Name: Ally Schwartz
Age: 18
Major: Political Science
Hometown: Miami Beach, Fla.
Relationship Status: Single
Her Campus (HC): You’re known as “notthefreshman15” on Instagram. Tell me the idea behind this account.
Ally Schwartz (AS): Before I came to college, I lost about 30 pounds because I struggled with my weight all my life; I woke up one day and was like, “Okay it’s time to get in shape.” I wanted to be in mental shape and just to be healthier in general. I came to orientation, I tried Suwannee and realized I really couldn’t handle that. For this reason, my parents allowed me a budget to get my own groceries and cook for myself. I just started making these really yummy dishes at home and I thought that I could inspire others by posting them on Instagram; and by helping them avoid the “freshman 15.” I figured even if I posted just breakfast or snack ideas, it could help others; because no one wants to walk all the way to Suwannee to get breakfast early in the morning!
HC: Were you at all surprised by the following you gained?
AS: Yeah! All of the followers I have, I do not buy my followers, are friends and people in general at FSU that found my page and followed me. The support has been great and I’ve been surprised because this isn’t what I do every day. I’m a student first, so when I do post and everyone comments and likes them, I’m just shocked! It just shows that I’m being heard; some people I don’t even know will see me, come up to me and say that they love my page and try my recipes and I’m just like, “Wow, thank you. I’m so honored!”
HC: Is all of this food completely cooked in your dorm room or do you utilize the kitchen in your hall as well?
AS: I cook most of the breakfast dishes in my room because it’s easy stuff, but then everything else I cook in the kitchen. When I make fish or chicken, I’ll make that on the stove and thanks to FSU, we have kitchens; I don’t know what I would do otherwise! It’s also hard finding times to cook, so Sundays are my meal planning and prep days. I’ll just cook everything that I need for the week and I’ll have it ready throughout the week because I’m usually so busy.
HC: Have you always been interested in cooking or, more specifically, clean eating?
AS: Before my weight loss, I couldn’t have cared less, but since I’ve been here, I always want that taste of home. Everything that my mom taught me how to cook when I was losing weight (because I couldn’t eat out for 3 months), just stuck with me. I’ve also created some of my own recipes too!
HC: Where do you get your healthy food inspiration and recipes?
AS: I do follow other food bloggers, but at the same time, I want to cook to how I like to eat, so I’ll just kind of take a recipe from someone else and I’ll modify it to how I like it. Sometimes, I’ll see those “Tasty” Buzzfeed videos and I’ll try to substitute the unhealthy ingredients with healthy ones!
HC: What are a few  staple items that you always have on hand?
AS: I love avocados Also, definitely berries and so much fruit. If you go into my fridge, I have every kind of fruit: Kiwis, Peaches, Strawberries, Blueberries. I am in love with chicken; chicken breast, chicken thighs, any kind of chicken! I also always have chia seeds, cacao niblets and a lot of nuts because they’re a great source of protein.
HC: You recently posted about a trip to New York, which included more pictures of delicious looking food! How do you suggest that people make healthy choices when they’re eating out or while on vacation?
AS: There’s a common phrase for when you’re on vacation, eating just doesn’t matter. I try to google “trendy” restaurants in the cities that I’m visiting and look for healthy options. If I want avocado toast, I’ll google “avocado toast” and see which places offer that and other healthy options. Don’t throw away calories on things that you would have just once; don’t go to that cookie dough place just to say you went there and tried it because it was popular on Facebook. Save those calories for something savory or really healthy. Another thing to remember is that it’s totally okay to indulge in something as long as you keep in mind that it’s all in moderation! You can have a few bites of some crazy dessert or yummy pasta as long as you portion control yourself!