Resolutions to eat healthier are made at the start of every year, but keeping this resolution can be tough for college students, especially with an unlimited supply of pizza and cookies.
Students have three eating establishments available to them – the Alumni Dining Commons, Brisco’s Café and Wanda’s Café. Which has the healthiest food?
The ADC is the best place to start for healthy campus food options, but beware the many caloric options. It offers a salad bar of fresh fruit and vegetables. Another area to stop to peruse is the station that offers grilled meats, which can change day-to-day. The ADC’s nutrient list is still being complied; however, they do offer the menu online.
Brisco’s is the a refuge for great, delicious food to aid healthy eating progress. This smaller establishment offers healthy snacks like vegetables and hummus, yogurt, fruit and prepackaged salads. The sandwich station also offers wheat bread, oil and vinegar or hummus in the place of mayonnaise and a variety of vegetables, including olives, spinach and bell peppers.
The nutritional information can be found on the back of most prepackaged containers. Nutritional information is still in the process of being complied for the rest of Brisco’s food options.
Wanda’s, a commuter favorite, is the only on-campus restaurant that has an online nutrient list. Depending on what personal guidelines students have for healthy meals, there is little that can be consumed for healthy eating. Most prepared dishes start at 500 calories, with almost 50% of those calories from fat. While the daily recommended amount of calories varies for each student, that can take up many of one’s allotted calories.
Despite the truth behind nutrient information, students still feel that it comes down to choice.
“There are some great choices,” Marcus Eide, senior, said. “I love Brisco’s sandwiches. Turkey with ham and swiss cheese, garlic mayo and all the veggies is my favorite! Try it, it’s great!”
In a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention article regarding the maintenance of a healthy weight, “a healthy eating plan emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products; includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts; is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt and added sugars; and stays within your daily calorie needs.”
An option for healthy campus food would be to bring a meal or prepare food at home. This way, the meal can be as healthy as necessary for a predetermined caloric intake.
Whatever student nutritional needs are, eating healthy on campus includes planning ahead and making informed decisions about what is truly healthy.
