What is life without food? I ask myself this question on the daily. In college, I find that I’m always hungry, even during times I shouldn’t be eating. Two am splurges on cookies have become the highlight of my “mornings” and a chicken wrap between lunch and dinner politely acts as an “appetizer” for my still growling stomach.
Stress eating? Personally, that term has too much of a negative connotation. Instead, I would label my constant (and honestly scary) reliance on food as “comfort.” As college students with exams on the regular, our bodies demand a lot more energy than a regular human being. In the midst of countless crumbs and cravings, I’ve compiled a list of my ten go-to comfort foods for college.
Note: For the sake of conciseness, I’ve kept this list to ten items. But, ideally, this list would contain hundreds (and hundreds) of food choices. Also, this list is in no particular order. As a foodie, it’s a crime to discriminate between food.1. Fries
Fries, oh fries. Crunchy and salty (and not in a bad way), they serve as the perfect side dish to ALL food. You could be having the worst day in the world - until you bite into this beautiful potato heaven, and suddenly you can't remember any of the work due at 11:59 PM today.
2. Cereal
Regular people start off their day eating cereal - college students eat cereal all day. Missed lunch? Just grab that box of Lucky Charms, and you're good. While you're at it, you can maybe even convince yourself that those sugar-heavy marshmallows are healthy.
3. Chips
*Refer to the Fries section.* No comment necessary.
4. Cookies
Warm and scrumptious, you put one in your mouth and melt into a world of peace. Milk serves as a good excuse to pull these out at any time. If you're craving fancy desert you can no longer afford (thanks college), cookies make for the perfect substitute.
5. Ramen
"Not real food." For the people who say that, college will be a real surprise. When you miss dining hall hours, which assume that dinner time at 5 PM is perfectly acceptable, Ramen is the way to go. For the people who don't know how to cook, Ramen can also build their self esteem. Add water, heat it up, and you're basically a chef!
6. Mac and Cheese
Each macaroni piece may be small, but together, the creamy goodness brings about a gigantic burst of satisfaction. After a stressful exam (which is basically every other day), sitting down to watch Netflix with bowls (plural) of mac and cheese can help you blow off some major steam.
7. Soup
Technically healthy and comes in many varieties - what else do you need? Soup is especially perfect for all the colds you catch in college, since there's almost always something going around.
8. Chicken Tenders
Chicken tenders and fries, and your life is set. These are the grown-up version of chicken nuggets, and they go with practically any dipping sauce. The crunch makes you feel alive - a thrill you sadly cannot experience in your early morning classes.
9. Coffee
Coffee has a tremendous amount of calories (indirect shade at Starbucks) and is technically a drug. Still, some college students drink it religiously, and I can't blame them. Full of the necessary caffeine to get through grueling math problems, coffee keeps your mind fresh, even if temporarily. It's the friend you secretly detest but keep coming back to anyway because you're depressed and need company.
10. Candy
Glancing at your desk cluttered with Sour Patch and Starburst, you already know that candy is the ultimate comfort food. It's not your fault that your hand just very accidentally finds the Skittles that you not so discreetly stuffed in your desk drawers. It's also not your fault that you keep wanting more; self-control doesn't have to be a thing in this situation, right? It's okay. Diabetes is totally not a thing, either.
