avoid the tray now; your thighs will thank you later.

This post is targeted mostly to those who frequent the college dining hall. It's short, but sweet, like that after dinner ice cream you've grown so very fond of.

We all know the drill: Swipe in. Smell the stench. Ponder for a minute whether or not the line at the wok bar is worth the wait. Decide that it isn't. Pick up at that blue tray and get in line for some fine cuisine.

That blue tray.

My advice to you is to skip this step- to forget the tray. Why? This hunk of flattened plastic is psychologically messing with you, making you think for some reason you need to fill it up. Although we know that if we were anywhere else, one plate of food would make a sufficient meal.

Kelley McArthur is one who has embraced the single-plate lifestyle. "I'm not gonna

ostracize you if you get a bunch of food," she said, "but the truth is you can always go back up and get more if you really want it."

Now, I more than anyone understand that sometimes the components of a dining hall meal are made up of several dishes coming from many locations. You've got your vegetables from the salad bar, fruit from the fruit bar, maybe some soup, maybe a sandwich. It's nice to be able to pick and choose a dish from each area. I see where the tray can be a helpful tool, and I know that it is important to look at quality of food over the quantity. My advice would still be to grab one plate and most of what you need to be eating can fit on that one dish. If there is any

thing extra you'd like to get you can make a second trip.

Conclusion: that damn blue tray. Refrain.