Sick of eating cereal and ramen for lunch and dinner? Want to spend less money eating out and finally start cooking for yourself? Put down that frozen pizza because HC's Health Editor, Sammie Levin, is here to share her daily eats so you can get ideas for healthy, satisfying meals that are easy enough for any time-strapped collegiette to make. After you read Collegiette Eats, your taste buds, wallet and waistline will thank you.
I traveled through Argentina for spring break, so I thought I'd share my eats along the way. I started my trip in Buenos Aires, where my friend is studying abroad, and I thoroughly enjoyed the delicious food and wine and the favorable exchange rate. Here are the highlights from day one.
Brunch
I was wiped out from traveling, so we got a late start to the day. Apparently Argentina isn't big on traditional breakfasts, but as Western influence is increasingly spreading, more breakfast and brunch spots are starting to pop up. We went to a cafe right down the street from my friend's homestay house. The place was adorable, like a dollhouse you'd want to have a tea party in. The chairs were lined with floral fabric and it was decorated in such a cute way. We ate outside to enjoy the warm weather (!) and people watch.
We ordered "the Natural," which came with yogurt parfaits, toast with jam, fresh-squeezed orange juice and coffee or tea. I got a cappuccino and it was the best coffee I've had in a while. It came in a huge mug too, which was exactly what I needed. The jams - berry and orange marmalade - were also so good on the thick toast. It came with some cream cheese-like spread that kind of tasted like ricotta cheese and made it even better. I remember in elementary school, I used to eat cream cheese and jelly sandwiches, so this reminded me of a grown-up version of that. But I think my favorite part of the meal was the orange juice because it was so fresh and pulpy. I was sad when I finished it, it was that good.
Dinner
We went out to a nice dinner to celebrate the first night at a restaurant called Astor. If you ever find yourself in Buenos Aires, I highly recommend going to this place; it had a great atmosphere and even better food. To start, we split a bowl of gazpacho. It was made with white tomatoes, which I had never seen before, and it was creamier than most gazpachos I've had. It had a really good, unique flavor. Meat is big in Argentina, but I decided to get fish because it sounded good on the menu and I figured I'd be eating enough steak and other meat throughout the rest of the week that I might as well start light. It was a grilled white fish that came with pesto and sautéed vegetables. It was top-notch, flaky fish grilled to perfection. My friend got veal with polenta and vegetables, which was also incredible. The meat was beyond tender; it tasted like heaven. We also got a bottle of wine, which of course made everything taste even better. And we got all of this - at a really nice restaurant - for less than 20 dollars per person. Unreal!
My eats on the first day weren't traditional Argentine fare, but don't worry - there are plenty of empanadas to come, so stay tuned!