Nutrition talk recognizes easy healthy food swaps for students

With spring break quickly approaching, conversations on fitness and health are increasing among the campus community. Carrie Gerencher, Lehigh’s on-campus dietician, led a “Healthy Swaps Nutrition Talk” at the Health and Wellness Center on Thursday to discuss how to save calories in the dining halls, dorms or while out to eat.

“Good health can come in small bits, and small changes can add up to big, meaningful changes,” Gerencher said. “Making a few mindful swaps with some foods could lead to improvements in your health.”

According to Gerencher, there are dozens of healthy food swaps and tips that can aid in the process of saving calories. Some helpful tips include using chopsticks instead of silverware to slow down the time spent eating, and taking a power nap as opposed to relying on high-calorie energy drinks. Healthy swaps ranged from switching out sugary cereals with oatmeal, to utilizing avocado as a spread instead of mayonnaise.

Infographic by Kerry Mallett/made with Canva

When eating out, it may seem difficult to choose healthy alternatives, but Gerencher recommends choosing baked, broiled or grilled options over a fried alternative. She also suggested always choosing water over soda and alcohol.

“The healthy swap suggestions are really helpful,” Kayla Jang, ’17, said. “The idea of staying healthy can be intimidating when living on a college campus, but it’s nice to see that there are little things we can do that will make a change to our bodies.”

Gerencher went on to note the Stealth Health movement, which states that sneaking healthy activities into our life is easier than we think.

“Sneaking in exercise throughout the day may make exercise seem less like work and more like fun,” Gerencher said.

Doing squats while brushing your teeth, doing bicep curls with your grocery bags and doing calf raises while waiting in line are all examples of simple ways that students can sneak in exercise.

“I refuse to take the bus unless I absolutely have to,” Jenna Guma, ’17, said. “It’s really easy to be active at Lehigh if you choose to be. Taking the stairs and walking to class provide for a great workout that doesn’t require much effort.”

Off-campus residents tend to feel that it is easier to eat healthier once they aren’t solely relying off of the dining halls.

“I prefer cooking at home rather than eating on-campus,” said Gil Lubkin, ’17, who is currently living off-campus. “It’s a lot easier to monitor exactly what I’m having and what specifically is going into my food.”

Lehigh has been trying to create a healthy atmosphere throughout its dining halls. Calorie and nutrition facts are readily available for students so they are cognizant about what specifically they are eating. According to Gerencher, quinoa is going to be implemented into the dining hall program more often. Rathbone Dining Hall has recently implemented an allergen-free station, and salad bars are always available in Rathbone and Lower Cort.

“Lehigh knows that students want healthy dining options, and they exist,” said Gerencher. “People simply need to know how to find healthy options and that’s what I’m here for.”