FOOD!
Finally, a topic on which I know what I'm talking about!
I know being 20 is hard, whether you're surviving dorm life, commuting from home because you're buh-roke, traveling to compete in national speech competitions (*glares at homeschooled friends*) or just sort of aimlessly jumping from job to job and hoping things work out... haha... of course I'm not talking about myself... ANYWAY, it's hard, dealing with all these transitions.
But you know what is constant through all that change?
FOOD!
Here are some cooking tips and tricks I've learned in my many, many
SARAH'S 5 TIPS FOR SUSTENANCE:
1. You actually CAN take food from the cafeteria! Those blatant signs that say "DO NOT TAKE FOOD FROM THE CAFETERIA" are just tradition. There are certain staples that can be transferred from the cafeteria to your dorm fridge with ease. For example: milk, fruit, cereal, burritos, cookies, soup, and after some practice: ENTIRE PIES.
2. If it says "Do NOT Microwave" ... there is a way to microwave it! I learned this from my own experience with a strange little packaged meal from some podunk grocery store in Cullowhee. Rather than walking ten steps to the oven in the common room next door, I simply transferred it to one of the empty Lean Cuisine trays that I'd finished and voila! Microwaved all the nutrients outta that little dude. And I recycled! *thumbs up!*
3. Pre-prepping makes a world of difference on this grumpy mornings. I recommend that the night before your early classes, go ahead and add the nacho cheese on top of your chips. Put it in the microwave and set it for 30 seconds and then when you get up all you have to do is push "start" and it'll be ready by the time you've put your hair in a ponytail. BOOM! Cooking doesn't have to be scary or hard.
4. Microwaveable oat meal does NOT have to be microwaved! I know. It's surprising. But really, in thosefrequentrare moments when your redneck roommate is using the microwave to cook some... shall we just say... mini vienna sausages, well, you can just bung some milk on top of that packet and it will NOT be as bad as you are imagining.
5. Instead of food-groups, use the "how long can this sit out without going bad" rule! A quality meal may not contain protein, dairy, grains, and vegetables - let's face it. That's just unrealistic. However, I'm a firm believer that at least SOME of my diet needs to be perishable, and thus, less likely to mummify my arteries. An easy example would be: for every macaroni cup you have, try to add some *fresh* cheese on top as well. For every frozen pizza you cook, why not steal some *fresh* cilantro from the taco bar to add on top! Another fave is to top those microwave pancakes with butter, a perishable food, instead of syrup. SEE?! It's such a great rule!
*BONUS TIP: Don't use air freshener to clean your microwave. I tried this as a last resort when no amount of hand soap would get the vienna sausage smell out of our microwave in my freshman dorm room. My roommate, fondly nicknamed "The Beast" never used our microwave again. So I guess this tip can go either way - don't use it if you want to get rid of the bad smell. However, if you want to passive-aggressively mark your territory, this is a great method!
I hope these tips were helpful. I hope some of you can learn from my mistakes and likewise, my glories. The bottom line when it comes to food in college is that we're all gonna gain weight, my friend. The freshman fifteen is not a cliche, it's a painful, shocking reality for most of us. I recommend not stressing it. The harder you fight to force those salads down the more likely you are to traumatize yourself into comfort eating five gallons of queso later that night. All things in moderation. Just remember my five tips and you will be OK! *gleaming smile*
Good luck, and if you have any tried and true college meals feel free to share! I myself am getting rather sick of macaroni cups.
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