Fast Food Mood

It seems that every weekend, as I gleefully retreat from my four-night third shift sentence, I lose control on my eating habits. The weekend has come to signal a time of release for me. It's a time where I can finally reconnect with the world-see my family and friends whom I've had to neglect so that I could function on the job and tread water at school.

My diet is no exception. I seem to go for any resturant that has greasy, artery-clogging menu items, and somehow I always end up overeating. This ranges from our regular Thursday night Huddle House meetings to Applebee's on any given night of the weekend.

I think it's a combination of several things. One, I'm finally able to enjoy myself. Eating at work, or in between classes is a necessity, and as such, offers little to incite excitement. I've found that it's actually quite bothersome to eat. The other reason is that I am in a social setting, and I lose track of how much I've eaten while I'm busy catching up. Regardless, I've got to get a hold on this aspect of my diet before I begin gaining back what I've lost.

Ramen Noodles

There's nothing that says "broke college student" more than Ramen Noodles. I actually grew up on these horrible little blocks of cardboard-esque, beef-flavored food substitute. They signified short paychecks (both then and now), sick days (complete with grilled cheese and Sprite), and winter nights. After refusing to eat this food for the longest time, I realize now how much I've missed it. So with each bite, I'm reminded of memories past and prepped on what may come.

(And yes, I took that photo. :D)

Chili Fries

Food cravings are a funny thing. I don't know if it's like this with everyone else, but I try to hold out, yet somehow I always end up indulging in whatever I'm hungry for. This was the case a couple of weeks ago. Zach and I had just finished in the cafeteria, and we had set off to do homework. I had been studying for several hours when I began to get hungry. I decided that in order to prevent further distraction, I had better find a snack.

As I opened the cabinet, I eyed the can of Hormel chili sitting on the shelf, and then I automatically thought of chili fries. In fifteen minutes, Zach and I were on our way to Walmart to buy a bag of fries, and a block of cheddar cheese. Pretty soon, we were elbow deep in cheesy, chili goodness. As I sat there satisfied with my plateful of fries, I thought about how guilty I felt for indulging, but then I realized a simple truth: indulgence is quite alright. It's over indulgence that one has to worry about. That night I reaffirmed my belief that I could eat whatever I want, but only in moderation.

The Joys of PB & J

Growing up, I can remember nothing more enjoyable than a peanut butter and jelly (preferably grape) sandwich. These sandwiches were the perfect lunchtime meal, especially when coupled with a glass of chocolate milk prepared with Hershey's chocolate syrup and a handful of Doritos.

Recently I've begun to work third shift at a local hospital pharmacy, and had to start preparing my lunch (or breakfast, depending on your perspective). I knew that I needed some sort of sandwich to keep me moving until 7 am rolled around, but I had no clue that this old school classic would be just the thing to tie me over. Well, I say classic, but I put a couple of slight twists on it. For one, I've long stopped using white bread because of its unhealthy qualities. In place of these bleached slices, I used Double Fiber Wheat Bread. I've also dropped the chocolate milk for water, and switched from creamy to crunchy Jiff. I know, I'm so daring.

Regardless of the sides, or even the particulars of my sandwich, the basic combination of peanut butter and jelly can't be beat, whether you're eating it at noon or 4 am.