As a new or returning college student, you take on full responsibility of your health and wellbeing moving forward and must learn how to function without the safety net of your parents. Factors that begin to challenge your wellbeing as a student are limited exercise, lack of sleep, excessive snacking, and unbalanced, generously portioned meals. Take control of your health moving forward, and practice mindful eating! One way you can become more mindful of your nutrition is by tracking your food and water intake and daily exercise. 5 Reasons to Track your Food.

Food tracking allows you to recognize unhealthy food choices and make dietary improvements that can affect your overall health, such as improving glucose and/or cholesterol levels. Most importantly, tracking allows you to see what food groups you may be under or over consuming. Visit www.choosemyplate.gov  to educate yourself more on recommended nutrient intakes. View Table A2-1 to better understand your calorie needs based on age, gender, and activity level.

You can learn more about mindful eating here and here.

These apps are designed for you to track everything about your health and lifestyle including water consumption, exercise, and food intake:

These apps utilize a barcode and provide assistance when shopping for food at grocery stores. If you are interested in learning about healthier options of the foods you eat, you should try this app! Over time, you will become a more educated, health conscious shopper.