Everything changed when mass communication freshman Erin McCraw came dancing from her final year in high school into her first year at the University. Alone and a state away from home in Birmingham, Alabama, McCraw didn’t let the stress of her new surroundings unsettle her. Instead, she focused on something she could control: her diet.
McCraw’s hobby is health. She said she grew up dancing and loves to hike, practice yoga and travel. She was inspired by health and wellness social media to start Erin Eats, an Instagram account where she posts pictures and how-tos for the food she prepares right in her dorm room.
“Food is kind of a creative outlet for me,” McCraw said. “I can create recipes and try out new things. It was interesting to see a recipe for so-and-so online and I’m like ‘oh that looks good’ and then I get to try it out for myself, then share it with my family and loved ones.”
Since McCraw originates from Alabama, there is an assumption that she’d be more inclined to unhealthy eating. There’s a conception that eating unhealthy is a part of Southern culture, but McCraw said that it’s not quite accurate.
“Growing up, we didn’t necessarily eat unhealthy, but health was not a priority in our home,” McCraw said. “I think it was one of those things that, especially as I’ve come to college I’ve taken my health, it’s my own now. I make the decisions now [about] what I’m putting into my body.”
McCraw, like many first-year students, lives in a dorm. She said the easiest way to resist giving in to unhealthy habits in college is to not even allow them to take root.
“Just because you live in a dorm doesn’t mean you can’t eat healthy,” McCraw said. “If you keep those unhealthy things in your dorm you’re definitely going to reach for them — the chips and the cookies, late at night when you’re studying, you’re gonna reach for those.”
While the dining halls don’t always offer the healthiest of choices, McCraw said she still pays them visits. She said she incorporates things offered at the dining halls into dishes she prepares in her room.
“I only have a microwave and a fridge, so I make a lot of things that don’t have to be cooked,” McCraw said. “I have a Keurig, too, so I can get hot water and make oatmeal, and I’ll get wraps and meat and stuff. I try to be inventive about it, and use the things that I have available to me.”
McCraw said running the Erin Eats account and focusing on eating healthy has given her something to focus on during her first year at the University, which has been tough to navigate.
“It makes me feel like the best version of myself,” McCraw said. “Not to say that I eat healthy 100 percent of the time; I do eat pizza and cheeseburgers or whatever, but I think that life is all about balance in every aspect of your life.”