With everything else that changes when young adults get to college, dietary adjustments can be just as common as social adjustments. These changes can result from the challenge of adapting to campus cuisine or through constraints with money and time. They can also happen voluntarily, as they did for me.
Fatigue and indigestion made me become more aware of my food-related vices. I started taking closer looks at ingredient labels and eating for satisfaction, instead of eating to get so full it’d feel like I’d pass out. It turned out quite well, given that I don’t experience either that post-meal fatigue or indigestion anymore.
So here’s a list of some of the food that I gave up over time after getting to college:
Frosted Flakes
Have you ever eaten something so much that you just can’t bear to even look at it anymore? This is how I feel when I see a bowl of Frosted Flakes. Eating bowls of these for breakfast caused me early morning sugar rushes that later contributed to early afternoon fatigue. My body just doesn’t crave sugar like it did when I was younger.
I was tempted to type “sugary cereals” for the headline, but I haven’t stopped eating ALL of them. I’m guilty of falling into a small box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch every now and again, but not first thing in the morning.
McDonald’s & Burger King
Quality vs. convenience was the battle fought here. In my younger days, convenience got the better of almost anything that was quality, except for home-cooked meals. Why spend double the money somewhere else for less food when you can go to Mickey D’s or BK and ball out instead?
My more health conscious self allowed quality to take over after trying more local restaurants and noticing the difference in standards. I physically feel better during and after eating a meal from a ‘brick and mortar’ spot compared to feeling like a slouch after eating McDonald’s or BK. Plus, I don’t have to worry about potentially slipping into a bite of horse meat or burgers and fries that stay “fresh” for years.
Wendy’s Baconator
Wendy’s > Burger King & McDonalds.
Yes, I still eat Wendy’s…but rarely. I have to be in a big jam. They arguably have the freshest fast food (fresh fast food, how ironic). How about this: it tastes the closest to being fresh out of the majority of big fast food chains. Does that sound better?
As good as it is, I don’t eat anything beef related on their menu anymore because of my last experience with a Baconator. Let’s just say that the Baconator and my stomach had an argument…well multiple arguments, that only the bathroom could settle. We’ll leave it at that.
Naked Juice Smoothies
I went through a six-month phase of drinking Naked three years ago. I was drawn in by the ‘100% juice’ and ‘the goodness inside’ labels. However, discovering that that Naked has comparable sugar content to Pepsi was a little disturbing. And let’s not forget the lawsuit over their lack of clarity about GMOs either.
Stick to real pressed juice, kids. My favorite alternatives to those misleading Naked concoctions are Suja and Pressed Juicery.
Soft Drinks
I would mention complaints about sugar again for this one but it’s not my main problem here. Back when I used to give in to my cravings for Sprite, I would always notice a pimple on my cheek the next day. Plus, soft drinks make you feel more bloated when accompanied by anything you eat.
I don’t want to project myself as a health nut by any means, because I’m still pretty far from that. I still eat burgers, candy and pizza more than I should. I’ve simply become more conscious of certain evils within my diet and have found ways to alter them- mainly sticking to food and restaurants that are more local and organic.