– An Easy Spread –

The Burping Blunder

You’re rushing to class and you haven’t had time to eat. What do you grab? Odds are, you go for the most convenient thing: fast food, the vending machine snacks, or whatever you can grab before leaving the house. Class starts and you sit down with your chosen snack. While opening it up and beginning your grub-fest, you realize that everyone in the class has turned to stare. They shoot you an evil glare that says, Either be quiet or give me your food. You suddenly become aware of the loud, crunching noises coming from your own mouth.

After scarfing down the rest of your food, you don’t feel so great. The grease, sugar, or high salt content is not sitting so well. Then, out of nowhere, uaaaggh. You let out a massive burp. Even the teacher gives you a fierce look. The shame is unbearable. To make matters worse, an hour later, you find that you’re hungry again. Who knew snacking could be so complicated?

If you’ve ever found yourself experiencing classroom eating mishaps like the ones listed above, then this is the column for you. This column will look at how to avoid classroom snacking blunders. Today’s topic: burping.

Burping is a normal body function that happens from eating and drinking. During these processes, you swallow air. The air has to eventually make its way back out. So you might be wondering, if burping is a normal symptom of eating, then how can I snack and avoid it? One way is to eat slowly, chewing rather than engulfing your food. Even when you feel the pressure from other students to finish your meal quickly, remember that eating slowly could save you from future embarrassment.

Another way to evade burping is by passing on the carbonated beverages. The pressurized air from a soda will inevitably make its way back up your mouth. Instead, opt for juice, which will provide more vitamins and less belch-factor. But you should also be wary of drinking your juice from a straw. Using straws causes more air to mix in with your beverage, and thus more belchiness. So, to avoid classroom belching, remember to skip the sodas and straws and eat slowly. These three tips will help to avoid an uncomfortable classroom snacking experience.

For additional information, check out MotherNature.com

Next month in Classroom Eats: Powerbars!

About Classroom Eats: This column will discuss ways to avoid classroom eating mishaps, so you don’t have to sacrifice food for thought.

Alyssa is an MFA student at GMU in Virginia. She is a fan of bar cuisine and live music.