Good afternoon! It has been a little messy here today. They are switching over something with our e-mail here today (to be honest I am not sure exactly what they are doing) but it has caused my work e-mail to not work and I have lost some important e-mails, so yes it has been frustrating. Lunch came around 12:30pm when I heard my tummy start talking to me. I had a turkey sandwich on whole wheat Tuscan bread with spicy hummus, guacamole, tabouli and spinach. YUM YUM!

I brought an apple on the side and thought it looked a little boring. :/ Sorry, apple, but it’s true! So I cut it up, put it in my soup bowl, added cinnamon and microwaved it for a minute and a half. Warm cinnamon apple = not so boring!!!

FYI: cutting up an apple with a plastic knife is not easy can can be dangerous! Don’t try this at home, kids!

Ask Me Anything Questions:

Q: Hi Ali. I just wanted to let you know how much I love your blog and how positive you always are!
OK, now to my question:

I’m a high school senior, and am going to college next year (either Suffolk or Northeastern). What’s your advice on eating in college? If it were my choice, I wouldn’t have a meal plan and just get all of my food from TJ’s, but it’s required. Any tips?

A: Wow! I had no idea I had readers in high school! That’s great! So glad you love my blog First of all congrats to you for being almost done with High School, so exciting. Second, congrats for even caring about healthy eating at your age, Lord knows I didn’t and wish I had.

I understand where you are coming from, eating healthy in a college dining hall is hard! I do have a few tips:

1. Eat breakfast! Get up before class and go. It will keep you from being starving around noon when they bring out the fries and steakums. Plus, you will be able to concentrate in class better too! If you don’t have time for a sit down meal, grab fruit, dry cereal a whole wheat bagel and pb..something.
2. If you have to eat fast food choose wisely: Choose pizza with half the cheese, a regular size roast beef sandwich, baked potato, or green salad with reduced calorie dressing.
3. Keep healthy snacks on hand so you are not temped to go to the vending machine and fill up on junk. Try kashi bars, fruit, nuts or yogurt.
4. The salad bar is your friend!!! Have a side salad if you are choosing to eat the mac and cheese it is all about balance.
5. Use the suggestion box! Most dining halls have them, use them to make healthy suggestions to the staff. I am sure they will help you out and your fellow health conscious students will thank you!

Hope that helps and good luck with applying to college! This is such an exciting time for you

Q: What time do you usually eat your meals? I leave the house by 6:45am so I bring my breakfast to work and eat around 10. Causing me to eat all my meals late, like dinner at 8 because I don’t get home till 7:30. Any tips on timing your meals for a busy body?

A: Well, this one is hard because the time I eat a measl depends on the day, seriously. I eat breakfast at about 7am, lunch between 12pm-1pm. Dinner is a little wonky. On days I have class, dinner will not come until 7:30pm-8pm. On days I don’t have class and got right home from work dinner is between 5:30pm and 6:30pm. On days I don’t have class, but workout after work it can be between 6:30pm and 9:00pm. So I guess I am not the best with timing. My tip would be to have snacks on you in case you need them between meals. But for me, I am so busy, I eat when I am hungry and when I have the time. But, I always make sure I eat

Q: What kind of salad do you eat? Is it packaged? If so, what brand?

A: Well, the salads I eat are not packaged. I make them myself at home with whatever I have on hand. But you may be referring to the lettuce I use, and that is packages and it is by Olivia’s Organics. Adam and I love their Spring Mix. Hope that helps!!!

Q: What kind of peanut butter do you eat?

A: Well, I have been eating Naturally More peanut butter for the past few month and I love it! But I also eat, Barney Butter (Almond Butter) and The Store Brand (Stop n’ Shop) Cashew Butter as well. I guess I love nut butters!!!!

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