Picture this: it’s Wednesday at 8 p.m. and you only just got home because practice went late. You remember you have two tests tomorrow and at least two hours worth of homework. You have no time to make a nutritious dinner, so you grab the quickest snack that will fill your belly.

Sound familiar? It’s a problem all too common among high schoolers. Whether you play sports, dance, or do theater, everyone can relate to not having enough time in your days.

“I regularly go to bed after midnight because I get back late from practice and have so much homework and studying to do,” Junior Scott DeNoble, a player of the varsity tennis team

It’s no surprise that when balancing sports and schoolwork, your health doesn’t take a priority.

“During swim season, I always have to eat rushed, occasionally unhealthy dinners because I don’t have enough time for homework,” said junior Hadley Bahr.

The best solution to the issue is to do your homework as soon as you get home, whether that be at 5 p.m. or 8 p.m. It’s easier said than done, but being proactive can allow you to get more sleep and leave extra time to make a nutritious dinner.

Our school cafeteria doesn’t necessarily promote healthy eating. While there are healthy options, like the salad bar or carrot sticks, the cafeteria is lacking in convenient healthy snacks.

This is not an issue unique to our school; it’s a problem all over America. In fact, it has gotten to the point where the European Union won’t make trade deals involving food with the U.S. because the U.S. has lower food standards. If the U.S. were to raise food standards nationwide (including in school cafeterias), it could solve problems for not only high schoolers struggling to be healthy, but international relations as well.

Junior Julia Fiordaliso agrees that the school needs to up their healthy snack game.

“I think the cafeteria should sell protein bars and less candy because I find myself eating candy when I’m hungry just because it’s there,” she said.

The school has yet to get healthier snacks, so in the meantime, try packing your own lunch. That way, you can pre-plan a healthy meal so you won’t impulse-buy pizza or mozzarella sticks.

You can also pack a few snacks, like granola bars or fruit, to eat when you get hungry, so you don’t stop by the cafe and end up with a donut.

If you don’t have time to pack a lunch, at least try to eat breakfast. By eating breakfast, you can keep your hunger under control so it’s easier to choose a healthy lunch, rather than letting your hunger get the best of you and overeating.

Eating unhealthy when you simply don’t have time to is extremely common—but by packing your own lunches and snacks, starting your homework earlier, and eating breakfast, you can begin to create a healthier lifestyle for yourself.