Imagine this.
Two juicy beef patties, each topped with a warm melted layer of cheese, with freshly cut lettuce and tomato, all in between a warm bun.
Just thinking about a burger such as that can make someone’s mouth water.
In reality that line should read two cholesterol-packed beef patties, each with a warm,melted layer of heart-clogging cheese, with soggy lettuce and tomato, all in between a carbohydrate-loaded bun.
“Students are stressed and in a hurry; a lot of them don’t have time in the morning to make their lunch,” Debbie Conover, student health services coordinator, said.
The economy is still in turmoil, causing students to be in more of a money crunch than they already are.
“Fast food tends to be cheaper. It fills you up, but generally speaking it has no nutritional value,” Conover said. “Even if they are going to a McDonald’s per say, there are better choices they could make.”
The smell of fast food permeates the air around the perimeter of the campus, making it hard for hungry students to make better choices.
“Students are typically eating un-nutritious, high-calorie foods,” Conover said.
The most important meal of the day has, and always will be as what it was before; breakfast, and students are missing out.
“A lot of people are watching their weight, so they might skip breakfast because they think it’s a way to diet, but it’s actually the worst meal to miss,” Conover said.
According to “The Importance of Breakfast” by registered dietician Katie Clark, breakfast allows students to stay more focused and alert, as well as feeling more full throughout the day.
“By having a bran muffin rather than a doughnut, or having a yogurt, students would be making a better choice,” Conover said.
These foods are easily portable and can be taken with a student even when they are in a rush.
“Students should demand nutritional foods here on campus; after all, students are the college’s number one customer,” Conover said.
“The campus should have its own garden; that way the college can provide fresh veggies on campus,” Debra Herzick,family practitioner, student health services, said. “Eat simply and have low-fat cheese. It’s amazing how much better you feel when you eat better.”
Students should be more conscious about their eating habits rather than just eating to fill up.
“[Students] believe that they are invincible until they get older and realize that they are not,” Conover said.
Eating habits among students will always be an issue; however, each student can make a choice to better their health.
Staying active by exercising, taking advantage of the physical health classes offered, and putting proper thoughts into the benefits of what types of food you eat, you can take better care of yourself.
“Each year sets down the foundation for the next,” Conover said.