Whether you drink in college or you do not, you will likely end up going out to a party at some point in your college career. If you go to a party there is not a rule saying you must drink, but that does not give you an excuse to not eat a healthy meal beforehand. I know that when you go out you do not want to look bloated in your party clothes, but not eating before you go out can cause more harm than good.
To avoid getting sloppy drunk, or even to just have enough energy to dance for the entire night, you need to eat something before you go out. I am sure most college students have their own experiences with drinking on an empty stomach and know how horrible it can end up. There are a few tips on how to have an amazing party experience I found on Shape.com.
- For starters, eating protein filled food beforehand is the perfect way to keep the amount of alcohol that gets absorbed to a minimum, and it also can help you sober up faster. Eating protein beforehand is smart even if you do not plan on drinking, as it will give you plenty of energy to stay up all night dancing with your friends.
- Another tip is to have a healthy snack at the party, as high fat foods can allow more alcohol to be absorbed faster than you want.
- Aim for a snack like granola or protein bars, that are not high in fat and are perfect for on-the-go partying.
- Try not to snack on candy bars or chips, or if you are like me and have a weakness for fried mozzarella sticks turn them down and opt for something less fried and fatty.
- The most important tip before going out is to stay hydrated! Drink plenty of water before and while you are out, as dehydration is what will cause your nasty hangover the next day.
Quite a few times I have been out with a group of friends and there is always one who decided they were not going to eat dinner because they wanted to look good in a tight dress. Then later that night, after everyone has left the party, you always get a call from that friend saying that they are throwing up and need your help because they are too drunk to clean it up. Sometimes they are not even in their room. After this happens once you assume everyone realizes that they should probably eat before going out, but it is still not always the case. I know Beyoncé said, “pretty hurts” but is it worth looking good in return for throwing up on someone’s bed or having a hangover that keeps you from going to class.
As someone who loves eating all the time throughout the day, I cannot understand skipping a meal for any reason. Though, one thing I do not recommend is eating red meat protein before going out. My favorite thing to eat before going out is anything with chicken in it. The main reason I like chicken is that it is filled with protein to keep me full, but it also does not weigh me down and make me feel heavy like red meat does. A weighed down stomach and lots of dancing and moving around always causes me some stomach cramping. Chicken has plenty of protein and carbohydrates to keep me full all night so I can stay out late and turn down the McDonalds, even though it can always be hard to turn down nuggets and fries no matter the circumstances. It also does not hurt that dancing all night and eating a delicious meal filled with protein and carbohydrates can help you stay healthy and looking great. I recently found a recipe on Pillsbury.com for buffalo chicken pinwheels and I had to try them. I adapted it a little, so it is different than the one online.
Buffalo Chicken Pinwheel
- Pillsbury crescent dough
- Tyson Any’tizers boneless buffalo chicken wings
- Mozzarella cheese
- Ranch
- Cook the boneless wings in the oven as instructed on the bag.
- Once the chicken has been cooked cut it up into smaller pieces.
- Unroll the crescent dough and separate into four rectangles.
- Put chicken onto the dough.
- Sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on top of the chicken.
- Put some ranch on top of the cheese.
- Roll the dough into what would be a cylinder but should not look perfectly like that.
- Cook on 375 for about 12 minutes.
- Once cooled cut horizontally.