Hi! I’m Amanda.

I’m a 20 something, food-loving, and super busy college student. I’m lactose intolerant, but love cheese on my sandwiches. I’m a “vegetarian” who still occasionally eats chicken and adores fish!

And I absolutely LOVE to cook but can’t seem to find the TIME while pulling all-nighters for my Bio-Chem classes, workouts, work, and sorority events. I also need to make some time for my friend, family, and favorite TV shows … obviously!

So what do I do? I, like most other college students, buy pre-made, frozen meals or processed snack foods filled with those mysterious ingredients that are frequently ignored. And being the health freak that I am, I’m always looking at food labels, mainly to see what the calories are and if the product contains milk. And when looking through the ingredients, I always come across certain ingredients that I can’t even pronounce and I’ve taken a whole year of Organic Chemistry already! Additionally, I’m kind of a “Trader Joe’s Snob.” I go at least once a week and stock up on all their frozen, pre-made meals, mainly because they are absolutely delicious and because they say “organic and/or no preservatives” on the package. I then go home and literally shove them into my small, already-full, shared apartment freezer.

I’ve always thought of myself as extremely healthy and conscious of what I’m putting in my body… But it’s all a lie! I buy products that say organic, I buy products that say no preservatives, and I buy products that say “natural”… but what does that really mean????

Hint: The word “Natural” is not regulated by the FDA!

So, what’s the point of this blog? Well, I’m currently a fourth year now at the University of California, Davis, pursuing a BS in Environmental Toxicology with a Food Toxicology emphasis. With “Toxic Foodie” I hope to show you what foods really are “better” for you, what’s really in the food we eat, and how to read labels. Don’t let the food industry control you!

In addition, I will keep you updated on what is happening in the food safety world and what I’m currently learning in my Food and Toxicology courses (ETX/FST 128—for all you Davis students interested in my material, TAKE THE CLASS).

All in all, I’m here to expose what these mysterious ingredients really are; what are you really putting in your body???? So, here’s my journey, enjoy!