It's back to school time again and that means late night munching, drinking, snacks on-the-go and very little exercising. Fear not. Rather than worrying about back to college clothes, think about how to reel it in and keep your waistline in check with a few simple tips. Here's how to prepare yourself (and ward off that freshman 15, sophomore 20, etc.)

1) Stock that tiny little refrigerator and small kitchen of yours with fun, yet healthy snacks, good ideas include:

• Handful of raw nuts and dried fruit
• Hummus or nut butter on whole grain bread
• Frozen edamame (most supermarkets sell it now)
• Whole grain pretzels with a small piece of cheese
• Sliced turkey with a bit of mustard (excellent high protein snack)
• Meal bars (choose those snacks with ingredients that you can pronounce)
• Canned organic all natural soups (good comfort food and easily prepared in a microwave)
• Salty snacks can be pop chips, soy chips, baked chips and salsa.
• Fresh fruit
• Greek yogurt, instant irish oatmeal, and Kashi Good Friends cereal (add fruit and a bit of sweetener for a great snack or breakfast)

2) Don't diet:

Don't deprive yourself. If you want pizza, have it. Just have one slice, add veggies if possible, but first eat a salad with vinaigrette (skip the cheese-you chose the pizza). Fill yourself up on the good stuff first. The key is to pick your battles. Hamburger? Great. Just eat half the bun and forgo the cheese if possible. Turkey burgers are fine but don't be fooled into thinking they're "diet food." Burger rule still applies here. Veggie burgers are a good choice; Boca Burger makes a great one. That, with low-fat cheese on a whole grain English muffin, is great.

3) Cut back on portions:

Because there aren't always the healthiest options at colleges, don't deprive... but don't overindulge, either. Understand that nothing in small portions is fattening, so you can have more of a good investment choice or less of a bad one. From now on, through the rest of your life, you will be faced with choices. Make the right ones for you.