There are only a few months left before many of us will be sending our high school seniors off to college in August. The list of things to buy and prepare for to get them ready for this next transition in life is long.  One item that gets overlooked and is often not put on that list is teaching them how to prepare their own, healthy meals.   Yes, many incoming freshmen will be able to take advantage of dorm food, but what do they eat when the dorm cafeteria isn’t open?  How will they prepare their meals? Do they know how to prepare a meal, especially a healthy one?

A big obstacle most young adults are faced with once they have left home is they do not know how to make healthy, balanced meals for themselves.  Most first year college students have never learned how to prepare a healthy meal for themselves, and they are not sure of what they should and should not eat to stay healthy.

If you are wondering how your soon-to-be-college student is going to learn all of this, there is a great resource to help them out from the MyPlate website.  MyPlate.Gov has a plethora of resources for individuals looking to eat healthy, balanced meals. One section is dedicated specifically to young adults and gives suggestions and resources on healthy eating tips, cooking basics, how to read food labels, making meals on a budget, and more!

I highly recommend you and your soon-to-be-college student check out this resource at, USDA MyPlate Nutrition Information for Young Adults, to help them learn how to make healthy decisions when it comes to meal planning and eating. This important tool will not only help them through their first year of college, but it will set them up for success in the future when it comes to making healthy food choices.  
 
Article written by Lisa Fisher, Certified Health Coach, Personal Trainer, and Fitness Nutrition Specialist.