Three words: Eat like me.

Now now, I know it sounds awful (and even worse, it’s true), but I have awful eating habits at school. That’s not to say I don’t know how to eat well, perhaps that knowledge just makes me more aware of my unhealthy habits than others would be.

In any case, I eat badly. This is bad on two levels: it doesn’t help me feel well and it’s not helping my training for the cycling season. However, like various addicts I hope that spilling my guts will help me deal with my problem and help others avoid it themselves.

More on my awful diet after the break (and even some solutions!).

Here’s a breakdown of my day:
Breakfast: My day, as always, began badly by skipping breakfast. I rolled out of bed at 9, crammed in some homework I hadn’t done the night before, and headed off to my first class at 10 without any food.
Lunch: After classes were over at 1, I went to the slightly vegan-friendly (read “vegan food exists”) café and got some pasta with pretty decent tofu meatballs and some apple cider. Fine, not awful, but definitely a little flat.
Afternoon: After I zapped myself with a 23 mile bike ride, I picked up some Gatorade and two Luna bars for a post-ride snack. I won’t apologize for this, because I know how important it is to eat right after a good workout. (But perhaps some less-processed snacks would’ve been better).
Dinner: This is where it really gets bad. I had a bit of an early dinner of two burritos (again, not too bad, but also not good), which was fine. However, I was feeling pretty zapped so I went out with my roommate for a late dinner and ended up getting a soda and onion rings. Geez! Talk about junk…

Now, what I could’ve done better (without stepping outside of the bounds of normal college living, which is important in these extremely busy days I have right now):

Breakfast: To keep it simple, I should buy a box of Clif Bars, or some other brand of tasty bar, just so I have something to munch on every day to start things off.

Lunch: Soup, salad, and bread. These are usually available in vegan varieties everyday on campus. Perhaps not the most interesting lunch, but it has a good mix of food types and it hearty. Be sure to include some beans or tofu in your salad to get that much needed protein.

Afternoon: I wouldn’t do much different here. If you’re not exercising, skip the snacking. But, if you must, I suggest snacking on a banana, carrots, or something else you would have to eat a shocking amount of to gain weight.

Dinner: Dinner ought to look a bit like lunch, but I would likely include some pasta or a sandwich or something else a little denser to get me through ‘til 3AM if I really needed it (I often do). Just be careful not to eat anything you won’t want to sleep or will leave you wanting a junk snack around midnight.

Now, all this being said. I’m no nutritionist, but I am a vegan, cyclist, and former marathoner who has looked into nutrition quite a bit. My advice is that you do the same. As they say, knowledge is power, and a balanced diet is a good one!