Going home is always a very dangerous thing for a college kid’s diet — at least in my case. My parents always keep the fridge, freezer and pantry full of a wide variety of snacks, and if there’s one weakness I have, it’s snacking.
I’ve been a snacker ever since I can remember and I’m going to go ahead and blame all of the adults I know for this one. On weekends, my mom often sets trays of fruit, vegetables, crackers and cheese for my sisters and I to snack on. Before softball tournaments, my dad made sure I had at least three granola bars in my bag and made frequent trips to the concession stand for me. At poms competitions, our moms filled our customized lunch boxes to the brim with snacks (yes, customized lunch boxes…. because the clothes, garment bags, make up bags, duffel bags, blankets and headbands weren’t enough). You should have seen my dad’s face tonight as my mom was describing a Frito-Lay convention she saw last week — it was like he was witnessing the second coming of Jesus. Needless to say, we’re a snacking family, through and through. So far, I’ve been able to lay off the snacks, but it’s getting increasingly difficult.
Also, my family is one of those families that gets take out all the time, so when it comes time to decide what’s for dinner, it’s usually a choice between Portillos, El Famous, Royal Cantonese, Tsukasa or Sushi Kushi San. Luckily, I have a very supportive family. So, I sent over a few recipes from the Jump Start Diet meal plan for my dad to make. If you know my dad, then you know he obviously did not just pick a recipe and make it. He instead combined at least three different recipes to make something that was totally unique, but still delicious and healthy! It was some sort of chicken, mushroom, pepper, tomato dish and I had to try really hard to not go for seconds.
I wish I could honestly say that I stopped at the chicken mystery dish, but I can’t. I had half a cup of ice milk (which is essentially low-fat ice cream) and two thin mints. Thankfully I also have a very supportive boyfriend who said he is going to push me through an extra sizzler set tonight. I have to make up for those thin mints and ice milk somehow.
Avoiding the pantry,
Samantha