Eating Habits of Finals Week

It's the beginning of December and it's finals week. Everyone is stressing out about papers and projects they haven't finished or even started, and studying for exams keeps us all up until the early morning. My sleep schedule completely shifts during finals week, and in response to this so does my eating schedule. My roommate and I have been averaging about 4-7 hours of sleep a night for the past couple of weeks, going to sleep around 5am most nights, so because we are awake longer, we get hungry and eat more. Our snack and easy mac and ramen storage depleted quickly since that was the only food option we had past 2am after the Loft closes. The library is open 24hours for this week, so when you're working away (or procrastinating) in there for hours and hours, you lose track of time, and by the time you realize you haven't eaten in 10 hours, it's too late and the dining halls are closed. I've gotten used to always carrying a couple small bags of snacks in my backpack, so I don't have to worry about walking all the way to one of the dining halls or about making sure I get there before they close. It's super practical and gives me something to distract myself from my work when I need a break. Also my friends are very appreciative of the snacks I keep on me.

Tis the Season to Get Creative!

Tis the season!

Hark how Emerson seems to be giving up on actual meals!

Be jolly now that fresh crops are nowhere to be seen in Chase!

Crowd round the soup, the seemingly only good choice this season!

Be merry and rejoice the semester is almost over!

            Of course the above are just some personal observations of the dinning halls now that fall session is coming quickly to a close. The food served seems to get more and more sparse with fewer and fewer variations.

So… let’s get a bit creative here.

            You could host your very own version of Chopped, a show where you are given a set number of ingredients and have to ‘transform’ them into something completely different, tasty and creative. My friends and I did this on Sunday in Emerson- the worst day by far- and the results came out surprisingly good. From a pizza to a Thai influenced veggie wrap, we each utilized the food differently to create our own version of a healthy meal.

            Upon first instinct we might be tempted to grab a bagel and smear it with cream cheese, but I’m asking you to step away. I’ve observed that we often try and fulfill our hunger cravings with foods such as pasta, bread, bagels and any other carbs we can get. In first world America, where we do have many options to be healthy and have a balanced diet, I find we often mimic the food habits that people in the book “Dancing with Skeletons” have. In the impoverished area where Dettwyler completed her research, the children would often grab potatoes and other readily available carbs- since that is often the only choices they had- to eat whilst their bodies craved something nutrient rich to help balance a diet and aid in their physical development. Every time we grab a nutrient-empty food we forgo vitamins and minerals that could help keep us at peak performance.

            Emerson and Chase might not really offer a full variety to keep a balanced, healthy eating routine BUT this is where the fun begins. Mix and match your foods. Take pride in your college-self and eat food that seemingly do not go together. Today, for example, I ate Chinese lemon infused snap peas with a side of tofu.

            Normal enough, eh? I was able to get some greens and protein from the latter, but then I took some sweet potatoes and a banana and my “balanced meal” was complete with a drink of almond milk.

Would I ever eat the combination again?

Maybe.

Would I ever eat this anywhere else?

I hope not.

A 'normal' breakfast of bananas, cheerios, a dollop of peanut butter, and some yogurt I mixed with nutella.

I must admit, sometimes I do ‘get lucky’ and find foods that are actually supposed to go together, very rarely, but occasionally- even these foods are often supplemented with a tablespoon or two of hummus on the side.

            College is supposed to be the place where we start to act as independent entities, separate from parental oversight. If we do not start good eating habits now, then when? I know my body would slowly break down if all I ate were bagels and cream cheese- no matter how delicious. I’m anemic, but my condition is nowhere near as severe as it used to be. Looking for iron-rich foods is darn near impossible here, especially no that that spinach is not readily available at the salad bar. I really do have to come up with some crazy creations that aren’t always making my taste buds jump in delight, but the choices I make always help fuel my body in what I think is nutritional.

So cheers!

Get your thinking cap on and create!

What's Important About Dining Halls?

Clearly dining halls are an integral part of the college campus, student life, and the overall college experience. They are notoriously avoided if possible, which is not often, for their usually below-par food. So what makes dining halls so important? Besides the obvious, of course, which is that they serve us food. They are a social space: a vehicle for social interaction. During the day, it seems that a lot of people get their food to go, in those little red and white to-go boats, if they have a class to get to, some work to catch up on, or don’t want to sit alone. 

I find the dining halls most interesting at night, around dinnertime, since that’s when the majority of the student body flocks to Chase and Emerson. You see different kinds of groups sitting together; sports teams, random assortments of friends, different clubs, etc. Eating is an extremely social action, so it’s only natural that the dining halls become such a space for social interaction. For the freshmen, during the first couple of days of orientation, meals in the dining halls make for prime friend-making opportunities, and can act as an aid in bringing people together.

If it weren’t for the dining halls and the time I spend there, I most likely wouldn’t see half as many of my friends on such a regular basis. Dining halls are important because they bring people together, and can help keep people from becoming too isolated if they otherwise don’t spend that much time socializing, which I think can be very important. 

Breaking the Flavor of Chase

Returning to Wheaton College in the fall and spring are always exciting times. Seeing old friends, starting ones classes, and just being campus is generally a enjoyable experience. One experience however, tends to drift away from the enjoyable and that is the food. Now Chase and Emerson do their best but sometimes it just doesn't work out. Being here for three years I have noticed the taste of the food blend into a one word description, Chase. I have noticed that no matter what I get it all tastes the same. I have become a believer in hot sauce as it gives a little more flavor to the chicken and eggs offered. Through all of this, and in my last year here I have decided to do a little experimenting and see if I can break the flavor of chase. I started with my regular selection of Chicken Teriyaki in the stir fry line. I found that taking a look at the sandwich line as well as the salad bar can give one extra ingredients that can make a stir fry. They seem to always have spinach and every now and again they will have snow peas. I started creating and had some great results. For example of you don't like the steamed broccoli they put in the stir fry line I would recommend taking some from the salad bar. When cooked it adds a crunch which is better in stir fry. Ive also seen people add eggs to their dishes as well as cut up chicken patties which are also grand ideas. Adding all of these new things are not only making it taste better but also adding more nutritional value to the dish. I challenge you all to generate your own Chase stir fry creations!