By no means can I cook; Top Chef would laugh at my lack of ability. Isn’t there a show called Worst Cooks of America? That’s more my scene. Despite my lack of any skill, I still consider myself a foodie. I love food and everything about it. I love the way it brings people together, creates a spark, and provides nourishment all in the same meal. Moving off-campus my junior year became increasingly difficult as I realized I needed to cook every single meal for myself. I missed the smells of fresh salmon, steak, grilled chicken, and steamed vegetables that my father makes so effortlessly for me. I soon found myself eating out for mostly every meal. It emptied my wallet and added several unwanted pounds onto my body. This summer I dedicated myself to learning how to cook simple meals that are both appetizing and healthy.
Breakfast Idea: Avocado Egg Toast
With the “freshman 15” quickly turning into the “freshman 30,” I had a major breakthrough. What girl or guy wants to carry an extra 15-30 pounds on their body? Not me, that’s for sure. Eating healthy can be so easy, yet students including myself choose to ignore it. We choose easy mac, pizza, and fast food–all on top of the hundreds to thousands of extra calories we consume drinking alcohol.
As I was finally having my foodie renaissance I met a girl named Danielle; who along with two other girls from Northwestern, started a magazine called Spoon. The timing couldn’t have been better. Danielle and the founders Sarah and Mackenzie presented me with the perfect solution. Spoon is an amazing online magazine. Before I knew it, I had spent almost an hour looking through the entire site. Speaking to the co-founders I learned, “Mackenzie and I (Sarah) came up with the idea for Spoon when we moved off campus and had to fend for ourselves for the first time. All of our friends seemed to be having the same problems…We realized there weren’t any resources out there that addressed our needs – that could really teach us how to cook or that were focused on food on campus and around our campus at Northwestern.”
They have so many categories, from “5 ingredients or less” to “cooking for one” to “microwave friendly.” This magazine was created by college students for college students; and is literally the answer to every off-campus students’ prayers. Spoon has the ability to bring out the ‘foodie’ in all of us–even if you do prefer pizza and beer. I don’t know of any other website that provides students with a whole section of food that only needs to be cooked in the microwave, is healthy, and surprisingly delicious. Now we can never use “I’m busy” as an excuse ever again.
Sarah and Mackenzie expanded, stating where they want the future to take them, “We want to expand Spoon University to be the go-to resource for college students for all things food. We want it to be a place where students across the country can share and learn all the things you’re supposed to know about food but don’t, and we want it to help build food-oriented communities on campuses across the country…We think the need is definitely there.”
Being a senior in college, I have come to the same conclusions as the founders; and I completely agree that there is a huge need for a resource like Spoon University. I highly encourage you all to check out this website: www.spoonuniversity.com. Once you subscribe, they send a new recipe each week, making our lives as college students that much easier.