Ever notice that your eating habits in the summer suddenly improve ten-fold compared to what they were during the winter? While some of that may simply be because we’re no longer tempted by the unhealthy options of the Caf or the Bison, there is different a correlation between the seasons and our food choices.
It’s no question that in the middle of the freezing Lewisburg winter we’d much rather reach for warm comfort food, before anything else. Because, let’s be honest, in the middle of a snow storm we’re not reaching for a smoothie; we’re reaching for grilled cheese and tomato soup, or mac and cheese, or anything else that’ll keep us warm inside while we hide from the cold.
During the summer, however, our eating habits seem to do a total 180. Our mac and cheese is replaced with fresh salads – sometimes grown in our very own gardens – and we snack on fresh fruit instead of chips. While for some of us this is because it’s bathing suit season and we’re trying to watch what we’re eating, for other it is because our healthy options have just drastically increased. Some of our favorite fruits like strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are suddenly much more accessible and can now be found at our local farmers markets. And not to mention, avocados are finally back in season. Because, let’s be honest, there’s nothing we collegiettes love than avo-toast.
Now that we’ve finally left Bertrand for good, it’s time for us to get outside and back to nature in the warm summer sun. With finals over we can focus on what’s really important that many of us have forgotten about: taking care of our bodies and our minds. Our favorite healthy foods are back in season and readily available, our sneakers are just begging to be taken outside for a run, and we need to take advantage of that as much as we can. Summer is the warmest, freshest season, but it’s also the shortest. So go make a fresh fruit smoothie and grab those sunglasses – it’s time for some well-deserved rest and relaxation in the sunshine.