Developing healthy eating habits and maintaining a healthy diet in college can be tough. Pizza and junk food may be your campus favorites, or you might sleep in late and miss breakfast. But how, what and when you eat affects more than just your weight, it also impacts the way you feel emotionally. Poor nutrition can cause:

• Bad moods
• Low energy
• Irritability
• Increased stress
• Decreased ability to concentrate

Proper nutrition is all about balancing how much you have of each type of food. There are five basic food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy and protein. Each of these groups plays an important yet different role in our health, and we can’t function at our best if we don’t get enough of each type. A healthy, balanced diet doesn’t mean that you can never have pizza, ice cream or chips from time to time. It just means you should enjoy these types of food in moderation – after all, they’re called treats for a reason! For more information on healthy eating and a balanced diet, check out MyPlate.gov.

Lastly, our bodies need fuel throughout the day to run properly, so missing meals or waiting too long to eat is not a good idea. This can cause tiredness and irritability, and also increases the likelihood of overeating and eating unhealthy foods at your next meal. Try to eat something every few hours to keep your energy and mood up and your diet in check.

Check out these two articles for more information on healthy eating: Tips for snacking and Tricks for eating healthier

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