Eating Alone vs. Together

Before going off the college, my family always ate together. We may not have always sat at the same dinner table, but we would always be in the same area; whether it may be on the couch in front of the television, or at the kitchen counter. As I grew older, I began to eat alone, not by choice by rather by convenience. With college brought a lot of responsibilities. I was always on the go with class, Nursing school homework, the gym, and family events. I began to eat when I could find the time and usually this meant I was eating alone. This was also around the time when I became extremely involved with food, nutrition, and fitness. I would plan my gym trips around when I would be eating next in order to optimize nutrition. Eating alone became my “me-time.” I was living in a dorm room with two other girls, living in a building with 100 different kids, and going to college with thousands of strangers. I realized that I had the most alone time when I was at the dining hall. When I transferred schools and moved into an apartment with three other girls, I had to adapt my eating habits. I learned cost-efficient ways to grocery shop and developed an extended knowledge of healthy dinner recipes for one. Breakfast and lunch were usually something I could take with me on-the-go. Although I was living in a different situation, I still would have my “me-time” dinners. My roommates had busy lives as well, so it was not an issue to find time to eat alone.

While I do enjoy eating alone, eating with others could be just as enjoyable. Eating with my family has always been something I find joy in doing, as this was a time to connect with each other and catch up on what was going on in our lives. Occasionally, my friends and I would go out to eat and make it a social event. Because we lived together, there was less “catching up” and more normal conversations. We would laugh, gossip, and eat. It was clear the meal times would last much longer when eating with others. I noticed that I would eat slower, and sometimes not even finish my meal due to all the talking. It allowed me to eat slower and enjoy the food rather than just eating until I feel full.  Looking back, many of my most vivid memories with friends are times that involved food and eating.