Everyone has heard it, “you are what you eat.” The meaning of this phrase finally manifested to me about a year and a half ago.

I’m a vegetarian. Most people think vegetarians are healthy and eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. This is not the case.

For seven years as a vegetarian, I ate mostly meat substitutes, frozen food and carbs like bread and pasta.

My diet was almost completely void of any fresh food.

One day, I decided that I wanted to be healthier. I ended up adding fresh avocados, spinach, kale, bananas, apples and berries to my daily diet.

While much of nutrition can be confusing, even with a label, it is quite easy. People should aim to get the most nutritious and healthy food with fewer calories.

This does not mean that to eat healthy, pizza or steak have to be sacrificed for dinner. Maybe for lunch, make a smoothie or salad. Or for a snack, eat hummus and carrots.

Eating fresh food that has nutritional content can change the way people feel and how they even look.

After I started making fruit and vegetable smoothies, my pimples went away and my hair got thicker.

Just adding one snack of berries, for example, every day, people may be protecting themselves against heart disease and cancer.

Not only does eating healthy affect you now, but it can also increase your life expectancy.

Making a switch to choosing fresh foods may seem more tedious, but it is worth it.

Occasionally, I will get a craving for greasy, salty fries, and I cannot ignore the call.

Processed and fast food will never completely leave my life.

Choosing fast food is an easy decision. Dinner does not have to be cooked; it can be picked up at a window and only costs $5.79 with fries.

It is hard to pick up an apple when fries are calling your name.

People need to suck it up and eat the apple. A bag of apples is about $3, and one is more filling than a bag of chips.

Your body, your health and your life are worth putting forth the extra effort to prepare food and money.

Simplicity is the key. Preparing your own food is a good way to control what you eat.

Eating should not just be about becoming full. Your body is not a trashcan; do not put garbage into it.

Amanda Wilkinson is a journalism and family and consumer sciences major . She can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].