Dining Services, Student Health Services-Wellness Programs and Human Resources are sponsoring a healthy eating campaign beginning fall semester.
As their first step toward healthy eating, nutritional information has been posted at all eating establishments around campus, including the main upstairs and downstairs cafeteria, all scattered food kiosks and Scoops.
A list of healthy options has been compiled after taking into account nutritional recommendations from the American Dietetics Association and the American Heart Association in hopes that students and employees will make healthy food choices.
Healthy options will not include any items that have high fructose syrup, refined grains or high fat and/or sodium.
Unfortunately, though dining services is in the beginning stages of its campaign, it seems that not all students want to make the healthier choice. “Dining Services can only do so much since they have to purchase what sells,” said Amy Grubbs, specialist in wellness education at UVU. “It is the junk food that is the biggest seller.”
Though Dining Services has offered things like brown rice in the past, they were forced to stop because it was all going to waste. “Basically,” said Grubbs, “they cannot lose money in Dining Services so they have to be somewhat careful.”
But not all students feel that the campaign is helping. “If they really want us to be healthy, why not only offer healthy food?” said Jessica Burnham, a junior at UVU.
Jamba Juice, known for its blended beverages and juices with added boosts of vitamins or protein, will be opening near the end of Sept. in the PE building in an attempt to provide more healthy options on campus.
However, the high prices of these drinks as well as the fruit and vegetable packages sold on campus may prove a deterrent for many students, and Dining Services knows this.
“Obviously we are pushing fruits and veggies but getting college students to purchase them isn’t always easy and subsidizing is not in the budget on campus right now,” noted Grubbs.
It all depends on sales this semester. “We are hoping that this campaign will be a positive start for students and employees to choose healthier options. Our hope is to build upon what we have.”
