One of the biggest challenges we face as students during our university life is finding ways to maintain a good diet. The difficulties are not only trying to eat healthy foods that provide us with enough nutrients to keep us active and energised during the day, but also finding times and spaces that allow us to prepare our food, not to go beyond our budget, and most importantly, that no activity we do becomes an obstacle to eating (or sleeping).

During my year living in Belfast and studying at Queen's, I faced many difficulties in maintaining a balanced diet and trying to have a good relationship with food. That is why today I want to share with you some strategies that have worked for me to try to maintain a good diet while studying.

It is not about avoiding cravings, but about recognising environmental stimuli

It is a fact that processed foods are not the best options for our health, because they contain many ingredients and chemicals that are not good for our intestines and do not provide us with the nutrients we need.

However, these types of foods are always the ones that are most exposed in supermarkets, the ones that have the greatest variety, and the most accessible to our budgets as students. Our body speaks to us and we must learn to listen to it. It is fine to be tempted and eat a brownie, but it is questionable that we cannot resist the overexposure of this type of food.

Doing my groceries

Identify if what you have is a real craving, if your body is asking for it and therefore you are looking for a way to give it to it, or if what happens is that you are being overexposed to these unhealthy foods. Realising this can save you a lot of money, and at the same time help you maintain a balanced diet.

When you cook, know the ingredients and save money

Going to restaurants all the time is very expensive and not entirely healthy because we do not know all the ingredients that are being used to prepare the dishes and therefore we may be consuming things that are not necessarily good for our bodies. Cooking will always be the best option; it allows you to know in depth what you are consuming and at the same time you can save a lot of money.

I understand that time is one of the main reasons that prevents you from cooking, or perhaps motivation, but try to organise spaces in the week to prepare several meals for different days that are easy, fit your tastes and your budget. And if it is about motivation or not knowing how to cook, that is no longer an excuse in our time, we have the support of social networks or the internet to find a variety of recipes that are easy to make and very delicious.

Check out Kathryn's guide to what she eats in a week!

The more variety of colours, the more flavour, and the more benefits

If you don't like fruits or vegetables, I want you to know that they are one of the easiest loves to cultivate, they will never betray you and will always be one of the best things for you. Fruits have become my favourite snack and the healthiest, and I don't argue with anybody about that.

There are many myths surrounding them, about whether they contain a lot of sugar or not, or about the hours in which one should consume them, but no one will ever be able to say that a fruit is less healthy than a pack of Oreo cookies. I choose fruit, you decide what to believe. Fruit fits 100% into my student budget, they are not expensive, they do not require any preparation (just wash them well), most of them do not come in packages so they generate little contamination, and best of all, they help me with my intestinal health.

Fruit and veg in St George's Market

A secret that should not be a secret, the greater the variety in the colours of the fruits you consume, the greater the contribution of nutrients you give to your body. It sounds fun, so when you go shopping for fruit, choose from many colours.

Don't allow yourself to skip meals

This is the most important thing for me and it may be the most difficult while we are studying, or even worse if we are also working. I understand that as students it is sometimes difficult to establish a fixed routine and stick to it 100%, it is ideal and may favour our productivity.

However, we cannot allow routine, stress or commitments that come with student life to get in the way of our eating schedules, do not skip meals, eating regularly helps maintain your energy levels and concentration.

I've become quite the chef since I've been living in Belfast! Check out the garlic mussels dish I made

Try not to skip breakfast, which is crucial to start the day with energy, do not forget to drink enough water throughout the day to stay hydrated and avoid confusing thirst with hunger. Learn to listen to your body, eat when you are hungry and stop when you are satisfied. Pay attention to your body's signals to avoid overeating.

Implementing these tips will help you maintain a healthy and balanced diet while managing your academic responsibilities. Our experience in Queen's does not have to come with difficulties of this type, embrace the challenges and always try to stay healthy.

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Wellbeing at Queen's

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Information for students from Colombia

Isabella Barros De La Rosa Violence, Terrorism and Security | Postgraduate Student | Colombia Hello, my name is Isabella Barros, I am 24 years old and I am from a beautiful city on the Caribbean coast of Colombia called Barranquilla.  I am very into running and outdoor activities. That's why Belfast is so amazing to live in, because of the landscapes, and the spaces for this kind of hobby. Besides running and studying, you can find me in any bookstore, wandering around the city, or enjoying a pleasant coffee in a cute cafe!