On the eighth day of Christmas, The CollegeBound Network gave to me…

8 PIZZA SLICES

I know what you’re thinking—how can she be talking about junk food after talking just two days ago about avoiding the Freshman 15? I’m not going back on my word; it’s just that in the whole realm of junk food, I really feel that pizza isn’t the worst thing you can eat.

If you think about it, pizza in its most basic form is just cheese, sauce, and bread. And if you live in New York like I do, the quality of those ingredients come second only to those found in Italy itself. So yeah, I’m a little defensive when it comes to what I feel is my right to a couple of slices every so often.

Every so often. Moderation is the key to enjoying calorie-rich foods, as it is to many things. Unfortunately, if I gave into my pizza cravings as much as I wished back in college, I would probably have dropped out to begin competing in the sumo wrestling circuit.

Considering all the other bad habits that college students are known for getting themselves into, I’ll be the first to say that even a twice-weekly pizza delivery order to the dorm is not the worst of them. The way I see it is this: the cheese is protein, the crust is carbs, and the sauce? Well, it’s made from tomatoes, so technically, it is a vegetable. So there you go. Unless you are lactose intolerant or have gluten restrictions in your diet, pizza can be the perfect go-to food for college students. Mangia!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

–Barbara Bellesi