It’s Friday afternoon, I’m done with classes for the week and my stomach is growling. I am in desperate need of sustenance and I cannot wait another minute. I step out of LLC South 101, having just exhausted every ounce of energy taking a grammar quiz, and it pains me to think about the long walk back to my apartment, sans food.
Subway is tempting. All I have to do is order, pay and eat my foot-long Italian Biggest-Meatiest-Tastiest, aka the BMT. Yet I can’t bring myself to spend hard-earned money on something that will exist for only a matter of minutes before I scarf it down. I know I have pasta waiting for me at home, free of charge and ready to be boiled. Though the sandwich is only $5, I know it’s $5 I do not need to spend. Thus, in the end I make the decision that’s hurtful to my stomach, but best for my wallet, and I walk back to my place dizzy with hunger.
Last year when I lived in the dorms I couldn’t wait to get out and cook for myself. I grew up eating home-cooked meals; thus when I arrived at college, I found dorm food to be less than satisfactory. Some of my friends reminisce about the Cheesy Grillers, the Fire n’ Spice buffet and the Hammy’s sandwiches. However, months have passed and I have yet to experience a hankering for the mass-produced food I consumed many a day my freshman year.
Call me lazy, but at the end of a long day of classes, cooking a full meal for myself is not one of my priorities. Welcome to the life of a college student living off-campus. Many students frequently resort to fast food, rarely touching a frying pan and never boiling a pot of water. Even when students do make the effort to cook their own meals, they’re likely to be unbalanced (mass-produced Top Ramen that lacks nutritional value is an ordinary college staple).
Laziness is certainly not the only reason college students neglect their kitchens. Many recipes call for a variety of ingredients. Therefore, a kitchen equipped to make these meals must be well-stocked, a reality that involves spending money. I know people who would much rather spend money on a quick meal than on a few jars of necessary spices such as Italian seasoning and garlic salt. Also, a trip to the grocery store may be too time consuming an activity for some people.
Time is another reason college students choose to order a sandwich rather than make their own. With classes, homework, meetings and social time, it’s difficult to justify spending 30 to 45 minutes cooking a meal. In the end, it’s all about how much a person values good healthy food.
I may not have the time to cook a gourmet meal, but I know how to throw something together quickly and without too much sweat. It’s just a matter of how motivated I happen to be when the hunger pangs strike.
I am a pasta fanatic. Currently, I enjoy melting mozzarella cheese on my Rotini, chopping some tomatoes on top and adding a dash of garlic salt. This is easy, breezy and delicious. I can safely say that as much as I was craving that Subway sandwich right after class, the home-cooked meal was worth the walk.
Cooking a healthy, balanced meal solo is no easy task. However, resisting the take-out and putting forth that little bit of effort to make a meal, even if it is just pasta, can make all the difference.
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