When you're fresh out of high school and making the complex transition to college, you're offered advice on an array of topics: how to stay organized, how to study, how to stay clean, how to budget, etc. Suggestions on "adulting" can come from anyone, at anytime, about anything. But one thing I had to teach myself through a serious of failed trials and tribulations was the art of grocery shopping. My relationship with the grocery store has had its ups and downs and has grown from completely nonexistent to flourishing and healthy. I think it's about time I document and make public my personal journey with learning to feed myself.
To give you a sense of just how poor my relationship with groceries was at this time last year, I'll impart upon you the memory I have of my first ever trip to the Morton Williams down the street: strawberries, Oreos, and a bottle of Bolthouse Farms chai latte. And, when I had finished those nutritious snacks, I promptly returned to surviving off Hunter College sushi and breakfast cart bagels without another attempt at buying my own ingredients for months.
Some time later, my girlfriend came across a Whole Foods coupon and invited me to come grocery shopping with her. She was fully aware of the tension that existed between me and literally all grocery stores at the time, but we all do crazy things for love so I agreed to accompany her. Thus began my first foray into the world of fresh ingredients and produce. I was hooked immediately, but not without some initial errors. There were fruits and vegetables that spoiled before we used them. There was unnecessary junk food. There were rookie mistakes, but the dedication had been planted and I was ready to explore this newfound hobby.
Fast forward to almost a year later and we just accomplished something we didn't even know we were looking forward to doing: spending over ninety dollars in one trip to Trader Joe's. We came home with our four (reusable) bags full of groceries and cleaned out our entire fridge and pantry to prepare for the new semester. We reorganized all of our food storage and put away all of our new food purchases. Our most exciting purchases were, without a doubt, the fixings for quinoa bowls. We had discussed the possibilities of packing our own lunches in the past, but never actually formulated a plan to do so before now.
Packing my own lunch has always seemed like a level of #Adulting that I was completely uninterested in reaching. But there is something so satisfying about preparing a massive bowl of quinoa and veggies the night before a new week of classes begins and, once again, I'm hooked. It's not as difficult as it sounds, it saves money, it's typically a healthier option, and it makes you feel grown up AF.
Is my relationship with food at a level with which I'm fully comfortable yet? Absolutely not. I know I have a long way to go before I can say with total confidence that I'm happy with my dietary habits. I know I will spoil many more bags of spinach and shredded cheese before I learn how to consume groceries in a timely manner. I know I will make many more mistakes on my journey through #Adulting, and that's fine. I'm learning every day and that's all that really matters. Stay healthy!
