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For most college students, nutrition is a concern, but choosing healthy options can be a challenge when dining in on-campus eateries.
“I do think that it is important to eat healthy, but it mostly is what I choose to eat more than what is offered that can be a problem,” freshman graphic arts major Hillary C. Davis said.
Thanks to the recent cooperation between Appalachian State University Food Services and the student wellness center, efforts are being made so that eating healthy is easier for students.
“Since we have started working with student health and wellness we have a couple of new things,” Food Services Director, Art F. Kessler said. “We are now introducing the apple icon, which denotes some healthier options on campus.”
Currently, the apple icon is only available for the wrApps center in Rivers Street Café, but is soon expanding to Noodle Works.
The foods labeled with the apple icon are overall healthier because they offer the most nutritional value without excess calories.
Some of the items noted with the icon on the wrApps menu include the Garden Gate, Fajita Chicken, and Mountaineer wrap.
“As of right now I don’t believe that it is that hard to eat healthy on campus,” senior geography major, Cassandra D. Allen said. “But it would make me think more about what I was eating if I knew the nutritional information.”
The plan, according the Kessler, is to eventually have a way that students can view the nutritional information for every item on the menu. However, it could be until next fall before it happens.
For some students it is not so much what they eat, but how fast they can get it.
“During lunch I usually just go into the shortest line and grab food,” Allen said.
Food services are also taking the crowded cafeteria into consideration.
“If students are looking to eat healthy and take food to go, there are things like yogurt, hummus and pita or spinach dip,” Kessler said.
The student wellness center also offers multiple nutrition tips either on their website or in pamphlets to help students. Some of these include always choosing grilled options over fried, drinking lots of water, eating a salad or soup before meals to help fill up, and also chewing a piece of gum or eating fruit after meals instead of dessert.
“At this point we want to give the students what they are really looking for and if we are going to add anything to the menu, it will be healthy,” Kessler said.
For more nutritional information, visit foodservices.appstate.edu and click on nutrition resources.
Story: CANDICE MERCER, Intern Lifestyles Reporter
Video: KATHERINE LOUCHBAUM, Intern Web Producer |
