Knocking back pints of cider and black and eating Pot Noodles used to be de rigueur at university. However, thanks to the unstoppable rise of the clean-living trend, many students are whipping up recipes by healthy food bloggers such as Deliciously Ella and Instagramming selfies post-workout rather than having boozy nights and grabbing a bacon sarnie in the morning.
“We have seen a growing trend for students to be more healthy and sustainability-conscious in recent years, moving well away from the outdated stereotype of the junk food-eating student,” says Prof Fiona Cownie, pro-vice-chancellor for education and student experience at Keele University. Tapping into this trend, the university has introduced a number of initiatives to help students lead healthier lives, including a weekly fruit and veg box scheme, and making the ground floor of its students union building alcohol-free.
“We worked together with our student union to respond to feedback from students, reflecting the diversity of our student body and recognising that the option of a place to socialise away from alcohol is something modern students want,” says Cownie. On a similar note, universities such as the University of Bristol now offer alcohol-free accommodation.
When University of Warwick students last year updated Simple Scoff, a university cookbook first published in 1972, it had a strong health focus, with more than half the recipes vegetarian or vegan, and dishes including raw-food pizzas and spaghetti made from spiralised courgettes.
“More and more students are starting to realise the value of eating right while studying,” says Jo Karlström, a history and politics student at the University of Warwick who contributed to the book. “To me, a healthy lifestyle is vital. I feel healthier and better about myself when I eat a well-rounded diet.”
Forget nursing a hangover after a night out. Universities are now offering students the chance to participate in fun evening activities minus the alcohol. The University of Warwick hosts UV roller discos and squash evenings with lights dimmed and the music high. At the University of Hull, students can get stuck into clubbing while sober, thanks to Clubbercise nights, an upbeat dance workout involving strobe lights and glow sticks. “Clubbercise is extremely popular with our students because the workout feels like a night out rather than just an intensive exercise session,” says the University of Hull’s sports development officer, Sophie Johnson. In a bid to cater for the healthy student and promote healthy living, from October, Liverpool Hope University will offer students free membership of its sports complex. Never has it been so hip to be a teetotal, vegetarian student.
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Healthy doesn’t have to mean bland salads. Find nutrition-packed recipes on websites such as BBC Good Food and Allrecipes, and be inspired by the Instagram accounts and blogs of Green Kitchen Stories and Hemsley + Hemsley and choose a few meals to make that week.
Do a big weekly food shop. It’ll often work out cheaper than buying on the go, and it’ll stop you from buying packaged meals lacking in nutrition.
Another easy way to make sure you’re getting your vitamin fix is to make a smoothie every day. Pack in vegetables, herbs and fruit – you can make everything from a strawberry and mango smoothie to a green juice filled with kale, spinach, ginger and apple, to ensure you start the day with something healthy at least.
While there’s no stopping the appeal of the student bars and nightclubs, try to take up a sport and mix up your exercise routine – or join a weekly class in pilates, yoga or spin if you don’t fancy the gym. Cheaper options include going for a run or joining a local walking club and seeing the local sights.
Instead of hopping on the bus, buy a bike or walk around town. It’ll also save you money as well as burning calories. On nights out, order a glass of water for every drink you have. It’ll keep you hydrated and help ease the hangover in the morning.
