Memorial Day is one of my favorite holidays, not only because America remembers the heroes who have served our country, but because it's a tradition that I spend it with my family. The weekend also kicks summer into high gear, and that calls for refreshing, fruity drinks! My fam gets together to make good food, drink, and have a good time!

I have a confession to make—I'm one of those people who sneaks food into the movie theatre. I know, I know, bad girl! It's not about the money, in fact, I'd happily pony up some of my hard-earned cash if the movie theatre concession stands provided healthier snack options. All that I've seen is buttered popcorn, soda, candy, and hot dogs. Until they get on the healthy eating bandwagon, I'm going to keep on keeping on with my large snack-filled purse.

The expectation for college students is to eat whatever you can, whenever you can, as long as it's cheap. But I didn't. I started meal planning sophomore year. Sundays were spent seeking out deals in the local ads, creating a meal plan and shopping list, grocery shopping, and finally, preparing food for the week. Meal planning may seem like a hassle, but it actually comes with a lot of benefits.

A lot of people feel they have to give up comfort food when they transition to a healthier diet. Wrong! And it's my personal mission to squash this myth. Most comfort foods can be made healthy (or, at least, healthier) and the truth is, some of the classic comfort foods are way healthier than you might expect.

Grain bowls are one of my favorite meals. A perfect balance of carbs, fats, and protein, they're the best way to get a lot of flavor and nutrients in one dish. Plus, they're hearty and filling. There's nothing better on a cool spring day.

So what are we waiting for? Let's build a bowl!

I'm pretty adventurous when it comes to foods. I'm always ready to dive fork-first into a new item I find on the store shelf. But even considering my culinary weird streak, I was pretty skeptical when I first heard about the concept of black bean brownies.

Whew! It's the halfway point of my half marathon training. I’m up to 9 miles and have 5 weeks to go until race day when I’ll finally tackle the full 13.1 miles. "Uff da," as they say in Fargo, ND, which happens to be where my race takes place on May 18th.

If there's one thing I’ve learned about myself during my first 5 weeks of training, it’s that I’m up for the challenge. Want to know my secret weapon? A damn good playlist.