Young and Kitchen-less... and kinda bitter

I’m so frustrated because I would love to eat raw, but i just don’t have the means to make my own diet. first it was the dorm- granted, i never touched the extensive array of desserts or the pizza, but living off the salad bar, gross apples and oranges, and the occasional green banana, every meal got rough which led to my weakness for pbJ and cereal. when i did try to buy my own food it would be kept in the minifridge 2 feet away from where i studied, so obviously that didn’t work out.

then i worked at a summer camp that served the usual array of pancakes/sausages for breakfast plus cereal, oatmeal, and high sugar granola, and salad bar or weird veggie burger ish thing for dinner. i would just stock up on oatmeal/granola in the morning and be depressed the rest of the day, and of course i put on weight eating like that.

and now i’m home. i have figured out that my parents don’t cook. they get a lot of take out and snack on pretzels, crackers, cereals. they don’t really understand veganism or god forbid raw food and all they know is buying bulk pineapple at costco for me. it is really hard to stay raw when the only stuff my mom has are brownies, granola, and pretzels. obviously it’s tempting and i can’t stay on this lifestyle when thats all around me.

now i’m moving into my sorority, which features a 24/7 cereal bar and quesadilla maker, a bowl of spotted fruit, and a closed kitchen. meaning i can’t cook or prepare anything really and anything i buy will be kept in the overstuffed communal fridge and will either be raided by drunk hungry girls or simply not fit. the meals i pay for are things like enchiladas or fried potatoes and a sparse romaine salad bar.

so how do i transition into raw food when it means my options will basically be: not so fresh apples/bananas/oranges, romaine salads, and whatever else i buy at whole foods and try to find storage for? i’m so frustrated, it’s so difficult to eat this way when my family insists i eat with them (i get to watch them eat steak) or everyone else digs into their pasta, or the hundreth person asks how i get my protein and says “i could never do that.”

most college students drink beer, eat pizza, and live off cereal and pb and j, and then there’s me, trying to eat primarily fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds.

i’m so frustrated that i can’t just live the life i want to live, and i’m seen as some kind of weirdo (or anorexic) for actually caring about the health of my body. while i’m under scrutiny, nobody says anything about the girls that get most of their calories from alcohol, take drugs that help them concentrate and curb their appetities, or vomit up their meals. and for that as much as i care, i’ve still managed to put on ten pounds since high school ended.

why can’t i just have my own kitchen stocked with fresh organic produce, a room of my own, maybe a car to get to hiking trails??

support, anyone? tips for trying to explain yourself to those who don’t understand? how do you be raw and low key about it, and not get frustrated by those who don’t understand your lifestyle? how do you be raw with minimal cooking utensils?

PS. i understand that exercise is essential but i just hate working out crowded in a gym next to a bunch of skinny girls in short shorts and douchebags in tank tops!! exercise should be fun!

Comments

  • pianissimapianissima Raw Newbie

    talki- loved reading this.

    one thing i notice in a lot of posts here is the dichotomy between “raw” and “junk food.” granted, cooked rice, steamed veggies, etc, are not ideal, but when transitioning from a SAD diet, they sure are better options. my school cafeteria had a macrobiotic bar, where there was always brown rice and some veggies. all i’m saying, is that for the moment, you might want to aim for some raw, but mostly healthy.

    here are some non-fresh things that will keep and are great to have on hand: -dates, -all sorts of nuts and seeds, -unpasteurized apple cider vinegar, -green powder (to put in green smoothies), -all sorts of spices, -unfiltered olive oil, -tons of bananas…

    here are some fresh things that will keep fairly well, depending on how how it gets there: -citrus, tomatoes (never want to refrigerate them anyway!), -make your own sprouts (SO easy and seriously low maintenance, just get some mason jars and some cheese cloth and you’re set for life!), -grow some sturdy herbs like mint and basil

    things to put in your mini fridge: -spirulina/chlorella powder, -sturdy greens like kale and collards (i promise no one will want to steel your kale!)

    another recommendation: buy a magic bullet blender (like $40 at costco and so worth it). you can make a green smoothies, drinks, dressings, pastes, mousses… the list goes on.

    that’s all i have for now… but trust me from experience: when you put what you want “out there” into the world, your life will slowly start to resemble that desire. you have to be patient though. for now, enjoy what you CAN do, and be grateful you know what you want. =)

  • Talki- I graduated recently and, while I didn’t have the sorority/closed kitchen issues, I did get, and still do, get the “girl who eats rabbit food” or “where do you get your protein from” comments. If it’s at all possible, get a mini fridge. Even if you share your room, put it at the end of your bed, under your desk, whatever. But it will save you so much worry. Also, magic bullet blender idea from pianissima is a great idea and it works really well. I don’t have anything in my kitchen other than knives and a blender and some bowls and that just about fixes everything. I sprout thins using a bowl and a colinder, soak them over night and put in a bowl. Rinse them once daily with the colinder and keep in the bowl and in two days, you’ll have sproated lentils, chick peas, etc. to put on salads or make hummus, veggie burger batter, whatever. As for people, my family is fairly accepting but they still think it’s weird. Do as much research as you can on food, health, the mechanisms of the body, and any time they bring it up, you can answer them calmly and with more scientific proof than they can stand. Plus you will be proud how you’re treating your body which makes not caring about rabbit comments so much. It doesn’t really get to me anymore because I like how I eat, so to each his own. Hope that helps but check around, even the smallest towns these days are getting health food stores. If nothing else, make a group on facebook for vegans, veggies, raw people for your campus. You might be surprised at how many other people are finding the same problem. I made a raw group with my roommate in Geneva, Switzerland and our third picnic had over 30 people come! Bon courage!

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