Most horrendous diet…

Toast’em Pop-Ups

Ate hundreds

Budgeting for food like a poor college student.

One of the ways to keep expenses low when walking across the country is to buy cheap foods from dollar stores. At least that’s what I did. During college I ate countless packets of those inexpensive ramen noodles. You know, the ones that cost about ten cents per pack. Well, years ago they cost about that much. Along with those I ate many of those fake Pop Tarts from the dollar stores. Besides those two things I ate a lot of peanut butter sandwiches.

Toast’em Pop-Ups

I basically ate like a poor college student during my time on the road. While those sugary toaster pastries, fried fatty noodles, and heavily processed bread weren’t the best things to eat, there were benefits to eating those things. I would burn approximately 3000 calories a day so I definitely needed the carbohydrates for energy, especially on days where I’d walk 30 to 40 miles after only having had 3 to 4 hours of sleep.

Sometimes I’d eat well

There were times when I would treat myself, or a passerby would treat me. Sometimes my Couchsurfing host would treat me to a nice meal at a local establishment. One of my favorite places to eat at was Waffle House. I couldn’t get enough of their $1 value egg sandwiches. I remember one of the best burritos I have ever had—don’t tell my mom—was at a clothing optional hot spring near Pueblo, CO. It was unreal! Eating Mexican food with other naked people is an experience. There were also many delicious home cooked meals I had when someone would invite to stay at their home. I recall staying with a Mennonite family in Utah who owned a restuarant called Miller’s Deutsch Haus and they made the most delicious peanut butter pie. I have yet to find anything that tasted as good.