We all remember those gross middle school lunches we wouldn’t even feed to our dogs.
The square pizzas and the “maybe chicken” patties leave little to be desired, and they aren’t healthy for students, either.
You’re probably wondering, “Why do I care about middle school lunches?”
It’s because LSU’s dining options aren’t much better than middle school lunches.
As a transfer student, I didn’t know what to expect for dining options on campus. Considering I am allergic to most of the world, I was definitely concerned. I also know I am not the only one facing this issue.
When I walked into the Student Union and came to terms with the field of fast food in front of me — Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s and Panda Express — I was pretty disheartened.
Now, I am not asking for LSU to develop a five-star gourmet menu like Galatoire’s, but the classic “protein, veggies, fruits, grains and dairy,” doesn’t always cut it when they are doused in sodium, sugar, high-fructose corn syrup and saturated fats.
And the dining halls aren’t desirable either. The 459 Commons offers a lot of meal options that have so many calories and fat, you might as well drink a Coke and eat candy bars.
As for the healthy options they do offer and for students with specific dietary restrictions, the dining halls can prove to be a difficult place to eat a filling and satisfying meal. For anyone who does need a specialized diet, whether it is vegetarian, vegan, lactose-free or gluten-free, on-campus dining options are daunting.
On the other hand, LSU does have The Club, formerly known as The LSU Faculty Club, and The Magnolia Room, two of the finer dining options on campus, but the pricing isn’t the most affordable. Nevertheless, they offer a variety of healthy eating options like a fresh salad bar, lean proteins and a variety of wholesome vegetables. But when you are a college student and you are ballin’ on a budget, The Magnolia Room and The Club are certainly not your first options.
But according to “Let’s Move,” a campaign started by Michelle Obama dedicated to help solve the problem of obesity and provide children with healthy meal options, more than 32 million students participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), and for some, it may be the only food they frequently eat.
Although these stats don’t relate to college specifically, one thing is for certain: Eating habits transfer from when we are young all the way through college and adulthood.
So naturally, when coming to college and facing the dining options on campus, the unfulfilling dining halls, Chick-fil-A, Panda Express, and McDonald’s just don’t seem to cut it.
But although the on-campus dining options are restricted, there is some hope for students who are more cautious about what they would like to eat and venture far away from the high-calorie and sugar- saturated foods.
According to USDA’s “ChooseMyPlate.gov,” which is listed as a resource for LSU Dining, MyPlate On Campus has helped educate students on how to integrate healthy eating into their diet and improve the health of young adults at their schools.
Some of the tips it lists on the site are to make half of your plate fruit and veggies, familiarize yourself with nutritional information before approaching the dining hall, slow down on the sauces and lastly, don’t linger.
And these are only some of the tips mentioned from the abundance of resources that MyPlate On Campus provides for students.
There are also full nutritional menus listed for each of the dining halls and the menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner. That way, you can plan what you want to eat ahead of time and know all the nutritional information for all that you are eating.
“Balanced U” is another healthy dining resource offered to students on the LSU Dining website. Balanced U is a national health platform that helps students and faculty find the healthier food options and educate them on those options to set you up for success.
They engage students by using social media and other developed campus technologies so you can have all of the nutritional information at your fingertips.
I know that many would like to count French fries as their vegetable and fruit juice as their fruit, but if we want to have any hope of a healthier future, it may be time for us to actually take our eating habits seriously.
Jen Blate is a 24-year-old sociology junior from Miami, Florida. You can reach her on Twitter @Jblate_TDR.