In college? Here’s some advice about what to eat and what to avoid from the book “How to Survive Your Freshman Year” (Hundreds of Heads Books, www.hundredsofheads.com, $13.95), straight from people who’ve done it:

“Take every free meal that you can get. Generally, the dining hall is not bad. But when you eat it seven days a week, it gets pretty old, no matter how good the food is. Every time someone wants to take you out, take them up on it. If nothing else, it’s a good way to make friends or meet people.”

“The first inclination when you get to college is to eat anything you want. Mom isn’t there making sure you eat your vegetables. But three months and 15 pounds later you find out why a mom is a good thing when it comes to food.”

“I recommend that one acquire a taste for hummus. Hummus can really be put onto anything, it comes in all sorts of flavors, it’s healthy, and it’s relatively cheap if bought in bulk. Seriously, try and think of something that hummus wouldn’t be good on; you can’t!

“Don’t think that you won’t gain that Freshman 15 by ordering pizza while watching late-night TV (in my case, David Letterman), eating Burger King, and drinking every night.”

“Don’t buy the full meal ticket, unless you’re sure you can eat breakfast every day. I made it to breakfast once the whole year. When I got up, I didn’t have time to go downstairs and eat; I had to go to class.”

— Jake Malaway, University of Illinois, 1995 graduate
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“I wouldn’t get on any meal plan. I would fend for myself, food-wise. Cafeteria food is bad.”

Hundreds of Heads Books’ survival guides offer the wisdom of the masses by assembling the experiences and advice of hundreds of people who have gone through life’s biggest challenges and have insight to share.