You've heard it all before: exercise three times a week, drink loads of water, vary your diet, easy on the units of alcohol you take in. There's more to student menus than toast and noodles...

What we shove into our mouths is big news these days. Finding the right balance is fundamental when it comes to eating healthily. You will feel more energized, active and fit if you eat healthy foods.

All foods are not created equally. Our bodies are designed to turn food into energy, but we need to fuel ourselves with the right foods for our bodies to work properly! Now more than ever, there is huge selection of food to choose from and an increased temptation to snack during the day.

Snacking isn't necessarily a bad thing - it can prevent you overindulging at dinnertime. However, it is best to choose snacks that do your body good, such as fruit, nuts and yoghurt, instead of the frequent bag of crisps or a tempting bar of chocolate.

The food pyramid has been used successfully for a number of years to give people a general idea of which foods they should be eating more and less of. Use the food pyramid to plan your food choices, and remember to watch your portion sizes.

Bread, cereals, potatoes, pasta and rice: 6 portions daily. One portion = 1 slice of bread; 1 medium potato; 3 dessertspoons of cooked rice/ pasta.

Fruit & Vegetables: 5 portions daily. One portion = half glass of fruit juice; 3 dessertspoons cooked veg/ salad; small bowl of vegetable soup; 1 medium fruit e.g. apple, orange.

Milk, cheese & yoghurt: 3 portions daily. One portion = 1/3 pint of milk; 1 carton of yoghurt; 1 oz low fat cheese.

Meat, fish and alternatives: 2 portions daily. One portion = 2 eggs; 2 oz lean meat; 3 oz fish; 9 dessert spoons of cooked beans; 3 oz nuts.

Others: sparingly. Fats, oils and sugars.

TOP TIPS for a healthier life style!

• Drink 8 glasses of water per day. Water has no calories and it is a better hydrating fluid than drinks that contain caffeine (tea, coffee and cola drinks).
• Establish regular mealtimes, including breakfast.
• Reduce sugar and sugary foods: fizzy drinks, sweets, chocolate, biscuits etc.
• Replace sugary foods with healthy snacks like fruit and yoghurt.
• Reduce dietary fat: Avoid fried foods; oven bake, grill, boil or microwave instead of frying. Use low fat dairy products if you are overweight.
• Reduce intake of crisps and takeaways.
• If you drink alcohol - spread your alcohol units over the week, with some alcohol free days. 14 units a week for women; 21 units a week for men; 1 unit = half-pint beer; 1 glass wine; 1.5 units = 1 measure spirits. Drink alcohol responsibly.
• Exercise for at least 30 minutes 3 times per week. Exercise releases your happy hormones and gives you that "feel good" factor. Check out http://www.dit.ie/DIT/sport/ to see what sporting activities you can get involved in.
• Eat a variety of foods. To be a healthy weight, eat a healthy amount of varied foods.
• Remember you cannot live on tins of beans alone and breakfast rolls are not a food group.