The infamous "freshman 15" weight gain can sneak up on you. Freshman year college cuisine is a blur of late-night pizza, fast food and overprocessed buffet casseroles. Soda becomes the new milk and chili-cheese fries are considered a serving of vegetables. The increase in size is partly a rite of passage into the adult world: You're not the hyperactive teenager with the metabolism of a cheetah anymore. But some of the weight can be avoided with smart meal choices and regular exercise. Establishing good eating and workout habits in college builds the foundation for a healthy life.

The key is to not obsess about weight or kick yourself for indulging now and again. Enjoy college and the assortment of all-you-can-eat desserts.

Just remember, as your grandmother always said: "Everything in moderation."

Go for the light finish

Try to fill your plate with portions of at least four food groups. Make a rule that you won't go back for seconds. Eat a salad before heading to the line of casseroles and burgers. Indulge in dessert one to three times each week, and finish off meals with fruit or coffee the rest of the week.

Eat early and often

Eating a good breakfast within one hour of waking up can help you cut down on late-night food cravings, according to University of Texas at Austin's Health Services division. Consume about 75 percent of your daily food intake before dinner rolls around, so you won't overeat at night. Eat three meals each day with a few small snacks every three to five hours to keep your metabolism working throughout the day.

Veg out

Eat about 8 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Watch out for smoothies and juices; they sound healthy but often pack a high-calorie punch.

Skip the chips

Replace crackers, chips and mixed nuts with snacks such as low-fat yogurt, fruit, cottage cheese, baby carrots, or peanut butter on an English muffin or celery stick. If you must have chips or cookies, buy the individual servings. Or buy a large bag of pretzels or dried fruit and portion them out into smaller bags. Throw a few bags of snacks in your backpack to help boost your energy throughout the day.

Move your muscles

Students in a Tufts University study who exercised at least three days each week reported better physical health, greater happiness and more productive use of their time than students who didn't. Get an exercise buddy or sign up for a regularly scheduled aerobics class. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends an hour of daily exercise to maintain weight; 90 minutes each day to lose weight.

Trim the calories

Choose low-calorie options whenever you can stand the taste. Consider switching to diet soda or mixing half regular and half diet, and move from 2 percent milk to skim. And go easy on those high-calorie coffee drinks.

Watch the stress

The stress of heavy class loads and homesickness can sometimes trigger emotional eating patterns. Starving yourself is an unhealthy, quick-fix way to lose weight that may decrease your metabolism and lead to a life-threatening eating disorder. You should schedule an appointment with a counselor if you notice yourself turning to food in times of stress or extreme sadness and eating large quantities alone and then purging, starving yourself or obsessively exercising. A nutritionist or counselor will help you seek out alternative methods to deal with stress or other emotions.

Check out the National Eating Disorder Association's Web site, www.edap.org, if you think you or someone you know has developed distorted eating.