I am volunteering in a food lab for a sophomore level class called Food Fundamentals, a class that I have taken already during my undergraduate career.  You can say I didn’t have the same appreciation for the class when I took it then as I do now.  I am relearning the importance of Good Food Economics (GFE) and how it applies to my future career as an RD.  I am (re)learning important tools such as basic food and cooking principles; more importantly, I am learning how feasible cooking on a budget really is.  Being on the “college student budget” can be frustrating at times, but it is important to know how to have a well-balanced diet with  little resources.  With learning how to balance my diet and my budget, I am also seeing the light on being able to use this skill later on when I am educating patients.  I hear it every day: “it’s cheaper to eat _______ than to cook a meal myself.”  With my newfound skills,  I know how properly combat that message and educate people on not only how cooking a meal can be a practical thing, but also showing them ways to work around their budget.  GFE plays a big role in this; knowing how to properly store food, buy food in season, buying LOCAL (in Louisiana buying local is easy and our local, seasonal food is the best in my opinion), food safety, reducing waste, etc.  All of these factors help minimize costs.  For example, teaching someone how to properly store vegetables so that they are not expiring quickly can help reduce waste, which is a very big way to not have to literally throw food away.  Let’s spread the word on GFE, and help people find those feasible ways to have a well-balanced diet and lifestyle.