Editors Note: Matt Green is a senior sport management major and a personal trainer at Leverage Fitness in Forty-Fort, Pa. This is part two of a four-part health and fitness series special for The Highlander.

People don’t understand what it’s like being a college student these days. Not only are we drowned in homework, papers, tests and assignments, but we’re flat-out broke. All of our money goes toward that history book we only opened three times all semester or gas to fill our tanks to make it to campus.

Any other money that we have left over probably goes towards your “weekend fund” when you go out to the movies,a restaurant or bar. Many people feel eating healthy means spending hundreds of dollars at the grocery store each time, but trust me, that’s far from the truth. I’m here to tell you that with a little smart shopping, you will be able to not only buy healthy and nutritious foods, but also learn how to get the most out of your money. All of the foods can be prepared inside your little dorm room.

Quality, not Quickness: People purchase processed products en masse because of convenience. You take the food out of the box and pop it in the microwave for five minutes. You can’t beat it, right? Wrong. The main issue with eating healthy is that when the food is of higher quality, the prices are sometimes raised due to the simple fact that the food you are purchasing is actually food. It’s not processed or made by some chemical-lab experiment in a factory. The term for this type of food is “whole foods.” Since whole food are not processed, they are far more beneficial and will be much more filling because you are consuming quality ingredients with each meal. Although your meals might take a little longer to prepare because they aren’t coming from a box, it’s worth it in the end because you are eating real foods. Plus, you are learning how to cook for yourself without depending on boxed food covered with plastic wrap. Try your best to seek out whole foods, rather than processed foods from a box. You want to break down your meals essentially into three categories; protein, carbohydrates and fats. What are some examples of whole food from these categories? For protein, keep it simple with chicken, ground turkey, Greek yogurt and beans. As I stated in the last issue, you want to try to consume .5 grams to 1 gram of protein  for every pound in your body. Why? Not only because protein is beneficial for muscle repair, but it also takes longer for the body to digest, which leaves you feeling fuller for longer! Carbohydrates consist of whole grain or whole wheat breads, oats, whole grain pasta, brown rice, and fruit. Last, your fat sources can come from things such as extra virgin olive oil or avocado.