Would you like fries with that?

     I never thought that my family's eating habits were bad when I was younger. Looking back now, they weren't as bad as some other peoples' but I can acknowledge now that they weren't great. Growing up in a traditional Mexican family there was never a lack of tasty home made food. My mom is an amazing cook to say the least. Usually the weekend was when we would eat out. During soccer season my parents would take me and my siblings to jack in the box after almost every game because it was right by Fremont Jr. High were the AYSO games were held. It served as either a celebration for a win or a pick me up after a loss. Then, every Sunday we would go out to lunch or order pizza so my mom would have a brake from cooking. Either way I didn't put much thought into what I would eat back then.

     Since then a lot has changed in my family. My mom hardly ever cooks anymore because my siblings and I are all grown up and all have different schedules. So our eating habits have gotten worse. I know that fast food is really bad for you, but it is so convenient. I go to school full time and work part time, so I am pretty busy usually. I like to sleep in as much as I can, so if I were to make my own lunch I'd have to wake up earlier and I don't want to do that. Also, because I was used to my mom cooking I never learned to look in the pantry and be able to make something out of what is there, there always seems to be something missing. I think another reason I and a lot of other people eat fast food a lot is because everyone always seems to be in a rush and they don't have time to make a meal let alone worry about it being healthy or not.

     My eating habits are something I would definitely like to change. I want to change not only because I want to be healthier but because my wallet needs to be fuller. Eating out is really expensive when you add it all up! I know that is will be hard because I am going to have to take time out to prepare food at home, and mostly because eating out has become such a social thing. If you want to hang out with friends there really isn't much to do in Oxnard so we often go out to eat together. When I have kids I don't want them to eat fast food anywhere close to as much as the average person does. I want to be able to cook for them and raise them to know what is good for you, what isn't, and why.