Eat your veggies!
On- and off-campus dining facilities offer healthy eating options
By Kendra Kingsley :
The Battalion
From the Commons to Sbisa Dining Hall, stu
dents all over campus are coming face-to-face
with the great challenge of finding something
healthy to eat.
Cara Crowe, a freshman psychology major,
said she understands first hand the reality of the
weight-gaining epidemic brought on by un
healthy food choices.
“I can’t fit into my jeans anymore,” Crowe
said. “With spring break right around the
corner, I’m skipping the greasy food
and desserts and going for turkey and
fruit instead.”
While the goal of spending
the weeklong vacation in a
RUBEN DELUNA/The Battalion
bikini has many run
ning for the salad bar,
others would still rather in
dulge in their daily dose of
deep-fried dining. Jace Camp
bell, a freshman business major,
said he tends to dismiss the benefits
of nutrition in favor of flavor.
“Health is not a factor,” Camp
bell said. “It’s definitely the least
concern on my list. I’d much
rather enjoy Stonewilly’s and a
piece of pecan pie than a plate of
vegetables.”
Campbell is not alone in his
preference for fattening foods.
Though the dining halls offer
fresh produce and low-fat entrees,
the meals most often consumed
by students are the ones that look
(and taste) the most indulgent.
Cindy Zawieja, a registered di
etitian in Texas A&M’s Food Ser
vices Department, said she attrib
uted students’ palate for fast-food
to the consumer-driven market.
“Nutrition doesn’t sell,” she said. “People eat
with their eyes and are drawn to franchises, so we
tried to create that in Sbisa.”
Zawieja added that, in spite of America’s ob
session with fad diets and stick-figures, the aver
age diner orders what appeals to the tastebuds not
the waistline.
“Students want to eat healthy, but they don’t,”
she said. “At this age, no one’s worried about
blood pressure or heart disease. They just want
their cheese fries and pixza.”
Yet for those who want heart-healthy op
tions, campus cafeterias have added nutritious
twists to an old menu. A new three-week cycle
provides a rainbow of green, red, orange and
white produce every day to ensure students
have access to a variety of vitamins and
minerals. Low- calorie meals now include a
variation of the featured entree rather than a
completely different main course.
“We had health-conscious students come in
and see ‘chicken-fried steak’ listed as the main
entree,” Zawieja said. “They’d want the taste
of steak without the fat, but would have to set
tle for the Lite-Line option, which could be
Eating better is definitely
one of my goals since I
gained weight over the holi-
days, but it's definitely more
of a spring break resolution
than anything else."
— Melanie Edwards
freshman general studies major
anything from fish to vegetarian casserole.
With the new plan, students can order a lighter
variation of the featured dish without sacrific
ing their cravings.”
In addition to the daily low-calorie fare, din
ers can also find a long list of relatively low-fat
dishes like beef ravioli (5 fat grams), teryaki
chicken (4 fat grams) and red fish (2 fat grams).
For those abstaining from dining hall fare,
however, dining requires a little more self-con
trol. Doug Slade, a freshman industrial distrib
ution major, said he likes the off-campus dining
for both nutrient and monetary related reasons.
“Whenever I go out, I end up eating pizza and
fried food, so I try to balance that out — I have
to watch my figure,” he said, jokingly. “I look for
cheap, low-fat food, mostly cereal and potatoes
to bake in the microwave.”
Raenetta Nance, a freshman political science
major, also said she opts to scour the grocery isles
rather than face cafeteria temptation.
“The food here makes it hard to hold back/’
she said. “[My roommate and I] shop pretty
healthy when we buy groceries — mostly lunch-
meat, bagels, tortillas and bottled water, but you
also have to work out. It’s not just about eating/”
Yet for many, exercising and planning healtl^y
meals requires time they cannot spare.
Kathy Porter, a local grocery store deli man
ager, knows the hectic lives of college studenis
leaves little opportunity to plan and concoct nu
trient-packed cuisine. Instead, she said her store
offers pre-made meals for those who want to sit
down and enjoy a hot meal without slaving over
the stove.
“These meals are ideal for students who are
always on the go,” Porter said. “You can just
shove an entree in the microwave and four min
utes later, you’ve got dinner.”
The take-out meals include dishes such as
chicken and pot roast that easily adapt to a tight
budget while creating a meal even Mom would
approve.
Whatever dietary route students choose tp
take, they should be aware of their food’s nutri
tional content. The department of food services
hosts a Website at food.tamu.edu so students cafi
find out how many calories and fat grams are in
their favorite dish.
Grocery stores also seem eager to assist the
health-conscious consumer. Albertson’s offer£
quick, light meal ideas on their Website www.ak
bertsons.com.
In spite of the lifelong wellness advice pro)
moted by such online resources, some students
have just one goal in mind — the much-antici
pated seven days of scantily-clad vacation. !
“Eating better is definitely one of my goal$
since I gained weight over the holidays,” said
Melanie Edwards, a freshman general studies
major, “but it’s definitely more of a spring break
resolution than anything else.”
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