By Matt Brown

       对于如何解决大学生活中一日三餐的问题，相信大家都有不少心得体会。从大一对食堂的期待和新鲜感，到大二大三每天为有创意地喂饱肚子而烦恼，恐怕每个人都有一箩筐的故事。一起来听听作者是怎么说的吧！

    As each school break nears, one of the juicier topics of conversation in which my friends and I indulge is to praise homecooking and to wish good riddance to conveyer belt meals.  Our appreciation for home cooking and our thankfulness for our benefactors at home increases with recurring weeks of flavorless meat and undercooked vegetables. 

    Admittedly, there was a honeymoon period for cafeteria food. There was awe at the unlimited supply of food, especially cereal and soda. There was luxury in the allowance given to pile wicked amounts of dishes and unfinished food into the dish pile, with no familial  influence to curb our wastefulness. It was delightful sitting with friends for three meals a day and to anticipate what the next meal’s main dish and dessert options would entail. The so-called Freshman 15 -- the number of pounds supposedly gained by first-year college students -- was a fashion followed by many.

    Sophomore and junior years introduced a keen understanding of why weight gain trends are not associated with upper classes: disillusionment and a panging dissatisfaction in my stomach after each meal precluded further weight gain.

    I simply could not bring myself to stuff that main dish down anymore. Through hard lessons, I developed a Pavlovian aversion to the main dish. Usually I did not even bother to look at the menu. I had become well acquainted with the salad bar, the sandwich aisle, fruits and yogurts, occasionally soups and, as a last line of defense against hunger, mediocre pizza. 

    The brilliant invention that is cereal remained a steadfast companion when the aforementioned offerings disappointed. Truckloads of cereal were needed, if necessary, especially the actually-nutritious raisin bran. One pull of a lever and endless supplies of milk and cereal issued forth -- a fountain of reliable goodness. Still, one can go only so many meals without a sturdy main dish to appease the appetite. 

    As an incoming junior this fall, I moved into a townhouse. The kitchen became a popular establishment, wonderfully capable of procuring any delicious food, give a bit of time and research. 

    Quality food has never meant so much to me. The dishes and prep time of cooking and eating at home are no opponent to the desire of my stomach to be properly satisfied by a solid meal built from quality ingredients and a great recipe. Hurray for  good meals.