To my fellow freshman and sophomores – I feel you. How are you ever supposed to lose weight or keep off those pounds if  all you can eat in the cafeteria is a burger, pasta, pizza, or salad? EVERY day? Not only can cafeteria food be extremely unhealthy, but it can get very repetitive and boring after a while.

One of the best – or the worst – parts about the Cobeen, McCormick, and Straz Tower dining halls is that you can eat what you want and however much you want. This means unlimited pizza, pasta, and burgers. This also means that freshman tend to indulge on all of this “free food” when they get to campus. Not to mention that all three residence hall cafeterias are fully stocked with a dessert bar full of cookies, brownies, and cakes. I’ll admit, sometimes the only thing that keeps me going on Mondays is knowing that it’s Hot Cookie Night. But forming good dietary habits in the beginning of college is key to how you will eat for the rest of the semester or even for the rest of your college life. Your mom is no longer there to take the bag of chips away from you and replace it with steamed broccoli. It’s time to make these decisions for yourself.

When you’re not sure what to eat, check out the menu for each dining hall online. The menu includes nutritional facts for each item and if you figure out what you want to eat beforehand, it can serve as a handy way to count your calories even before you get to the cafeteria.

Some argue that the breakfast food is the best at the residence halls because of the eggs, french toast, pancakes, and sausage offered. But this delicious food must be taken in small amounts. Eating french toast sticks dunked in strawberry or maple syrup every day for the entire semester is not the most ideal dietary behavior. Limit yourself to the number of times a week you eat the high-calorie breakfast items and try eating milk and cereal, toast, or oatmeal instead. Make goals for yourself to only eat a certain food a couple times a week, so that you can treat yourself occasionally and make sure you aren’t eating the same thing every single day.

If you’re going to get a salad to be more “healthy” for lunch or dinner, Straz Tower has a great salad bar with many different options. This can be good or bad, depending on what you decide to put in your salad. Start off with the darker leaves like spinach and romaine lettuce, which both have more nutrients than iceberg lettuce. Be careful of the that you top your salad with because you may end up with something as high in calories as a slice of pizza. Try adding kidney beans or nuts to add nutritional value. Croutons and cheese may make it a lot tastier, but you’re not doing yourself any favors by piling high in these fatty extras. Don’t drown your salad in dressing either. Opt for balsamic or raspberry vinaigrette instead of creamy ranch or thousand island.

If you decide to eat a wrap or sandwich at Cobeen, say “no” to the kind cafeteria lady who asks if you if you want potato chips with your order. The cafeteria ladies also tend to put three slices of cheese on each sandwich, so ask them to only put one or two. Don’t eat every sandwich with mayo and honey mustard. Add veggies to your meal whenever possible. These are high in fiber and will fill you up. If you ever get bored with the same food everyday, don’t forget that you can always reminisce about the old days while eating a good ol’ PB&J sandwich at Cobeen or McCormick.

Whatever you do, remember that just because you can eat whatever you want, doesn’t mean you should.