For me, eating exclusively in a cafeteria is nothing new. Before UNCA, I attended The School of the Arts in Winston Salem. Since I lived on campus there, I am pretty accustomed to eating in a cafeteria but what is new for me is not consistently being active. At The School of the Arts, I majored in ballet so I was "working out" for at least 3 hours a day everyday and didn't have to worry so much about the kind of food I ate. This is the first time in almost my whole life that I have complete freedom of what I can eat but am not constantly active.
So far, I'm not the best at making healthy food decisions at college. My diet the last few days has consisted mostly of Chinese food, burritos and chips. I think that balancing my schedule has played a big part in my diet. In college, (at least in my experience so far) you don't always have time to sit down for an hour and have lunch. A lot of the time I'm in a hurry, so I go for the quickest thing I can find like a burrito or left over Chinese food. I'm sure I'm not the only student with this problem because I see people every day walking around campus eating hot pockets or pop tarts.
When I do have time to sit down and have a good meal, I'm not necessarily very good at eating healthy. I tend to go with the foods I'm most comfortable with like sandwiches and pizza, instead of some of the healthier, "riskier" options. Unlike Camille Kingsolver, I'm not very conscientious of the origins of the food I eat. I rarely know where my food comes from or when it is in season, much like the people Camille Kingsolver describes in her writing. However, in the two weeks I've been at UNCA, I think I have gotten a little better at thinking about the food I eat more. For example, I'm starting to read descriptions of the food and informative signs in the cafeteria. Who knows, in two more weeks I could be seeking out locally grown food!
I totally agree! I think that the further we get into this year and get used to the schedule the easier it'll be to eat better.
ReplyDeleteI can definitely relate to your situation, because I was a cheerleader in high school, so I was fairly active. Now, the only exercise I have time for is the walk to and from my classes everyday and the occasional stroll downtown. I can also agree that it can be very difficult to make healthy decisions with only a few minutes between classes, and I often choose the quickest instead of healthiest food available to me.
ReplyDeleteThat must have been so nice, I watch so many ballet shows on Netflix and I've always thought it would be so cool to work out so much that I didn't have to worry about what I ate.
ReplyDeleteMy college eating experience was really similar, Alejandro. I didn't go to The School of the Arts, but dancing with the ballet company put me in class or rehearsal 3-4 hours a day every week day during high school. When I came to UNCA, I felt like I didn't have time to exercise or eat well, and I too, grabbed whatever was easy and cheap. It's such a challenge! But I think you're right that it'll get easier as you get used to your new schedule :)
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