Article by: Ethan Long

Okay guys, this one isn’t really directed towards one gender, so I’ll just give you a short heads up. This is a message to the entire Suffolk community, as well as the people living in the area. You see, as more and more of us get apartments, we begin to cook for ourselves more than we ever did in the dorms, where food was easily available in the cafeterias. I need to tell you right now that cooking for yourself is actually the best possible option.

As we all know, the food in our cafeterias, although pretty tasty, isn’t the highest quality stuff, or the healthiest, for that matter. During the year that I lived in the dorm, I did experience the freshman fifteen, but now that I’ve been living in a fourth floor walk up in the North End, I’ve easily lost weight and generally look better than I did while eating, you know, the chicken and fries every day. The difference is that you can control what goes into the ingredients, and you can even try to make your own recipes over time.

Another rule is that you need to cut out most fast food. I haven’t eaten anything from McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, or Taco Bell in the last six months, and it feels awesome. That stuff really doesn’t sit well; it actually makes you feel worse about yourself. They’re comfort foods, and you can stuff your face in them, saying “Abba Zabba, you my only friend,” but you can’t do that all the time. You’ll begin to crave it more and more. Maybe what this country needs is a fast food rehab center. I went cold turkey on this, and enjoyed the results.

Now, for those of us big kids with apartments, there are also a few rules of what not to do. For the first few months of living in the North End, my fridge was packed with Kool-Aid, microwavable entrees, and sriracha sauce. Microwavable entrees are really not good; most of the time, they taste bland and are heavy in calories. They’re also pretty expensive once you figure out how much other, healthier things cost.

Another thing you’ll want to avoid is the late night trips to places like Bova’s or delivery from Domino’s. We all love Bova’s, but the bill can get pretty high if you go in there, um, high. Coincidence, or not? The calzones are great and the strawberry shortcake is delicious, but if you’re on a budget, it may not be worth it in the end.

Last week, a close friend of mine helped me shop at Whole Foods after I got paid. She recommended some good vegetables and fruits to buy, as well beans, spices, and basically everything else. I got everything I wanted, and my shopping for the week was done. I spent around $30, as opposed to the $80 bills I used to pay earlier in the year. I then began to re-learn how to cook, since I rarely used the oven until this year. I’ve been sautéing mushrooms and making beans, mixing them together, and enjoying a meal that I made myself.

When someone tells you they have a family recipe of something that tastes good, you should probably listen to them and help pitch in to make it. Last Saturday, a buddy of mine decided to make a casserole. After about half an hour of cooking, Michael Jackson, and just messing around, we finally decided to taste the goodness of the casserole. It was healthier than anything you could get at a fast food place, and it was extremely yummy. These are the kinds of things you run into as you live in the area longer.

Finally, I want to talk about supporting local grocers, because I feel that in this world of corporations, the small, local businesses are losing ground. These businesses have to strive if we want to keep our city’s culture. Please, Suffolk students, support these places. Go buy fruits and vegetables from Haymarket. You can also find an array of other things there, such as cheeses, breads, meats, and spices. They’re usually pretty cheap, much cheaper than store-bought stuff, and they taste great. I bought a huge box of strawberries for $2 the other day and enjoyed sharing them with people out on Temple St.

Guys, cooking isn’t just for girls; cook your own food and feel better about it.