With the end of the semester approaching, going home is right around the corner. With home comes a whole new way of eating, thanks to the pressure to feel and look good when sprawled out on a towel in the middle of Jones Beach. It’s time to change your diet, detoxify your body and start fresh.

The first step to detoxification is to eliminate almost all fast food from your diet. Now that you’re home for the summer ‘ and for most it will be a time of relaxation ‘ take the time to adjust your body and sleep pattern to a ‘normal’ cycle that is compliant with that of the rest of the adult world.

Since you have no excuse to be pulling all-nighters for an exam or a paper that’s due the next morning, there is no more need for those late-night craving calls to D.P. Dough or Domino’s Pizza.

The other reason for last-minute runs to McDonald’s or to the Nite Owl is when you don’t eat during open dining hall hours, so you have no choice other than to be subjected to greasy pizza, fattening french fries and high-calorie bacon cheeseburgers. For most of us, when we’re home, the kitchen never closes. There’s always a stocked refrigerator, pantry and fully equipped kitchen at our disposal.

Samantha Greenberg, a junior double-majoring in accounting and finance, is not too fond of the food served on campus and knows that anything she eats off campus isn’t necessarily good for her.

‘I like going home where I have more choices available to me and the food is always fresh. Since me and my mom cook together a lot, I know what’s going into my food and exactly what I am ingesting,’ Greenberg said.

A well-deserved break from dining hall food is the perfect opportunity to start eating fresh.

Whether you buy into the rumors that the food is laced with laxatives, or are fed up with eating food that was served three days in a row, then take advantage of any local fresh produce you can get your hands on while at home.

The spring and upcoming summer months are the perfect time to reap all of the benefits that the warm weather has to offer. Fruits and veggies are best to have, and when they are in season, the nutritional values are far greater. To gain that cleansing feeling without sacrificing flavor, try eating fresh strawberries, asparagus, peas, apricots and mushrooms.

All of these fruits and veggies are at their peak when they are grown in the spring and summer months, which means this is the time when they have the most flavor and nutritional value to offer.

Willy Nguyen, an undeclared freshman, changes his diet for the summer because he has more control over what he eats.

‘My diet will probably consist of protein-rich foods and complex carbs along with fresh fruits and veggies,’ Nguyen said.

Don’t know which way to prepare them? There are tons of cookbooks out there that can supply you with a plethora of recipes for making a meal with these vibrant ingredients. If you hate to cook, don’t fret, because most fresh and flavorful produce can be eaten right off the stand.