Growing up with a strictly organic mom had its ups and downs. Until I was 10, I was told I was allergic to chocolate and soda.

Of course, I naively believed that.

Although my mother deprived me of McDonald's, I am sure I will thank her one day for my healthy pallet. I never acquired the tastes for chocolate, soda or coffee because I was not introduced to such scandalous foods until my taste buds already decided what they liked.

However, when I started driving, fast food just became too easy to get my hands on. I just HAD to eat enough chicken nuggets to make up for the years that I lost.

Soda I can live without. In fact, I am thankful I do not like it. However, chocolate is a different story.

It is a struggle to be around chocolate cakes, ice cream and candy all the time because I gag if I even taste a chocolate chip. (Sorry, I'm dramatic.) Since I do not eat chocolate, I probably realize the most that chocolate is in a lot more foods than people realize.

As I am approaching freshman year of college, I cannot help but notice how many caffeine-feigns surround me. I have never been that person that NEEDS coffee in order to function.

Do not get me wrong, I still love Starbucks chai tea lattes. The bitter taste of coffee turns me off. The few times I drank coffee, I felt the opposite of energized.

Instead of feeling awake, I feel unfocused and my head hurt. People will literally experience withdrawal symptoms if they do not get their caramel macchiato.

Some of my friends would practically die for coffee, but I fail to understand what is so addicting about a BEAN. Let's not forget that coffee simply comes from a bean.

Rather than a shot of espresso in the morning, I need a bowl of fresh fruit to get me energized. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, pomegranate, passion fruit, pears, mangoes and pineapples are heaven on my taste buds.

I am notorious for eating all the fruit in people's houses. Do not even get me started on smoothies. Liquefied fruit is a gift from the sky. If I have a smoothie in the morning, I KNOW it will be a good day.

Not trying to roast (no pun intended), the large society of coffee-lovers.

Afterall, coffee and fruit are both natural energizers. I would say I am thankful for the money I am saving by not spending $5 on Starbucks every day.

However, unfortunately, fruit is pretty pricey as well. But, I will say I am thankful for not having coffee stained teeth. I would much rather have a strawberry seed stuck in my teeth.