Lauren Bell

Please put down the packet of salty, faux-oriental noodles. Now. For your health!

Ok, college students, it is no secret that we must budget our money. Food is not a category exempt from our college budget cuts.

I beg you to reconsider your health before throwing a package of top ramen in the microwave and devouring your long-awaited, two minute meal.

A student’s health and nutrition should be of upmost concern. This vital aspect of our lives is placed to the back burner, or the microwave. Ramen, of course, provides convenience, saves time, and does not taste bad. But don’t let the wavy little noodles fool you.

Ramen is a highly processed food product. Through the addition of preservatives and creation of the no-good noodles, very little nutritional value remains when it enters your mouth. You may be better off snacking on a cardboard box— or at least obtain more nutritional value from it.

The human body simply cannot function at its highest potential when it is deprived of nutrition, and when all you consume is fast food, and microwave-friendly meals, you are depriving yourself nutritionally. Our minds should be their sharpest and function at full capacity, but this cannot happen when we feed our bodies little to any nutrition.

I serve as a personal testament to the benefits of eating better. I am not a nutritionist or health nut. But I will tell you of my personal experience. By eliminating many highly processed and poor quality foods from my diet I have experienced a dramatic change in many aspects of my life.

I have lost a few pounds! Truly, when you consume preservatives in food, they act no differently within your body. Your body preserves and stores these preserving ingredients in your system. Also, sodium, which is in high contents in many processed foods, holds on to water in the body, creating more water weight. One package of Ramen Noodles contains 36 percent of a person’s daily sodium intake. This is a ton of salt for one measly little meal.

So while you are investing in our education, why not make an investment in your health and start eating more nutritionally? That little investment begins with stoppin’ the ramen! Eating better will only improve other aspects of your life. Eating better may be a little more costly, but there is nothing more important than your well being.

Highly processed foods are everywhere and can be difficult to avoid and what you find may startle you. Google “processed foods” and see for yourself.

Maintain a more nutritional and balanced diet for your own well-being.