Day 1
– Dream Come True. You’re finally on your own in a place where you know no one. There’s a crazy sense of satisfaction for having put a feather on your family crown because you feel like they’d be so proud. There’s an enormous sense of freedom, because you’re starting a new life and you can be anyone you want to be. Your roommates are a good lot; your neighbours have a little girl who loves to sing to her dog. You might even have the liberty to live on campus and feel like a knitted community with some of the best people in the world.
Day 5
– Day 1, ditto. The only addition is, you picked up an $8 Hoagie for lunch.
Day 10
– Hunger is the best alarm clock. You can’t lie in bed anymore because you’re so hungry you could eat a whole bucket of wings just for breakfast. This is slightly annoying, but you can always afford to get some more sandwiches.
Day 15
– Everything as it was on Day 10 – only that it is mid month and you’ve spent half your pocket money on cheap sandwiches that don’t look edible anymore. You’ve cancelled 2 trips to a local brewery because you’ve got to save some money till the end of the month. And of course, you haven’t seen more than half the city because bus routes are tricky for freshers and cabs are expensive.
THIS COULD BE YOUR WAKE UP CALL! You’ve got to learn to cook.
If you’re one of the luckier ones who have been trained in the kitchen by their splendidly talented mothers, you’d still have a chance to make it – but for some of us (like the author of this blog) who have NO training whatsoever, cooking can be the dirtiest mess ever.
Here’ a tiny survival guide for those of you studying abroad and the ones who are ready to take flight.
1. Muffins
They don’t spoil for a long-ish time and you can grab and go right out to class (because chances are you wake up late on most days). The days you feel like you got a minute, spread some crunchy peanut butter. You can even slice a banana and sprinkle some almonds or walnuts. Easy to assemble but filling nonetheless.
2. Yoghurt
This pops like dessert and there’s absolutely nothing to not like. Easy on the tummy cold on the palate, throw in some cut fruit to enjoy the real nutrition from nature. Full of pro-biotic fauna, protein and calcium, yoghurt is easier to digest than milk or processed carbohydrates.
3. Trail Mix
The ultimate snack that is rich in antioxidants and surprisingly filling, you can even make your own just the way you like. Nuts, seeds and raisins are nature’s nutrition treasure chests.
Also read: Travel on a Shoestring Budget Across USA When Studying Abroad
4. Overnight Oats
Rich in complex carbohydrates and fibre, oats tend to swell up in your stomach, keeping you filled up for longer. All you have to do is to half boil oats in milk or water and add in some sweetener, and leave them overnight in a mason jar. You’ll be a mouthful in the morning.
5. Mango-Coconut-Chia seed Pudding
Chia is a superfood and full of incomparable goodness. Chia has lots of protein. A very easy recipe that involves blending pieces of mango in almond milk and honey, topped with coconut shavings and chia seeds, this smoothie-pudding can be made in bulk and stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Food is the ultimate deal we live our lives for. You don’t have to master recipes to have good eating habits. Nor does food have to look beautiful or taste delicious to be life-affirming and nutritious. If freedom be what you seek, break the rules, be good and just have fun!
