First-year follies: Just relax and eat the cookie

The idea of the “freshman 15” would suggest it is easy to fall under a diet consisting of chips, cookies and crackers in college. But with calories and other nutritional information listed on food packages and next to dishes in the Commons, it should be a little harder to fulfill the “freshman 15.”

With fewer scrumptious cookies readily available here at the University of South Dakota, the way I see it, there should be a small chance of gaining those 15 pounds.

I am striving to fight this, as I know many other students feel frightened by the thought of becoming a gluttonous overeater.

But when a person is really craving a chocolate chip cookie or a brownie, there are a couple options — a walk to the Bump or P.O.D. with flex in hand will get you one of these.

Or, even though there may not be much time to do this, baking cookies or brownies is another option. One benefit of this is it can be a stress reliever. Each first-year has an oven available for use, which is something I often forget. Even if I have to borrow a pan from a friend who lives in another complex instead of going to Walmart to buy a new one with my nonexistent money.

In college, we are forced to make our own decisions, which includes deciding what to eat for all three meals and snacks on top of that. I tend to lean to the less nutritional food at times, but then realize I should make a better eating choice because I won’t be thinking about it again throughout the day.

As a first-year here at USD, I have become fully aware that in place of my mother’s home-cooked meals, there awaits the mediocre food from the North Complex Commons.

Don’t get me wrong; when I’m hungry, I know exactly where I can go to for satisfaction. The buffet style can either be seen as good or bad. Although, it is handy for first-year students head to the Commons, being practically outside their doors, it is not as fast as if you were to go to Einstein Bros. for a sandwich wrap if a quick lunch is needed.

Along with that wrap, do you add a soda to that order, do you add a bag of chips?

My attitude toward it is, yes, go ahead and get them, but only once in a while. The amount of sugar in just a can of pop compared to a different beverage at my elementary science fair scared me away from drinking soda every day — although my mom is a Diet Coke addict, so I get that it can be hard to keep away from the cola.

Plus, with the Wellness Center nearby, there is no reason to not take half an hour out of my day to exercise. While on a break from studying, why not burn some calories and gain energy to keep working on that dreaded homework?

In college, it can be hard to know when to say yes or no to foods, and it’s true that in order to maintain a healthy life, a person must choose the right foods wisely and exercise.

Sometimes, though, a person just needs to relax and eat a cookie.