The Freshman fifteen

The class discussion today really made me think about the food that is served in college. Availability, convenience and cost all come into play when it comes to eating healthy. In Pollan’s novel, “The Omnivores Dilemma,” he discusses the problem of the excess growth of corn causing its fall in price. This allows corn to be very inexpensive, making it one of the biggest food sources in the world. Cattle has even been switched from being fed grass, to corn because of its abundance, and because of the fear of desertification from overgrazing. This fact reminds me of the problem of the unavailability of healthy food not only in the world, but in college as well. I feel that whenever I walk into a convenience store or café, there are rows and rows of junk food including; chips, candy, frozen food, cookies, ice cream, and soda. There seems to only be a small section of semi healthier food including; cheese, carrots and ranch, fruit, and sandwiches. Even so these foods are not always healthy. The cheese is processed and very fattening, ranch voids any nutritional content carrots have, and the sandwiches are made with processed bread, lunch meat and cheese. The fruit and yogurt seems to be the only safe thing to eat in the stores. One may suggest not going to the convenient stores to solve the problem, however what if someone missed dinner time , or is up late studying and needed something to eat? Are they suppose to be subject to eating easy mac and candy for dinner ? Even the dinners that are served are not exactly figure friendly. Although there is a salad bar, Pasta, fried food, pizza, and burgers seem to be big hits for the taste buds but even bigger hits for the freshman fifteen. The “hunt and gather” that college students go through is not easy because of all the events, hw , projects and community activities going on. It is easier and cheaper to pick up and eat a bag of chips on the way to class instead of grabbing a yogurt which requires a spoon. It is also cheaper and easier to eat in the dorm with a meal plan than going on the “Ave“ and spending money to find something a little healthier. This problem just seems to be getting worse because more and more fast food franchises are being added to college campuses. I think that more college students need to have a voice and try to change the way they are being fed. I think that having vending machines with chips, candy and soda is enough because it on hand for the students that really want it, however, we don’t need all of that in the stores as well. I think that the dinner hours should be extended and that there should be more available fruits AND vegetables as well as healthy quick food such as low sugar granola bars, fruit cups with no added syrup, sugar free yogurt , soy milk with no added sugar, whole grain bread and crackers, and all natural fruit role ups. I think that making healthy food more available than junk food, would help decrease the freshman fifteen and would allow college to be a healthier environment.