My roommate and I eat a lot of Kraft’s mac n cheese and ramen. Yes, we have the dining hall only a couple buildings down, but we still often prefer this cheap, easy, food. Is it convenience? Is it the laziness of not wanting to walk to the dining hall? Probably both. Or maybe it’s a comforting break from the monotone meals we receive at Chase and Emerson, especially for me, as a vegetarian.
As a sophomore, I find myself buying a lot more of my own food, going to the dining halls less frequently. Mac n cheese is a favorite for me because A. it’s a comfort food, and B. it is a quick meal that requires minimum effort to prepare, and is often more satisfying than rice and vegetables from Emerson. This rings especially true when it’s late at night and I’m feeling stressed, trying to finish my assignments. In moments like those, mac n cheese is often the perfect late-night “snack”; it’s comforting and homey. Though I do buy more food for my dorm now, it’s usually always foods like mac n cheese, ramen, or hot pockets. These are the foods I go for when I don’t feel like dining hall food and because cooking for myself takes too much effort and time. I try and balance out those unhealthy meals by eating healthy in the dining halls, but sometimes you just need to fill that craving.
It's easy to see why these quick, easy, cheap (and delicious) meals are a staple among college students, because once you get used to those kinds of meals/snacks, it's hard to break away from them.
I was immediately drawn to this post since it has 'easy mac' in the title. I too know friends who religiously divulge in this microwavable treat and other such goods. Maybe this is because of wanting some sort of comfort but maybe because it is favorable over Chase or Emerson, who knows. Easy Mac provides a quick, easy treat for students that seem to have less time to match the dinning hall's schedule with their personal timetable. Or perhaps it is as simple as just wanting a delicious, unhealthy treat.
ReplyDeleteFor many college students, especially here at Wheaton, we are required to be on the food plan- and boy is it hard to get off. We do not have the luxury of owning a kitchen full of pots and pans or silverware to cook anything our heart desires. As students, we often make do with the bare minimum since we don't want to spend the extra money on cookware when we invest so much in the meal plan. Sometimes dinning hall eating becomes too monotonous for students liking so they split away, for a brief time, to indulge on something different.
Enter Easy Mac.
Not only is it cheap, but also it takes little to prepare! Plus there are benefits for creating a comforting atmosphere and bringing up experiences and memories you might of had as a child- mac and cheese is loved by every kid, right? In some ways, Easy Mac is something people can rally around, a channel to form a community of hungry college kids seeking food alternatives.