On a walk between classes, a student might have gotten hungry but noticed that the only things available on campus seem to be processed, unhealthy foods. The truth is that there are some good eats at Citrus, but they can be hard to find.
The two main sources of food on campus are the various vending machines sprawled all over campus and the Owl Cafe. Some students’ perception of the vending machines is that they have some pretty good junk food but aren’t a good source of nutrients.
Engineering major Jason Gill said that although he likes most of the food in the vending machines, “it would be nice if we had something that wasn’t just pure sugar.”
Another student, Jiovani Machoul, said he wants the vending machines to stay sugary. Machoul says that he knows the food isn’t healthy but he isn’t the type to complain.
In the Owl Cafe, the perception is similar in that students like the menu but don’t think the food is nutritious.
The need for nutritious food on a college campus doesn’t all come down to just personal preference. Good food is also linked with increased mental function, which is especially important in a setting where students pursue higher education.
Harvard Health says that foods like berries, leafy greens and nuts are linked to better brain power, which is something to consider next time you grab a snack before going into a lecture or exam.
The problem is that these types of food are much less available than the bags of Munchies and Hot Cheetos found in the vending machines across campus.
One reason this can happen is fresh healthy food can be more of a financial burden on food providers like Pacific Dining Co, the company behind the Owl Cafe.
Representative for Pacific Dining Co. Jonathan McMahon said that Pacific Dining needs to account for the price they charge students when creating a menu.
“Nutritional information is included when developing recipes for menu consideration, however, the nutritional information is not the No. 1 factor in determining if a new item is added,” McMahon said. “We utilize a program, Menu Management Pro, that takes the cost of ingredients in our recipes and calculates the cost of goods sold and a menu price.”
McMahon also included that there is a misconception that less expensive food needs to be less nutritional. McMahon said when designing a menu, both price and nutrition are taken into account. But the main factor in deciding a menu is the preferences of customers.
FIlm studies major Christian Andreani said that although he likes the menu, he’d like to see more variation in the menu, as “usually it’s burgers and chicken tenders.”
Nursing major Neremiah Karjala actually found something that looked much healthier than the typical meal of burgers and fries commonly seen in the Owl Cafe with his Cajun Pita Sandwich.
“There’s some good stuff like this thing here, it’s on pita and it’s got vegetables,” Karjala said. So if a person wants to see anything added to the owl cafe Menu, they can give Pacific Dining feedback on its website whether a person wants brain-boosting food or more sugary snacks.
