One of the hardest aspects of studying abroad is the stress that often comes with being in a foreign place. As someone who struggles with anxiety, I took great care upon arriving in the U.K. this year to do what I could to manage these often burdensome feelings. Much of this comes in keeping a strict routine, which adds a sense of comfort and control to such a foreign experience. One of the major areas I’ve been able to create a fulfilling routine has been in the realm of food. I am very strict with myself about not only keeping regular meal times, but choosing foods that are new, delicious and comforting. Here is a snapshot of what I might eat in a day.

7 a.m. breakfast: I drink instant coffee here, as it is the most widely available. Because the British use electric kettles quite universally (as it is most convenient for making tea), drip coffee makers are not available. Thus, instant coffee it is. I keep my breakfasts simple by eating porridge and buttered toast like a true Englishman. However, if I wanted to make it even more authentic, I would need to add a bit of baked beans, a fried egg, and a sausage link to the meal. These are the essential ingredients to a true British breakfast.

11 a.m. lunch: I take lunch a bit early as my classes are all in the morning. Because my dormitory is about thirty minutes from campus on foot, I walk A TON, and by this point in the morning, after walking to and around campus, I’m famished. When I need to save money or just want to make myself a quick lunch, I might have a ham sandwich, which isn’t at all different in flavor to the ones back home (except the cheese — the cheese here is more French-influenced, and as such, far more intense in flavor than Americans are used to. I love it). I could also get McDonald’s, which is the same, or KFC, which is quite different than the KFC in the States. However, my favorite lunch spot is Gregg’s– a chain “bakeshop” that specializes in meat pastries, a love that I have developed since coming here. A lunch of meat pastries may consist of the ever-famous sausage roll, a six-or-seven inch minced sausage link wrapped in a flaky, warm, unsweetened pastry. Or, if I’m not in the mood for pork, I can get a “chicken bake,” which is chicken chunks in a cream sauce, stuffed in a pastry pocket. These meat bakes are also easy to purchase at most grocery stores and taste wonderful baked in the oven. They are quite good, and I will miss them when I get back to the States. At some point in the afternoon, I will take my tea. Usually I drink English breakfast tea with milk, sometimes a dash of sugar, paired with a “biscuit” or a cake (remember — tea first, milk only after it’s brewed!). My favorite cake so far is sticky toffee pudding, a lovely spiced cake smothered in hot toffee and often served with a scoop of ice cream. I am also partial to the chocolate candy bars here, which are extremely flavorful. In fact, I’ve come to learn that Herhsey’s candy is utterly hated by the British. They feel Hershey’s chocolate tastes like disgusting cardboard. After having a British candy bar or two, with its milky richness, I understand where they come from. I attribute this to a long European history of chocolatiering, which Americans simply can’t top.

5:30 p.m dinner: For dinner, I usually like to step outside of traditional British cuisine and keep it a bit more international. In America, the favorite international cuisine is Mexican, no doubt because of our proximity to Mexico and our vibrant Hispanic community. The British equivalent is Indian food, likely because of the legacy of the British Raj. As a result, in the same way that you can find a Mexican restaurant on any street corner in America, or a Mexican inspired dish on any menu (Tex-Mex comes to mind), here in the U.K. you can find a nice curry on any menu or an Indian restaurant anywhere. Perhaps my new favorite food is what some consider to be one of Britain’s national dishes: chicken tikka marsala, a delightful curry created in Britain but using Indian ingredients. Combined with basmati rice, garlic naan, and a cold pint of beer (the beer here is incredible), it satisfies any hunger. If I’m not keen on Indian, an endless variety of Middle Eastern, Chinese or Thai food — comparable in flavor to their counterparts in the U.S. — can be found easily, both at restaurants, for take-away, and at grocery stores. Of course, other European cuisines like Italian and French can also be located. They even have a great deal of American restaurants here, which serve staples like burgers, fried chicken and hot dogs.

Britain has a bad rap in the food department. There is a stereotype that in general, British food is tasteless and boring — a stereotype I believed before coming here. But since arriving, I’ve come to believe that the food here, on average, is of higher quality and of better flavor than that available for the same prices at home. The British take a care with food that we don’t in America. Quality of ingredients, cooking technique, and presentation are all focused on in British restaurants to a degree only the most metropolitan eateries in America can match. There is so much less sugar and salt in the food served here that I feel I can taste the nuances of ingredients not detectable in the food I grew up on. Though one might be tempted to assume — especially we Midwestern and Southern folk — that less salt, fat, butter, and sugar detracts from flavor, I am finding just the opposite. For example, the ice cream here is sweetened less, but tastes better overall because the cream is more pronounced and seems much fresher. Take some time when studying abroad to create a meal routine that brings you comfort, challenges your palate and keeps you healthy. Not only will it make the experience more culturally enriched, but it can do a great deal for mental health as well.