Why is good nutrition especially important for college students?

Let's face it- Skidmore students are busy students! In order to make your body work as efficiently as possible, it is important that busy and stressed students are properly fueled- food functions as this essential fuel! Unfortunately, the crazy schedule of student life often leads students to eat whatever they can easily grab on the run, to skip meals or to over-eat when dealing with stress. Life is crazy and these are totally understandable scenarios, but in order to make your body function optimally under the most pressured situations, it is important to fuel-up with the right kinds of foods!

Nutritional awareness is especially important for college students given the prevalence of vegetarian/vegan diets and special needs diets (ie. considering athletic needs, food allergies, etc). It can be tricky for students to navigate the dining hall to accommodate for their needs while getting all of their essential nutrients; in order to maintain the crazy college lifestyle, it's important that students are armed with knowledge on how to use the dining hall as a tool to meet their nutritional needs.

Good nutrition is important for living a healthy life now and in the future. Even if weight is not a concern, overall poor nutrition habits are linked to negative future health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis, iron deficiency anemia, and certain cancers. ¹   Overall, poor nutrition can greatly impact your daily well-being in terms of feeling your best physically and mentally. Without proper nutrition, your body does not run efficiently and you are more prone to feeling lethargic, depressed and physically ill.