Starting a new school year may be difficult, but eating healthy doesn’t have to be. Don’t just rely on EasyMac and top Ramen noodles for all your nutritional needs. Make an effort this year to keep your wellness up and the Freshman 15 and Sophomore 17 away.

Eat breakfast

“”I always eat breakfast right when I wake up,”” said Whitney Douglass, a first-year nursing student. “”Sometimes I’ll have yogurt and granola, eggs and vegetarian sausage things or frosted mini-wheats from Trader Joe’s.””

Eating breakfast jump-starts your metabolism and keeps your body and brain energized.

“”Eat something within at least 30 minutes of getting up,”” said Gale Welter, nutrition counselor at Campus Health Services. “”It can be a cold piece of pizza or whatever, even if it’s walking out the door with a bottle of water and an energy bar on the way to class.””

Welter says the ideal combination for breakfast would be a mixture of protein and carbohydrates.

“”A piece of bread with peanut butter, yogurt or string cheese and crackers,”” are some options Welter offered.

Beverage calories

“”Drinks like frappuccinos and smoothies can be up to 400 to 600 calories in one drink,”” Welter said. “”Soda, lemonade, juices, coffee drinks, Gatorade can all be 150 calories for a 12-ounce drinks.””

One of almost all soft drinks’ main ingredients is high-fructose corn syrup. Even products that say “”all natural”” on the drink label have this icky American product as one of their top three ingredients, for example, Newman’s Own Limeade.

“”I have tried to stop eating high-fructose corn syrup, it’s bad stuff,”” said Andrew Horneman, an interpreting deaf studies senior. “”All soft drinks have it, like Minute Maid. But I love Coke.””

Smoothies can be healthy depending on the ingredients in them. Campus restaurants like IQ Fresh and CORE allow you to see their menus and calories online at the Student Union’s web site, www.union.arizona.edu, so you are not surprised while slurping down a smoothie.

“”Watch what you’re typically drinking to avoid unwanted weight gain,”” Welter said.

Stay hydrated

We are in a desert. Studies show that lack of water is the No. 1 trigger of daytime fatigue, and that 75 percent of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

“”The first signs of dehydration is lack of concentration,”” Welter said. “”Fatigue, thirst and hunger can all be signs of dehydration. So be aware and be your own best boss.””

Get your beauty sleep

You shouldn’t rely on energy drinks and coffee to keep you alert all day. These drinks will give you an unwanted “”crash”” in the middle of the day, making you more tired than before.

“”I drink a lot of green tea to help me stay awake and I have even taken naps on campus if I need to,”” Horneman said. “”It helps when I am stressed out.””

Green tea has been shown to increase calorie burning and fat oxidation. It is a healthy alternative for a caffeine fix at 40 milligrams of caffeine per cup, instead of 100 milligrams of caffeine in a cup of coffee.

However, sleep is the best remedy for energy and alertness.

“”I try to get eight hours of sleep at night, if not more,”” Douglass said. “”I love to sleep and I think it’s important to sleep.””

Welter suggests 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night.

“”Regularity of sleep is more important than really how many hours of sleep you get,”” she said. “”If you are going to get less sleep, have it be regular. You’ll feel more restful.””