School Survival Guide

Most school cafeterias have at least one good option hidden among the garbage. Your job is to find it and build a meal around it.

The hierarchy: Protein first, then vegetables, then fat. In any cafeteria, look for: grilled chicken, burgers (without the bun), eggs, milk, cheese, any vegetables that aren't fried, beans, fruit.

What to avoid: Anything fried, anything with a sauce you can't identify, pizza (the crust and sauce are pure sugar), chips, cookies, juice, sports drinks, and soda.

The survival move: If the cafeteria has nothing good, eat the protein and skip the rest. A burger patty without the bun and a side of vegetables is a perfectly good meal. You can eat more when you get home.

The single most powerful thing you can do for your nutrition is prepare some of your own food. This doesn't require cooking skills or a lot of time.

5-minute prep options: Hard-boiled eggs (make a batch on Sunday), beef jerky (check the label — no sugar), nuts and seeds, cheese sticks, fruit, canned tuna or sardines, hard cheese.

The Sunday prep: Spend 30 minutes on Sunday cooking a batch of ground beef or chicken and some roasted vegetables. Portion into containers. You have lunch for 3-4 days. This is what athletes do.

The cooler move: A small insulated lunch bag costs $10. Fill it with real food. You will eat better than 90% of your classmates and spend less money than the cafeteria line.

You're going to eat fast food. Here's how to do it without destroying your progress.

Best options at any fast food chain: Grilled chicken (not fried), burger patties without the bun, salads with olive oil and vinegar (not the bottled dressing), eggs (at breakfast spots), any protein without the bread.

The drink rule: Water. Always water. A large soda has 65 grams of sugar — that's 16 teaspoons. A sports drink isn't better. Water is free and it's the only thing your body actually needs.

The 80/20 rule: If you eat well 80% of the time, the other 20% doesn't matter much. Don't stress about one bad meal. Stress about your patterns.

Track Your Progress

Log workouts, meals, and sleep in the ATP app.