When I came to William and Mary I had high hopes for the next four years. I loved everything about the school from the quirky student body to the beautiful architecture. After a semester here, my love for the Tribe still runs deep; until it’s time for dinner. The problem is I absolutely abhor dining hall food. Because of this, I have given up on the dining halls. For three months I have been preparing my own meals and I have never felt better. Here’s why you should too:
1. Take charge of your health– It quickly became apparent to me that the College recognizes a food pyramid based on fats, sodium, and sugar. Needless to say, I disagree with this understanding of what constitutes a balanced diet. Cooking your own food allows you the freedom to create balance in your diet based on your health goals. For me, that means cutting white flour, refined sugar, and hydrogenated oils while increasing my intake of lean protein, fruits, and greens.
2. Learn a life skill– Don’t let the idea of learning how to cook intimidate you. It’s actually quite simple and very rewarding. Besides, you will have to learn at some point because the meal will not be an option upon graduation.
3. Fight obesity– Beyond offering an unbalanced diet, the dining halls promote binge eating through their buffet style set-up. Cooking your own food forces you to establish a portion size before you begin eating. With good planning you will always leave a meal full without dealing with the temptation of having a third dessert.
4. Save money– By forgoing a meal plan, it is possible to save a good deal of money. On average I spend about $65 each week on groceries. Using a meal plan that guarantees nineteen meals a week results in a weekly cost of $114. Thus cooking your own food results in a weekly savings of $49. However, this is not true for everyone based on changes recently made by the school in regards to who must have a meal plan.
5. Promote sustainability– Having the flexibility to decide where your food comes from via your purchases allows you to minimize your environmental impacts. With some exceptions, the dining halls use larger food corporations that bring both the quality of the food as well as the environmental impact of the food into question. Beyond that, the buffet style promotes waste, which is a decidedly smaller issue when cooking on an individual rather than a mass basis.
Ultimately, the prospect of abandoning your meal plan can be scary, but with a positive mindset and good preparation it can be a very rewarding undertaking.