Why My Favorite Food Is…

Someone asked me the other day, “Alec, what are your favorite foods?” and I groaned. The reason I groan at this question is because whenever I list my food choices there is usually a moment of silence as they realize, “Alec, that’s not very healthy.”

Well, let’s hit the ground running. I’m 26 years old. I attended college from 2010 to 2014, living out of a few cabinets, a toaster oven, and the local cafeteria. You can imagine what my food choices were during my time in college. Surprisingly, NOT RAMEN NOODLES. My, oh my, it feels good to finally tell someone that. Of all the clichés I embody in my life, the college kid with ramen noodles is not one of them.

Sadly, that doesn’t mean I sought out healthier options. Fast food chicken sandwiches were my primary nourishment. Other times I stopped by the nightly café with the roommates to pick up some Papa Johns chicken strips. Fried chicken, fried chicken, and more fried chicken. But all was not lost! I occasionally bought a slice of pizza!

If you’re judging me at this point, good. You should be.

The reason I bring up college is that the way things have panned out, I haven’t migrated very far from it, despite being out for almost five years now. Since moving into my own apartment, where my facilities rival that of my college dorm room, my habits have changed at the rapid rate of ZERO.

I do my best to keep the refrigerator full and eat a bit on the healthier side. Fruits and vegetables intrude upon my diet at slow rates of “Hey, I should add one fruit and one vegetable to my shopping cart.” I’d like to think of myself as the local deli’s number one customer, but you’d have to ask them. Usually, I pick up some Swiss or American cheese with roast beef, turkey, or ham. Sometimes I make a grilled cheese sandwich with a little turkey meat thrown on top, and other times I spread some mayo and cheese on a fresh piece of bread and put the meat on cold, add some lettuce, and you have lunch! Yum. I’m also a big fan of the barbeque grill, frying up hamburger patties of my own making or the occasional hot dog. If I had to pick one food that I frequently cook, order at restaurants, and overall consider a favorite, I guess I would say that my favorite food is a good hamburger.

What? Forgot part of the question, you say? Oh, that’s right. I’m supposed to say why I like them. Well…they taste good? (Aren’t you glad you visited this blog?) It’s hard to talk about habits I’ve had since I was a young child. They almost feel like second-nature, and when asked about them I struggle for the answer. But if you endeavor to give it a go, you actually learn some interesting things about yourself. With that in mind, I’d like to close this post with a helpful PSA on breakfast.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Never, never, never, NEVER, skip it. And that’s coming from a guy who does it all the time! (Shame). I often oversleep before work and jump up, get ready fast, and hit the road. When you’re racing around, it’s hard to keep your stomach settled, so breakfast sometimes falls by the wayside in my schedule until lunch rolls around and I’m hungry for something big. But when I do eat breakfast, I take no prisoners. Hit me with eggs, French toast, pancakes, Belgian waffles, potatoes, breakfast meats, mountains of bacon, and I’m a well oiled machine.

And also, if you’re having an early morning and can’t get your stomach to settle, I’d like to share some wisdom from a dear friend of mine who will until further notice remain anonymous. In her exact words, "Candy and sugar is actually more healthy (not completely healthy, but just more so) to consume in the early morning, because it gives your body more time to digest throughout the day!" On your way to work? No time? Grab a candy bar. Blame anything bad that happens on this guy.