College food, pros and cons

Hey guys,

Well, as you can see the internet connection at my college is just as questionable as the nutrition. What I was trying to ask before my connection took a mind of its own, was what are some foods to look for and avoid in our dining hall? We have a salad bar that I visit regularly, as well as a deli, grill, foreign food bar, pasta bar, and a section that specializes in home-style cooking. I avoid the grill because of the burgers and fried foods, but I frequently take food from the salad bar and deli. I load my sandwiches with tons of vegetables, but I'm not sure what foods would impede my progress. What meats are okay? What are some good foods that I should keep my eye out for to help me gain as much muscle as I can as well as lose weight? What foods should I run away from? Thanks for taking the time to read this, and hopefully someone can help me. Sorry about the error as well.

Best Regards,
Connor Pitkin

When I was on a meal plan and lived at school, I found the school cafeteria was a great and horrible place if you are looking to get in good shape.  It was great because the cafeteria had unlimited fruits/veggies/salads/whole grains/fat free milk/lean sources of protein and other healthy foods plus it was open all day so I could go their as many times as I want.  It was bad because if you have no self control then you are screwed because it also has unlimited pizza, fried foods, desserts, and other bad foods.

Baked chicken should be fine. If your grill has them, veggie burgers may not be to bad either.
Be careful with salads. A lot of people make mistakes with them and will put whatever they want on there. I would suggest avoiding cheese altogether on your salad. For a dressing, just use a little bit of olive oil. Not the best tasting thing you can have, but its better than ranch or something.