As a nutrition student, I know what to look for when ordering at a restaurant, eating at a dining hall, or going to a grocery store (Shop the perimeter!). Unfortunately, many students do not know all of the available healthy options or the importance of eating something besides lattes and bagels every day. There are so many places to eat downtown, but there are healthy choices that can be made by students with meal plans and in any dining hall. While I was perusing through Penn State’s online nutrition resources, I found the food services site pertaining to University Park Residential Dining. Here, I found an “Eating Smart” tab that includes a nutrition section devoted to the healthy choices and specialties that all dining halls offer.
Before visiting this website, I did not realize that Penn State dining halls had standard healthy food items and menus. Some of these requirements are as follows: fresh hand fruit, extensive salad bars, chicken breast at every dinner, at least one “RHEAL” or under 500 calorie entrée at every meal, wholesome grains and hot veggies, and healthy prepackaged snacks. This was surprising, because many students complain that there is too much junk food in the dining halls. The page then goes on to identify specific bars/stations at each of the dining commons such as the fresh fruit, yogurt, and topping bar at breakfast in the Big Onion (Findlay Dining Commons). I found this list most interesting, because I was not aware of all of the locations that serve nutritious foods on campus. Students with meal plans should have no problem with access to high quality food if each dining hall upholds its standards and provides palatable, fresh dishes that incorporate healthy ingredients.
If I were a nutrition educator for University Health Services, I would use this information to show students how to use their meal plans and lion cash to improve their well-being. I would direct students to this site that identifies food stations to visit, a list of healthy foods to try, and a link to full nutrition information for menu items. As an educational activity, I would have students and participating faculty members prepare meal plans for one week using menu items from the Residential Dining website. I could assist each participant in estimating their daily caloric needs and then finding five breakfasts, five lunches, five snacks, and five dinners to meet these needs. For example, an overweight student may plan to alternate eating a yogurt parfait with fresh fruit and eating an egg white omelet with spinach and mozzarella for breakfast. Then, he/she may choose a variety of grilled chicken, quinoa, hot vegetable, and salad combinations for lunch. He or she could pick hand fruit, trail mix, or a healthy prepackaged snack each day. Finally, for dinner, the student can decide between many options such as baked fish, vegetarian dishes, and many “RHEAL” entrees. Other dietary objectives would be addressed in the lessons such as limiting sugar consumption, increasing fiber consumption, and meeting recommended vitamin and mineral intakes while eating at Penn State dining commons.
http://www.foodservices.psu.edu/FoodServices/EatingSmart/Nutrition.cfm