Content Warning: this piece includes terminology related to complex relationships with food.
I didn’t always think I had to eat.
Like many college students, I had a very bad habit of not prioritizing my body and, if anything at all, eating was a reward. I allowed myself to eat only when I thought I could spare the time, even if it was past midnight so that I could finish an essay first. And if I had to choose between eating or sleeping, I would choose sleeping. I would wake up in the morning and not eat breakfast, walk to class on an empty stomach, and be generally miserable.
The worst part? I would wear it like a badge of honor. The zeitgeist was, the less you ate and took care of your body, the more successful you were. Productive people slept four hours and ate their first meal of the day at 4 pm. Grades weren’t the only form of competition, the prize went to whoever could self sabotage the hardest at the expense of their health.
Like many college students, I had a very bad habit of not prioritizing my body and, if anything at all, eating was a reward.
But now....“What do you want for dinner tonight?” is something I ask him every day, if he hasn’t already asked me first. And I ask this despite nearly always being the one who decides. I may not necessarily be a picky eater, but I am a moody eater, and usually I don’t know what I’m in the mood for, or what I’m not in the mood for, until he makes a suggestion first. My appetite depends primarily on how I feel internally, both physically and mentally, and this is yet another obstacle I face when fueling my body. What will I put into it when I have the time? And when do I have the time?
Some nights are busier than others. But tonight’s dinner is chicken and rice, which is simple enough. The chicken thighs are seasoned, and they go into the oven to bake. We made it in bulk, so it should last us two or three meals, which will hopefully make up for a lack of time later in the week. Time is hard to come by, so anything that keeps my body nourished without additional stress is heartily welcomed.
Regardless of what we eat, the goal is to have something on the table—be it pesto pasta or a frozen pizza. Although we are busy individuals, and spend much of the day separately, we sit down together for dinner. Our schedules do not always permit a date night, so we’ve made an evening out of meals.
Socializing these days seems to be like that. We have to eat, so we might as well do it together. It’s like a form of multitasking, grabbing lunch with a friend in between classes, or overlapping breakfast with your roommates. But it’s also a way of combating toxic productivity. There is nothing unproductive about taking care of your body, and consequently, your mind.
There is nothing unproductive about taking care of your body, and consequently, your mind.
It took me four years to learn to prioritize my body, and I’m still learning to eat all my meals, to get enough sleep, to drink more water. But by making eating a social part of my routine, by romanticizing my meals, the process is much easier. I am forever grateful for someone to share my eating experience with.
