Happy Sunday!

          As the weekend comes to a close, I am going through the same realization that happens about every two weeks: I’m running out of food.  Looking in the fridge this morning to see my section looking abandoned is always a sad feeling, especially when I’m craving a mountain sized serving of French toast and only have one egg left.  Struggling to find a job here at school, it’s hard to always be stocked for a meal that I am longing.  But, I have found a substitute food item that is good for you, filling, and lasts a long time so I don’t have to go grocery shopping if money is tight.  This new wonder for me is called quinoa. 

                Last semester my roommate was constantly making a dish that looked almost like oatmeal or porridge, which she called quinoa.  For me, this did not look appetizing at all.  It seemed very bland and I couldn’t help picturing little Oliver Twist, starving, asking, “Please sir, can I have some more?” Needless to say I didn’t want to be eating mush.  However, then my roommate started telling me how fantastic quinoa is for us.  From her I learned that quinoa is a small, pebbly grain that is actually high in protein.  In fact, according to the Whole Foods website, it is a “complete” protein, which means it provides us with all nine vital amino acids.  In addition, when you boil it, quinoa absorbs the water and expands from the tiniest amount to a huge serving that leaves you feeling satisfied.  It tastes decent too!  However, if you think the sweet nutty taste is lacking, my roommate suggests doctoring it up with spices or even a bouillon cube.

The only downside about quinoa is that it is somewhat expensive if you don’t have a steady income.  For the bag I bought, which is the brand Eden Organic, it was about $5.  BUT don’t let that get you down because it lasts a long time since you don’t need to eat that much to feel full!  Trust me, when I tried it, I followed the back of the bag that says the serving size is ¼ cup.  When I measured it out and thought it wouldn’t be enough and, like I said before, it expanded.  Honestly, the amount probably doubled its size by creating a fluffy texture.

Now I’m not saying quinoa should be replacing your meals because it makes you full, but it is an alternative, and it’s GOOD for you, that can hopefully save you a trip to the market. 

 a mango blueberry quinoa salad that I am dying to try!

Just 30 minutes of my day….

That is my new mantra thanks to one of my wonderful sisters.  She is the one who has recently inspired me to get out of my bed or off the couch to go to the gym. Because if you think about it, a person only needs 30 minutes of physical activity each day. According to Women’s Health magazine, people spend about 56 hours a week sitting at a computer screen, which is horrendous.  I know for myself, the first thing I do when I get back from class is go on my computer to check Facebook and all the other sites that I check daily.  It’s a routine that I have and instead of just being there for 5 minutes, I can end up surfing the net for the next hour or so. Now, I rationalize in my head that going to my apartment’s gym for a measly 30 minutes is better for my life than looking on the internet for Kim Kardashian’s divorce proceedings (no matter how much that is my guilty pleasure). So, I encourage all of you out there to think that as well.  If you are debating about going to the gym with your roommate, or solo, just think, “It’s only 30 minutes of my day.” Plus there is a chance that while you are at the gym you will end up staying longer because you realize that a half hour of cardio is not so bad, why not try for 45 minutes. Just don’t forget to stretch before and after!

This past week I made one of the biggest mistakes of my life…

I bought a box of Girl Scout Cookies.  And not just Thin Mints or Shortbread, they were the Carmel Delights. So there I was walking into my local grocery store and a wave of panic came over me. Not only had the girls set up camp at one entrance, they were at the other as well! There was no way avoiding their adorable pleas, “Would you like to buy a box of Girl Scout cookies?” But I pulled myself together and denied the girl who asked, I couldn’t afford to spend the $3.50 on cookies when I knew I had to make dinner later that night.  Feeling a sense of remorse, I went on to shop, but after I finished and had change and I couldn’t deny them twice. So I went home with a box of the Carmel Delights—which by the way have the most calories out of all the types of cookies.  Moreover, the thing about Girl Scout Cookies is you can’t just have one cookie, they’re so tiny! Who could just eat one? Therefore, I had 2…the 4 different times I ate those cookies that day.  That’s 8 cookies! I ate 560 calories just from those cookies! After I saw that, I couldn’t believe myself.  What did I do? Well, I didn’t have ice cream that night and I DID go for a run outside.  Lately we’ve had a stretch of weather in the 50’s so I have been taking advantage of running outside along the campus.  So take this entry as a warning, Girl Scout Cookies are addicting and should be eaten only with supervision. Hope everyone’s having a good weekend and enjoys the food/company of friends at your Superbowl fiestas!

Welcome Everyone!

This is the first entry to what I hope will be a wonderful blogging experience! I’m a junior in college and am writing this for one of my classes, but I hope to continue this once my class ends. With this blog, I hope to share how I am trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle while living on a college budget.  If you’ve gone through school before, you know what I am talking about and with this economy it’s hard affording to always eat prepared meals every single day.  But this is not just about eating the right foods.  It’s about getting yourself away from your laptop and class readings to go out and be active.  As college students, we spend the majority of our days sitting; whether it’s in class, the library, or in your dorm/apartment.  And let’s be honest, college students end up consuming more calories because of our weekend activities which sometimes include light to binge drinking.  Then instead of getting our butts to the student gym, we are laying in bed nursing a hangover for most of the morning. With this blog, I am hoping to inspire my fellow students to keep off the freshman fifteen, and the many pounds that come after, and for me to apply what I post in my daily life.  Today’s society is only focusing on losing weight and being skinny when we should really focus on keeping an overall healthy state.  I hope you all join me on trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle while enjoying the “best years of my life!”