning bagel is in the 400-500 calorie range, and the nutrition stats for most donuts beat it, there’s a problem. Better: The only thing Einstein’s has going for it is their bagel thins with light whipped plain cream cheese, which whittles down that morning bagel to a more manageable 220 calories. Or ask for an omelet with egg whites and spinach if you need a more substantial breakfast. Really though, if you can order the bagel thin with light shmear, you possess amazing willpower and really don’t need to be reading this. 5. In-N-Out There’s nothing tastier than a thick juicy burger, and at In-N-Out they’ve perfected the double double with cheese and “animal style” fries. Too bad animal style is code for creamy Thousand Island dressing, and a double double is a heart stopping amount of meat and cheese slapped in a grilled bun. Better: Although it isn’t on the menu, at In-N-Out they offer all of their burgers “protein style.” They’ll ditch the buttery grilled bun in favor of crispy lettuce wrapped around a burger. If you replace the Thousand Island dressing with ketchup and mustard it can save even more calories. Steal a couple of your friend’s fries, or just skip ’em all together. They’re bland matchsticks anyway. 4. Taco Bell Nachos Bell Grande, Burrito Supremes, Crunchwraps, quesadillas. Taco Bell basically consists of six to ten ingredients slopped together in different zany combinations. The one constant: fatty meat, refried beans, and cheese galore. And avoid anything with the word “supreme” since it’s just code for a hefty squirt of low grade sour cream on your otherwise tasty eats. Better: If the marketing blitz is to be believed, Taco Bell’s Fresco Menu’s is the hottest new health trend to hit fast food since Jared shilled for Subway. Ordering is easy with an entire menu of Fresco items that look familiar at first, but with a few healthier tweaks. No sour cream, no cheese, add pico de gallo. It still ain’t diet fare, but it will make your feel less guilty about your fast food binge. 3. Pizza Hut Nothing tastes better than biting into a piece of deep dish pizza and feeling that tasty crunch of mega oily crust. That is until you consider the fact that all that oil has to go somewhere and that somewhere is your ass. Pizza is delicious and we would never, not ever, consider telling you to abstain from its cheesy embrace. Just don’t go all meat lovers on a motherfucker and you’ll be okay. Better: Instead of the deep dish, go for their thin crust pizza and make sure to order heavy on the veg. Ham is your best bet if you’re craving some meat, but our favorite is still the veggie lover’s, which manages to taste fresh despite the near-plastic cheese topping. 2. Avoid 24 hour late night eats Just because Jack in the Box, McDonald’s, Whataburger, Wendy’s, and Filibertos are open until 2 or 3 am, or even 24 hours, doesn’t mean you need to take them up on their glowing neon offer. Better: If the late night munchies simply can’t be denied, hit up Wendy’s for a baked potato with reduced fat sour cream and a cup of chili. Jack in the Box’s chicken pita or chicken teriyaki bowl isn’t a terrible option either. And even McDonald’s has fruit and yogurt parfaits. (Although nothing at Whataburger or Filibertos is even close to acceptable.) When all else fails, stick to ordering a kids meal to satisfy your craving and still make your binge forgivable. Plus you get a free toy out of the deal. Follow Chow Bella on Facebook and Twitter.
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Subway sandwiches looking anything but svelte.
1. Chill out on the booze, party hound
Above all, it’s the empty calories in booze that make you fat. Keggers, beer pong, and drinking just about anything your of-age friends will buy you. And since alcohol tastes icky, you’re probably spiking it with sugary Puckers, schnapps, liqueurs and mixers so sweet it makes our teeth hurt. Instead of opting for the everclear-spiked jungle juice, keep it classy (relatively so, since it will probably still be out of a plastic cup and your goal is still to get sloppy drunk) with vodka and club soda. With so many flavored vodkas like grape, bubblegum, and whipped cream, you’ll never even miss the high calorie mixers.
