While in college, one of my friends liked to brag that her boyfriend was quite a catch. When he mysteriously checked in to the campus health clinic one day, she seemed distraught, but oddly embarrassed. An STD? I wondered silently.
Finally, she confessed the truth. He’d been admitted–for scurvy.
Scurvy?! I exclaimed. How on earth had he gotten scurvy in this day and age? Wasn’t that what pirates used to suffer from when they were on the high sea for weeks?
Yes, she explained patiently. But you could also develop scurvy due to a lack of vitamin C in your diet. Apparently, her “quite a catch” boyfriend had been subsisting on Ramen noodles and peanut butter sandwiches for the past semester.
I was shocked, but oddly complacent with myself. Obviously, I had enough common sense to pick up an orange and eat it. After all, oranges weren’t that much more expensive than peanut butter sandwiches. Yet….I later realized my diet wasn’t much of an improvement over the boyfriend’s.
After discovering “Rich’s” (Let’s call him “Rich” to protect his identity) malady, I sat down and wrote a list of everything I’d eaten that week. The list turned out to be pretty pathetic. Apparently, I was eating a lot of fast food. Aside from the enormous amount of calories I was taking in each day, double cheeseburgers and fries weren’t exactly bursting with vitamins. Yeah, I was drinking a High-C Orange with my meal, but it wasn’t the same as buying a fresh piece of fruit. After studying the list, I resolved to make a change to my diet. But how could I eat healthy while also staying within my meager budget?
Then it hit me. Subway.
Technically, Subway is fast food. You can walk in and out of the little sandwich shop in under 15 minutes. But unlike the Wendy’s, White Castles, and McDonald’s that clutter the city streets, Subway is actually healthy. They use freshly-made bread in a number of varieties (including garlic, multi-grain, and whole wheat). No processed hamburger buns here! And instead of a thin piece of mystery meat slapped in between the buns, you get real protein–like ham, turkey, or meatballs. You’ve also got a great selection of fresh veggies to choose from. And finally, there’s fruit! Also on the plus side, Subway is affordable. I usually order the $5 footlong and a pack of apples slices for the side. Thus, I can walk out of the store with a filling meal for under 7 dollars.
And, since you’re a student, Subway offers you an awesome discount to make eating fast and healthy even more affordable. Check out their coupons here! And remember, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”…and prevents scurvy.
Written by Megan Soyars, Campus Clipper Blogger
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