I don’t often comment on health and diet topics considering I barely eat breakfast or don’t have my first meal until at least 2PM, but lately I’ve noticed my eating habits have been even more topsy-turvy than usual. I can’t say if it is laziness or that there just isn’t enough time to actually cook and enjoy meals. See, I like to leave the house by certain time or I just don’t get anything done, creative-wise, which I try to avoid! I’m the type of person that while I would love a big breakfast of pancakes, turkey bacon, and some fruit, the reality is, I sometimes just squeeze in some toast or bread with butter until later…very drab but I got to eat something, right?

Even right now, my stomach is slightly grumbling and there’s a loaf waiting for me, but I also already feel like the day is passing by at 11AM, so I bypass food in order to get out the door first. I’ve also been struggling in trying to maintain my weight since I’ve also lost some due to much  unforeseen stress. I became one of those where just eating a bowl of cereal, one bowl, got me full. It’s hard when you want to eat and it seems like your body just won’t let you. Succeeding that is then the battle of eating right (fruits and vegetables) and feeling full afterwards.

Living in a city like New York too, quick bites are a regular. $1 pizza, candy for lunch, if you’re balling that day, Starbucks for a drink. Eating healthy sometimes doesn’t come until you actually go to a restaurant and then spend at least $12-15 for a plate. And we can’t forget the matter of trying to save money while eating right. Going to the grocery store is a great way to save and has been my go-to towards eating right and not breaking the bank, but then I feel the need to pack snacks and sometimes full lunches with me since I’ll be gone for the rest of day, so that adds luggage to my bag on the road.

We all want to eat the best foods possible, but like anything that matters, it takes dedication. Like, I love watching the Food Network (my show is Chopped), and then on the social media board Pinterest, my favorite category to pin is the Food and Drink category. I re-pin so many awesome dishes and treats and feel inspire to re-create them myself, as the original pinners often provide recipes, but then it just doesn’t happen. I’ve been wanting to bake macaroons, make home mac and cheese, finally learn how to cook fried chicken, or even assemble those amazing dinners of pasta and garnishes of vegetables and meats, and spices I wouldn’t think of, and yet none of this has come to fruition…sadly.

With more income, comes a better lifestyle, this we know is another hard truth of life, but for the rest of us everyday people, can we start eating better as a nation? Maybe not even Entenmman’s again for dinner? It takes a little effort, yes, but that familiar feeling of comfort and satisfaction when devouring a good plate of food is inspiring to the senses. While eating right is hard to do because of resources or time management, a little something right everyday makes not just those cookies more enjoyable, but definitely uplifting in the long run. Besides, for some of us, we’ll always have rice and beans…or pizza.