With the holidays approaching, students’ stress levels skyrocket with the final push of papers, exams, presentations and projects. It’s recognized that healthy eating, sleeping well and exercising consistently can lower stress levels and help students maintain their sanity through the end of the semester. But practicing what is preached is not always easy.

Eating well is one of the best ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle. What you put into your body dictates what comes out. Levels of productivity, energy and sleep quality are all dependent on dietary habits, yet, many students think that healthy eating translates to high grocery or restaurant bills. 

Anna Ardine, clinical nutrition manager at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in Oakland said that college is a crucial stage in developing the healthy eating habits that are essential for success. 

“What you’re learning in college is essentially how to live on your own. Time management is a large chunk of this. When you plan ahead, it’s not difficult to eat well on a tight budget,” Ardine said.

Ardine outlined quick and easy ways for students to fulfill recommendations for daily nutritional intake without breaking the bank. Most notable is buying in-season fruits and vegetables, which provide the majority of nutrients and carbohydrates needed to fuel a hectic lifestyle.

“Grab an apple and a Clif Bar on your way out the door and you’ll reach for that instead of running to the vending machine midday. You’ll be eliminating a lot of trans fat from your diet and adding proper nutrients and stability,” she said.

With Pitt’s flexible meal plan, many students make a beeline for the convenient fries and burger bar that welcomes them into Market Central, or they grab a quick pastry on their way out of Towers or into the Cathedral. If students venture down Forbes Avenue to the many restaurants that accept Pitt’s Panther Funds, they’ll see the nutritional values often posted next to menu items. 

Ardine noted that Hello Bistro, Red Oak Cafe and Panera have some of the best options for college students. Jennifer Walsh, a senior at Pitt, loves Red Oak Cafe. 

“It’s healthy, it’s conveniently in the middle of campus, it’s cheap, and you always know what you’re going to get. Plus, you’re supporting a local small business, so for me, it’s a win-win,” Walsh said. 

Red Oak Cafe has many gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options. The owner understands the value of eating healthy on a tight budget. 

Dave Gancy, manager at Red Oak, noted that health comes first for his restaurant. Gancy said, “We try to be a healthy restaurant, and for a lot of people, being vegan, vegetarian or gluten-free is healthy for them. Even our meat and wheat-related products stay healthy. Really, I want to serve healthy and tasty food, but healthy always comes first,” Gancy said.

The novelty of Red Oak is not just that the restaurant caters to patrons who have a wide variety of allergies and dietary restrictions, but it also has relatively low prices.

“We try to do higher volumes and lower margins. We’re limited in service and not quite as formal as other healthy places. So our style is conducive to keeping prices low. We know our customers, and we like to cater to their lifestyles,” Gancy said.