I Am Not Stopping Here

                Happy March and welcome back to Amy On the Go. I hope you’ve all enjoyed reading my blog so far and have had positive takeaways from my previous posts. Starting my blog during the winter season was quite difficult. But ultimately it was necessary to begin implementing change to my eating habits now, to make it easier to apply to the spring season of this year and beyond. My whole goal with my blog was not only to create beneficial improvements towards my college diet, but also educate others on the importance of healthy eating for a longer and happier lifestyle. As you may recall my blog began with one of my mother’s key teachings about the importance of having breakfast every morning. Then proceeded onto replacing my daily coffee drink with green tea, to including the necessary fruit and vegetable servings in my everyday meals. My first three included important food practices I wanted to grow accustom to, but my last post was more on the ways in which I can execute my plans to becoming habits of mine. I used an article inspired by health coach Chelsea Hunter that spoke about the importance of self-discipline and educating ourselves on the best options for our bodies. Overall I learned that it is ultimately up to me to decide what I will put in my body, the food I will keep in my dorm, and most importantly how I’ll satisfy my cravings healthily.

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            Now that I’ve learned fundamental tips regarding making the best food decisions within my college campus I felt the need to also apply them to the outside world as well. Yes many people attend college for four years, six years or more, but there are always the options of eating out. After practicing breakfast options and disciplining myself to treat my body the best that I can, I wanted to test my knowledge in a different setting. Seeing how difficult making the good decisions was even in a limited setting, I would make it my goal to prove that it was possible with a larger range of options as well. So now the question becomes; where do you go if you get tired of eating in your school or work cafeteria?

            First, I had to do research. Figuring out what restaurant options were around campus and preferably within walking distance would be my first step. I live in Dunne residence hall on the corner of Market and Lafayette Street. My best options include walking left on Market Street toward The Alameda making my way down the street. After I figured out the general location of the restaurant options I sought, figuring out meal options and cravings was the next step. The options down The Alameda include Wicked Chicken, Taco Bell, Subway, Round Table Pizza, Chalateco’s Latin Food, Wrap This Mediterranean Food, Ike’s Sandwiches, and Ramen Taka. But the problem with these choices, well at least for me were none of them meeting my meal options, nor satisfying my cravings. In searching for options that better suited my cravings my friend and I decided on Bill’s Café on the corner of The Alameda and Newhall Street.

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            On Saturday February 28^th, my friend Alex and I longed for a tasty brunch option that would be within walking distance of our residence hall. Being from the area she highly recommended Bill’s Café just about three blocks away from the previous restaurants just initially down The Alameda. Enjoying the sunny 75-degree weather we happily walked to Bill’s. Bill’s Café is a family friendly restaurant, known for daytime dining that includes an extensive breakfast as well as lunch menu. They are known for serving breakfast all day for those customers wishing to sleep in a little during the weekend. Their hours of service are from 7:00a.m. to 3:00p.m. This is not only a great option for college students on a budget, but for anyone looking to spend no more than five dollars to about thirteen dollars on a full meal. In addition, as mentioned on their website, their menu includes a variety of options ranging from Greek Lemon soup to Chilaquiles and the Chorizo Scramble.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g33020-d1057188-Reviews-Bill_s_Cafe_on_the_Alameda-San_Jose_California.html

            An option like Bill’s Café is exactly what I was looking for that morning. We waited no more than twenty-five minutes to get seated and were immediately attended once we got to our table. I ordered a fresh orange juice with the Jalisco Scramble. The dish included eggs scrambled with tomatoes, onions, cilantro, pork carnitas, black beans, and freshly made salsa. I can barely find the right words to describe how delicious this plate really was. Not only did it completely satisfy my cravings for a breakfast with protein and vegetable options, but the walk to the actual restaurant were all beneficial to getting me started on my morning. Seeing as breakfast is truly the most important meal of the day, I would highly recommend going to Bill’s on occasion and try eating out of your normal setting to explore new food options. I cannot wait to go back another weekend to try one of their famous omelettes or maybe even their Belgian waffle options. I can feel my mouth salivating just thinking about a strawberries and cream waffle.

http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bills-caf%C3%A9-san-jose-9?menu-item=jalisco-scramble&select=jiYqQsh4VZ-n6oO-nuqVTg#jiYqQsh4VZ-n6oO-nuqVTg

http://www.medclient.com/2012/01/15/fda-to-test-imported-orange-juice-for-fungicide/

            The next day I definitely slept in more than I should have and decided to explore some lunch options. Coming to Santa Clara University I would say one of the number one spots to look into is Ike’s Sandwiches just about a block or so away from campus. I could not wait to try a brand new sandwich. Ike’s is a restaurant that was found in 2007 by a man named Ike Shehadeh. His goal was to make every customer feel special and unique knowing their bread was baked fresh to order with ingredients delicately placed to perfection. Santa Clara’s Ike’s includes over seventy options of sandwiches varying from about nine to fifteen dollars depending on how many extra ingredients you include. Although it is a bit pricey for a sandwich I would say it’s completely worth it. The cooks take their time making every single sandwich and you could even see them make your sandwich behind the counter.

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            Every time I go to Ike’s I feel this sense of contentment with the way my sandwich will be made and how happy I know I will be after I eat it. I am sure everything on the menu is incredibly delicious, but I would have to say that my ultimate favorite is Mrs. Robinson. The sandwich includes buffalo wing sauce, fried chicken, provolone cheese, ranch, lettuce, tomatoes, and any additional ingredient that one wishes to include. Even though I should be getting healthier options, last weekend this was the option that would much rather satisfy my craving than any other sandwich. Like health coach Chelsea Hunter mentioned in her way to eat healthy in college, “eat high quality junk food.” Therefore when considering cravings one must also consider quantity and portion sizes as well. Ike’s is known to have fresh ingredients and a preparation process that is seen before our eyes. Even though getting your order may take a few minutes longer than a Subway or Quiznos Subs, knowing how your food is being made and with what ingredients makes eating your meal a more fulfilling and carefree process.

http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/ikes-love-and-sandwiches-santa-clara-2#jym4L7lYhDbW68B0yhx_GQ

            All in all I could only say that my breakfast at Bill’s Café and lunch at Ike’s last weekend was delicious. I not only enjoyed my meals but felt completely satisfied with what I ate. Exploring my surroundings and eating outside of campus was a nice change. Getting out of my usual routine forced me to work harder to prove to myself my capability of making the best options for my diet on my own. Slowly but surely I can definitely see myself improving in the way I eat, and the quality of the food I am choosing to eat. Using my new knowledge from our class as well as my blog research I know how hard it is to pay attention to every single thing we are eating. But that is what makes every single meal worth it; knowing that what you are eating won’t affect your overall health or make you feel sick because you put in that extra effort to find the best options for yourself. I propose to all my readers to continue on this journey to improvement in our diets and caring more for our bodies to the best of our abilities. It is our responsibility to respect every aspect of ourselves and make sure we are all doing our best to life happy and healthy lives. Will you join me on my mission to continue my efforts in living a well-balanced life?

Please comment about your experiences if any at either Bill’s Café or Ike’s. What did you eat? What are your favorite places to dine out around campus?

Works Cited

"Our Story." Ike's Place. Castro Merchants, n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2015. <http://ilikeikes

place.com/story>.

"Welcome." Bill's Cafe. Bill's Cafe, n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2015. <http://billscafe.com/about-

            bills-cafe/>.