About

Hi! Welcome to Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy, a blog that explores the reality of trying to balance food and fun in a college lifestyle (and budget!). Now, before I even get into this, many of you may be thinking: “Is this possible?!?!” As a senior in college, I know I have asked myself the same question many times over the past four years, usually while stuffing my face with the leftover pizza I drunkenly ordered the night before.  Anyone I know can attest to the fact that Ramen noodles and EasyMac are a necessary staple of the college student diet, and that sometimes that Cookout quesadilla or greasy Bojangles biscuit is the only thing fit to feign off a hangover. Though I suffered for years at the mercy of campus dining halls, the liberation of off campus housing and a beautiful, fully stocked kitchen (thanks mom!) opened my eyes to the reality that it is quite possible to live a (somewhat) healthy lifestyle in college. The key is, it’s all about balance!

But before we get into the good stuff, a little bit about myself. I love food—probably more than I should admit. I plan my days around my meals, I spend my free* (*read: procrastinating) time skimming food blogs and planning out my next grocery list. I am a firm believer that food brings people together in the best way, and you should never trust anyone who sometimes “forgets” to eat because they are "too busy." Growing up with an Italian father, I really had no other choice than to fall in love with food and cooking. As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be by his side in the kitchen, acting as his sous chef and soaking in as much as I could learn.  In fact, my first escapades in the kitchen date back to 1996, at age 2. I’ve dug up some photos from old scrapbooks as proof, and also because I think I was a really cute child:

Showing dad how it's done

Look at that concentration

You see, the thing about being a part of an Italian household is, being hungry is never an option. We like to call a bowl of pasta a “snack,” and heaven forbid we have guests over without a proper table spread! I have very fond memories of my dad forcing my friends to eat a sandwich, chips and dip, anything really—regardless of whether they insisted they had already eaten or were not hungry—before allowing them to leave our house. While this embarrassed me endlessly growing up, I have to admit that it's very true that you grow up to be your parents! Regardless, I grew up eating relatively healthy. I always remember my dad trying to adapt our favorite recipes to be healthier—lower fat, more veggies, more whole grains. My mother, however, is the one who really taught me about balance. As I grew older and started to make my own meals and choices about what I ate, she always stressed that I shouldn't worry about what I was eating all the time, so long as I made sure to maintain a balance of healthy and unhealthy choices. I have taken this advice with me throughout my time in college, and although I've struggled, I think that 21 years later I'm finally starting to get the hang of it!

So, what exactly should you expect from this blog?

Obviously, my passion is food. So expect a lot of quick, easy, and (hopefully) delicious recipes! As I mentioned before, I really want to focus on balance. I don’t think it’s bad to indulge in some comfort food every once in a while, and, as a college student, I know it's inevitable. However, I mostly want to focus on recipes that are easy and healthy. It’s so much easier (and tastier! And cheaper!) than you think, I promise! Between a busy course load, job searching, and also trying to maintain somewhat of a social life, I’ll admit that I may not have the time to cook something great more than once a week. That being said, I will try my best to post a new recipe at least once a week, if not more. However, as the name of my blog alludes, this is about much more than just food. Because what you drink and how you exercise also affects your health, I think it would be fun to include the occasional cocktail recipe, and maybe even throw in some fun, challenging workouts every once in a while. Variety is the spice of life, so I want to keep things fun and interesting! I’m hoping that through this blog, I can not only share a bit more about what I love, but that I can grow my skills as a wannabe chef, and along the way help to inspire some others to pursue what they love, or even just to try a new dish!

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you come back soon!