College food is healthy, if you know what to look for
Athena Lazo
Issue date: 3/6/09 Section: News
Quite often at this time of year, college students are struggling to maintain healthy life choices while living on campus. A nutritionally balanced diet is the first step in helping stressed students feel and perform better. Morrisville State College's five dining facilities are a perfect place to start, if students know what to look for.
Morrisville is home to Seneca, Smooth Jazzy Joz, Mustang Alley, Stix, and The Pit Stop. Seneca offers a deli, hot entrée line, dessert and salad bar, and a grill. Mustang Alley features the Field of Greens Soups and Sandwiches, 3rd Degree Grill, Brickyard Pizza, Little Bit of Italy and Grab 'n Go.
The unlimited, effortless swipes of Mustang and MAC money are overwhelming for students who may not know what healthy alternatives are available.
The fresh baked goods and calorie-filled milkshakes found at Jazzy Joz may look tempting to most students. Diana Johnson, director of Dining Services and Conferencing, says moderation is the key. "There is no need to go without a food you especially enjoy, but moderation is critical," she says, adding that it is equally important to avoid eating fried food at every meal.
Although the custom salads found at Mustang Alley may be high sources of fiber, ranging from four to ten grams, they can be quite deceiving. According to Mustang's nutritional values, found at
http://mac.morrisville.edu/dining/menus/mustangmenu.aspx , the premade salads hold between 468 and 1011 calories--with 20 to 64 grams of fat in each.
If students are trying to maintain a healthy diet, Mustang Alley workers suggest ordering a garden salad with a side of balsamic vinaigrette or Italian dressing. The spinach salad is also a healthy decision, with 279 calories, 15 grams of fat, and eight grams of fiber.
Johnson encourages students to read up on the nutritional values of the foods at Mustang's. "We have spent many, many hours and several months compiling the data to prove the nutritional information for a large number of offerings at Mustang Alley, and to date it does not look like the site gets much attention," she says. She is working to provide the same information for Seneca.
Many of the students at Mustang Alley are under the impression that if they order a sandwich, it will be healthier than the grill side. But what they are unaware of is the calories housed in these sandwiches. The Chicken Dijon Panini alone has 861 calories, 29 grams of fat, and 1308 milligrams of sodium.
"At every dining unit there are healthy food choices available," Johnson says. She suggests fruits, vegetables and grilled or roasted proteins. The Pit Stop sells fruit salad and Lean Cuisine frozen meals that are low in fat and calories and a good source of vitamins.
Although the Matthias Health Center on campus does not offer a nutritionist, Johnson says she has been working with students in the community nutrition class who will be available in April to answer nutrition questions on-site at each dining facility.
Director of Health Center Benjamin J. Domingo says he has met with students via appointment who feel "out of shape." Together, he says, they discuss diet and exercise options, and the center offers some brief counseling if requested.
Kim Munz, associate director of Dining Services, says the fitness center is a great place to try and get in shape. "It seems most of the students work out later in the day, so if you are self-conscious about working out with so many other people," she suggests, "try earlier in the day when the center isn't as busy."
Munz says that if students are not familiar with the equipment, there are always staff members to help them get started even though they are not certified trainers. The Fitness Center offers yoga and kickboxing classes. The center informs students via email of dates and times.
Domingo says the stereotypical college student's schedule is not conducive to weight loss. He says there are many factors that challenge students' health while at college, such as junk food, alcohol, stress, decreased physical activity, and irregular sleep patterns.
If health issues or weight gain become a problem for students, and if they think they may be developing an eating disorder, Domingo says the Health Center deals with this through a collaborative team approach.
According to the University of Oregon's healthy eating tips, the busy college student should eat breakfast, limit high-fat foods by choosing wisely, and keep healthy snacks on hand. The University suggests calcium-rich foods, like low-fat yogurt, low-fat cheese, and green leafy vegetables.
According to their Web site, "the only safe way to lose weight, feel good while doing it, and keep it off, is to eat a balanced diet." The University Web site suggests drinking plenty of water and limiting alcohol because of the calories associated with it. For the top ten suggestions, visit http://healthed.uoregon.edu/10tips.htm.
Marie Smith, a registered dietician and former faculty staff member, takes an interest in helping students achieve their nutritional goals. Smith still lives in Morrisville and may be contacted at (315) 684-3903 or emailed at smithm@frontiernet.net
Domingo also provided other government sponsored websites that could be helpful:
http://www.nutrition.gov
http://www.healthierus.gov/index.html
http://www.mypyramid.gov
To contact the health center, call (315) 684-6078.
