As students look to fulfill their New Year’s resolutions of eating healthy and staying in shape, many fall back to a steady diet of beer and nachos. The Daily has compiled a list of do’s and don’ts for staying on the fast (and not fat) track.

DO: Balance your eating habits with the healthiest of healthy

Dietitians stress the importance of fruits and vegetables, finding meat alternatives and drinking water instead of other beverages. For many students on the go, a healthy, dietitian-approved meal may be hard to come by. The key to achieving healthier eating, according to Dr. Gloria Tsang at HealthCastle.com, is to surround yourself with healthy foods. Her top picks: Salmon, greens, berries, soy, and whole grains.

Although eating salmon everyday may not be realistic to a typical college student, incorporating these foods in your diet can be as easy as purchasing a whole grain breakfast cereal to snack on throughout the day.

DO: Watch your fat intake

Even if recommendations regarding carbs, calories and fat change almost daily, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, published by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture, stresses the importance of fat intake. Their recommendations:

• Consume less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fatty acids and less than 300 mg/day of cholesterol, and keep trans fatty acid consumption as low as possible.

• Keep total fat intake between 20 to 35 percent of calories, with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, nuts and vegetable oils.

• When selecting and preparing meat, poultry, dry beans and milk or milk products, make choices that are lean, low-fat, or fat-free.

• Limit intake of fats and oils high in saturated and/or trans fatty acids and choose products low in such fats and oils.

DO: Find out how many calories you need

Each person’s metabolism and body weight affects how many calories he or she needs during the day. One way to measure this is by calculating basal metabolic rate. HealthCastle.com gives the following equation:

(Body weight (lb) x 15) + (moderate activity (mins/day) x 3.5) = BMR in kcal

If you wanted to lose weight, you would deduct 500 kcal from your BMR. Using this method with a proper diet can be a useful guide to keep the pounds off.

DON’T: Eliminate certain foods from your diet

While a quick-fix solution may be to eliminate every potentially unhealthy food from your diet, it’s important to have stable eating habits and a balanced meal, as you could miss out on vital nutrients. The American Dietetic Association finds moderation is key and recommends a food journal to remind you of everything you ate during the day.