For many of us, staying in shape and looking good is hard work. Luckily, it is equally rewarding.
Our diet is one of the most important aspects of our health.
Go ahead ladies, run those laps around the lakes so you look good strutting across campus in Nike running shorts.
Guys, feel free to spend as much time pumping iron as you want, just so you can impress your “bros” in your two-sizes-too-small T-shirts.
To be truly healthy, though, eating a proper diet is necessary.
Growing up, we all heard talk of the freshman 15 and how our parents lived on ramen noodles and mac and cheese in their college days.
As someone who, regretfully, fell victim to the freshman 15, I have grown to understand the importance of a good diet       firsthand.
Fortunately, the University provides us the opportunity to be healthy with what we eat.
However, it’s a little problematic when we don’t always make the right choices.
The stereotypical diet of the college student — beer and cold pizza — may sound great, but our bodies need more.
Here’s one hint — the missing ingredient is not MSG.
The University’s meal plan offers students various numbers of meals to be used at campus cafeterias like The 459 Commons and The 5. Meals can also be traded for food from the many fast food options scattered across campus but only at certain times on certain days.
During my first couple years at the University, my meal plan was my main resource in acquiring sustenance.
Consequently, Highland Cafe and The 459 became staples in my everyday routine.
Combined with the generous vending-machine options, the various food options offered to LSU students is staggering.
Every day, students are given the opportunity to choose from almost any kind of food they desire.
Ranging from cereal and waffles, salads and soups, rotating entrees and pizza, our cafeterias have it all.
Such a wide array of succulent dishes at our fingertips begs the question: Why should we ever “settle” for something boring like a salad?
All too often, unfortunately, I’ve found myself along with my fellow ravenous students falling into a similar routine when dining in the cafeterias. Scout the area for a table, scour the buffet lines for something delicious, and if all else failed, grab a waffle and some pizza.
Like so many of my comrades, taste dictated what ended up on my plate with no regard for my body’s needs.
Surprise, surprise.
Luckily, we have age on our side. The average college male should take in between 2,500 and 2,800 calories a day, so don’t feel too guilty if you have that extra slice of pizza or if you just can’t resist the LSU Dairy Store’s ice cream. But calories aren’t the only aspect of a good diet.
Our bodies require nutrients, ones that can’t be obtained from a steady diet of pizza and burgers.
Common vitamins like vitamin A, C, B6 and K — which aid in neurological and immune system function, vision and bone formation — are offered in daily vitamin supplements and are   crucial for keeping our bodies running correctly.
Vitamin supplements, however, are just what their name implies — supplements to our diet. We cannot create essential nutrients like vitamin A within our bodies, so it’s important we take in these nutrients through our diet.
I’m not saying we should avoid unhealthy treats like the plague.
Rather, I’m simply suggesting University students take advantage of everything LSU Dining has to offer.
Replace that third slice of pizza with something a little healthier, like a piece of fruit or some vegetables.
Your waist line — as well as your bathroom scale — will thank you.
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