On February 1st, Iowa held the first primaries of the 2016 presidential election. During the Democratic caucuses, at least six precincts were decided by a coin toss after ties between Hilary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.
Yes, you read that right. A coin toss. Regardless of your political affiliation or what candidate you support, there’s no denying that that’s pretty crazy.
Gif courtesy of giphy.com
For many college students, this year will be the first time we are able to vote in a presidential election, and Iowa is a huge example of just how important a single vote can be. So please, don’t let our next president be potentially decided by something as random as a coin toss.
Instead, save the coin tosses for these impossible food dilemmas, and leave the elections to the votes. Find out how to vote in your state here, and get ready to flip a coin or two when making these tough food decisions.
1. Baked Potatoes VS Mashed Potatoes
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Obviously the question is never whether or not to have potatoes, but rather how to prepare them. This is a classic dilemma — baked potatoes require minimal effort but can take up to an hour to bake in the oven, while mashed potatoes can be done in twenty minutes flat if you’re willing to put in some serious elbow work.
Photo by Helena Lin
#SpoonTip: Short on time and feeling lazy? Poke a hole in them with a fork, cover your potatoes with a damp paper towel, and stick ’em in the microwave for ten minutes. Not quite as cripsy as one out of the oven, but it’s a solid baked potato!
2. Organic VS Conventional Produce
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We all know that organic food is better for you, but sometimes it’s hard to tell if the extra price tag is worth it. Depending on where you live and what kind of produce you buy, it can be a real struggle to decide which one is ultimately better for you. After all, isn’t it better to be eating non-organic fruit than starve?
#SpoonTip: The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has published a “dirty dozen” list of foods you should ALWAYS buy organic, as well as a “clean fifteen” list of foods that are okay in their non-organic form, based on measured pesticide levels found in the fruits/veggies being tested. Check it out here.
3. Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter VS Nutella
Photo by Daniah Mohammed
Ah, the ultimate dessert spread showdown. To go with the nutty cocoa of Nutella, or the somewhat spiced and rich cookie butter, reminiscent of those cookies you get with coffee on early morning flights? And furthermore, do you spread it on toast or just eat it with a spoon?
Photo courtesy of Trader Joe’s
#SpoonTip: To get your chocolate fix AND your recommended dose of spreadable cookies, go for TJ’s Cookies & Cream cookie butter. Made with Trader Joe’s organic version of Oreos, this one’s a winner 100% of the time. Might as well give me a double sided coin.
4. Fried Eggs VS Scrambled
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Oh, breakfast dilemmas. It’s never easy to make such an important decision early in the morning, and this one is no exception. While frying an egg in butter and throwing it on a piece of toast might sound like the most delicious (greasy) option, it’s easy to throw some milk and cheese into a scrambled egg to make a ghetto omelette that may help you stay full.
GIF courtesy of giphy.com
Plus, less butter can be used in the scrambled option. But is that even a good thing? This one’s a toughie.
#SpoonTip: When you’re running late in the morning, you can make scrambled eggs in the microwave for a quick breakfast fix.
5. Sushi VS Tacos
Photo by Lisa Gong
Talk about a cultural problem, am I right? Sometimes it can be literally impossible to choose where in world you’d like to eat and what to settle on without booking an international flight. On one hand, rice and fresh fish. Lovely rolled together into a little gift of happiness. With a side of soy sauce and some miso soup, of course. Sake anyone?
On the other, tortilla shells filled to the brim with rice, beans, spicy meat, peppers, and anything else you can find in your spiciest dreams. Sour cream and salsa and guac, oh my! Some days you just have to look up to this guy, who has eaten everything on the Taco Bell menu.
Photo by Edgar Sandoval
#SpoonTip: Feel better about your taco habit by doing the new taco cleanse. After all, who needs juice when you can have tacos?