Morrisville is home to Seneca, Smooth Jazzy Joz, Mustang Alley, Stix, and The Pit Stop. Seneca offers a deli, hot entrée line, dessert and salad bar, and a grill. Mustang Alley features the Field of Greens Soups and Sandwiches, 3rd Degree Grill, Brickyard Pizza, Little Bit of Italy and Grab 'n Go.
The unlimited, effortless swipes of Mustang and MAC money are overwhelming for students who may not know what healthy alternatives are available.
The fresh baked goods and calorie-filled milkshakes found at Jazzy Joz may look tempting to most students. Diana Johnson, director of Dining Services and Conferencing, says moderation is the key. "There is no need to go without a food you especially enjoy, but moderation is critical," she says, adding that it is equally important to avoid eating fried food at every meal.
Although the custom salads found at Mustang Alley may be high sources of fiber, ranging from four to ten grams, they can be quite deceiving. According to Mustang's nutritional values, found at
http://mac.morrisville.edu/dining/menus/mustangmenu.aspx , the premade salads hold between 468 and 1011 calories--with 20 to 64 grams of fat in each.
If students are trying to maintain a healthy diet, Mustang Alley workers suggest ordering a garden salad with a side of balsamic vinaigrette or Italian dressing. The spinach salad is also a healthy decision, with 279 calories, 15 grams of fat, and eight grams of fiber.
Johnson encourages students to read up on the nutritional values of the foods at Mustang's. "We have spent many, many hours and several months compiling the data to prove the nutritional information for a large number of offerings at Mustang Alley, and to date it does not look like the site gets much attention," she says. She is working to provide the same information for Seneca.
Many of the students at Mustang Alley are under the impression that if they order a sandwich, it will be healthier than the grill side. But what they are unaware of is the calories housed in these sandwiches. The Chicken Dijon Panini alone has 861 calories, 29 grams of fat, and 1308 milligrams of sodium.
"At every dining unit there are healthy food choices available," Johnson says. She suggests fruits, vegetables and grilled or roasted proteins. The Pit Stop sells fruit salad and Lean Cuisine frozen meals that are low in fat and calories and a good source of vitamins.
Although the Matthias Health Center on campus does not offer a nutritionist, Johnson says she has been working with students in the community nutrition class who will be available in April to answer nutrition questions on-site at each dining facility.
Director of Health Center Benjamin J. Domingo says he has met with students via appointment who feel "out of shape." Together, he says, they discuss diet and exercise options, and the center offers some brief counseling if requested.
Kim Munz, associate director of Dining Services, says the fitness center is a great place to try and get in shape. "It seems most of the students work out later in the day, so if you are self-conscious about working out with so many other people," she suggests, "try earlier in the day when the center isn't as busy."
Munz says that if students are not familiar with the equipment, there are always staff members to help them get started even though they are not certified trainers. The Fitness Center offers yoga and kickboxing classes. The center informs students via email of dates and times.
Domingo says the stereotypical college student's schedule is not conducive to weight loss. He says there are many factors that challenge students' health while at college, such as junk food, alcohol, stress, decreased physical activity, and irregular sleep patterns.
If health issues or weight gain become a problem for students, and if they think they may be developing an eating disorder, Domingo says the Health Center deals with this through a collaborative team approach.
According to the University of Oregon's healthy eating tips, the busy college student should eat breakfast, limit high-fat foods by choosing wisely, and keep healthy snacks on hand. The University suggests calcium-rich foods, like low-fat yogurt, low-fat cheese, and green leafy vegetables.
According to their Web site, "the only safe way to lose weight, feel good while doing it, and keep it off, is to eat a balanced diet." The University Web site suggests drinking plenty of water and limiting alcohol because of the calories associated with it. For the top ten suggestions, visit http://healthed.uoregon.edu/10tips.htm.
Marie Smith, a registered dietician and former faculty staff member, takes an interest in helping students achieve their nutritional goals. Smith still lives in Morrisville and may be contacted at (315) 684-3903 or emailed at smithm@frontiernet.net
Domingo also provided other government sponsored websites that could be helpful:
http://www.nutrition.gov
http://www.healthierus.gov/index.html
http://www.mypyramid.gov
To contact the health center, call (315) 684-6078.