If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of food options at NIU, you aren’t alone. The transition to college can be tough, but eating well doesn’t have to be.

NIU has many resources and dining options to make eating healthy on campus easy and enjoyable. The key is to be intentional with your choices, but also remember that a balanced diet is about moderation, not perfection.

The dining halls offer various styles, from all-you-can-eat buffets to locations where you order from a pre-determined menu, each with its own advantages for making a healthy meal. 

At Patterson Dining and Neptune Dining, the all-you-can-eat buffet style can make it easy to overindulge in less healthy options. However, these locations also provide the most variety. 

Meg Burnham, NIU’s dietitian nutritionist, encourages students – especially new students – to take their time and explore all food options before making decisions. She recommends checking out the salad bar and the rotating menus.

“We have a lot of healthy choices,” Burnham said. “You just have to look for them.” 

A good starting point is making a salad at the salad bar. Then, students can grab a chicken breast or sandwich from the grill for protein, a side from the daily menu and a piece of fruit for a balanced and satisfying meal. 

Burnham also suggests trying new things. 

“Now is the time to actually try stuff because you can just try it and you don’t have to finish your plate,” she said. “You can even ask when you’re going through the line, ‘Can I just have a little bit of that?’”

Students also don’t have to guess what is in the food. The MyDining website provides all nutritional information, including calories, macronutrients and common allergens, allowing students to make decisions before even getting to the dining hall. 

NIU Dining also features a “Healthy Huskie” icon on certain items, indicating they are nutritionally balanced. 

Burnham explained this icon is automatically assigned to items meeting specific nutrition criteria, such as the saturated fat and sodium levels. 

“(Healthy Huskie icon) signals that it is a better-for-you choice,” Burnham said.

At locations like Stevenson Retail Dining Center and The Depot C-store, the meal exchange program provides a predetermined entree, side and drink. This takes some of the guesswork out of building a meal. 

Burnham also mentioned how navigating locations with more limited options takes mindfulness to build a healthy meal, pointing to options like grilled chicken sandwiches with vegetables at the Stevenson deli or salads at the Depot.

While making smart choices in the dining halls is important, remember that eating healthy isn’t about restriction. Instead, it’s about balance. 

“Eating is, it’s more than just fueling our body,” Burnham says. “We can’t forget about just the mental piece of eating. There’s a huge piece there, which is food enjoyment that really adds quality to our life that we don’t want to forget.” 

The 80-20 rule is a good guide: Make healthy choices roughly 80% of the time, so treats and “fun foods”  can be enjoyed the other 20%. 

This approach helps build a sustainable, enjoyable relationship with food. It’s also important to remember that food isn’t the only part of a healthy lifestyle. Staying active, whether by walking to class, hitting the Recreation Center or joining an intramural sport, is just as crucial.

If you’re still feeling lost, NIU offers many resources here on campus. The Recreation Center has a nutrition coaching program for students. For $29 a semester, students can get one-on-one coaching to set and achieve any nutritional goal. 

Burnham explained that these sessions are not a “one size fits all” approach and are catered to all students. 

The program also offers grocery store tours, cooking classes and more to help students gain confidence in making healthy choices both on and off campus. They even have a monthly newsletter to keep students informed. For more information, visit the Nutrition Coaching website.

Ultimately, eating healthy isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being prepared, making intentional choices and using the resources available to you. 

Burnham lives by a philosophy about food. 

“We are not perfect, right? We are human,” Burnham said. 

Food is meant to be enjoyed, so find a balance that works for you and your body.