Like most Ohio State students, Jessica Butler has such a busy schedule that she has trouble finding time to eat during the day.”On my busy days, I usually eat once a day, and it’s usually something quick,” said Butler, a junior majoring in political science.It is important for students make sure they eat something every four hours, said Patricia Pfeil, a dietitian.”You really need to replenish your fuel, especially when you’re busy,” she said.A big problem with students is that many will eat before their day begins, and then wait eight hours before they eat again, she said. That is unhealthy because when they finally do eat, they eat everything in sight.”It’s so important as a student to eat well because you have to make the most out of your day,” Pfeil said.Students should follow the food guide pyramid and pack healthy snacks to eat while in class or on the run, she said.The pyramid is a nutritional guideline which stresses foods from the five food groups: grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy, and protein.”I think that people get tired of hearing about the food guide pyramid, but it’s just such a basic foundation for everybody,” Pfeil said.Snacks with complex carbohydrates, such as bagels, crackers, and cereal bars can provide energy throughout the day, said Mary Miller, director of nutrition and dietetics at the OSU Medical Center.”Often snacks we think of as carbohydrates, such as candy bars and chips, are really more of a fat source than a carbohydrate source,” she said. Another rule students should follow is eating a healthy breakfast, Pfeil said.”If you eat breakfast, even if it is something small like a banana or eight ounces of juice, you’re less likely to overeat at your next meal,” she said.The best breakfast tip is to include a source of fruit and fiber, such as juice and cereal, Miller said.Planning meals ahead is also an important and healthy habit, Pfeil said.When people go to a cafeteria or fast food restaurant, they tend to eat whatever smells or looks good, she said.”It’s too hard to make healthy choices when it is spontaneous,” she said.Students can make a sandwich using lean chicken, lean turkey, or tuna and add lettuce and tomato. Pretzels or a granola bar and a piece of fruit can complete the lunch and it can all be done the night before, she said.”That’s pretty simple,” Pfeil said. “The only meal you have to worry about that is going to take time is dinner.”An easy dinner can be made by cooking pasta and adding fresh or frozen vegetables, herbs and spices will give it flavor, she said. Frozen dinners are easy alternatives for dinner; however, they are not recommended for every night, she said.For students to successfully change their eating habits, they should select one attainable goal and practice until it becomes a habit, Miller said.