Studies are frequently being done to prove that fast food is destroying our health. Experts have gone through fast food menus and told us what the healthiest things are in the vain hope that we will listen to them and purchase these healthier items.

I’m not saying that these studies are wrong or that we shouldn’t listen to the advice of the experts, but my problem is this: healthy food costs too much.

Last night I walked into Burger King, and right away I looked for the salad. I was shocked to see that it was $5.29 just for the salad, no drink included. Considering the current status of my bank account, I decided to search the menu for something a little less expensive.

I still wanted to find a somewhat healthy meal choice, so I investigated the price of the Chicken Tendergrill sandwich. It was $6.39 for the meal! Of course that comes with fries and a drink, but I wasn’t ready to fork over seven dollars for the sake of health.

So, after all the debating in my head and allowing several people to cut me in line, I decided to stick to the ever so faithful dollar menu. I purchased two Whopper Jr.’s, two tacos and a drink for less than five dollars.

Healthy food is just too expensive. At McDonald’s the salads were only $4.79. But why would I buy that when I’m able to buy two better tasting, more filling Big Mac’s for $3.50? Even the healthiest Subway sandwich will run $5 a foot without a drink or chips.

The food on campus is even worse! It’s the same greased-up, artery-clogging food for one or two dollars more.

So the obvious recommendation is to not eat fast food or food on campus. Let’s face it; sometimes we have no other choice.

Short breaks between classes combined with the fact that if one should have a long enough break to drive somewhere off campus in search of food, they will most likely end up having to trade their meal for a parking spot. This makes it so that our options are limited to the campus stores or the surrounding fast food joints.

So why not bring a meal from home? Although this sounds ideal, any student who is on campus for any amount of time realizes that the food brought from home cannot require heating or cooling. It has to be able to sit in a backpack and still taste good after being pulled out hours later. So we are faced with bringing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every day or eating the heart-attack-waiting-to-happen meals served on and around campus.

Obviously, there is no perfect solution for satisfying our hunger, our wallets and our well being all at the same time.

However, start by cutting the soda. Water is a cheaper and healthier alternative, even to diet sodas, so bring a bottle from home or ask for water at the counter.

Next, bring some chips or crackers of your own in place of the fries. Most types of chips and crackers are better for you than French fries and are much cheaper.

If we make these two adjustments, we can still purchase a burger or a slice of pizza and have a healthier meal for half the price. It’s possible to feel a lot healthier with a little compromising while saving some cash.