Proposals to improve college nutrition at Rowan University
After gathering our research, my cowriters and I discovered that there were obvious trends emerging through our data-collection from our survey, as well as through our interviews. Many people here at Rowan University find that Rowan University’s food service (Sodexo) is not up to their standards in what they consider “healthy” eating. When asked to rate healthy options of food on campus from one to ten, the average was five, showing that the food service standards have quite a bit of room for improvement. In this area of our project, we decided that we should come up with some ideas for how Rowan and/or Soxedo can improve students’ perception of healthy alternatives.
Clearly display all nutritional facts:
Rowan makes a slight effort to provide calorie charts next to some food options, but this display is not consistent throughout the entire campus. It's easy to put a chart next to the salad bar, because salad is naturally a healthy food, but Rowan fails to point out that the dressing that goes on top of the salad is high in fat. With the nutritional facts chart next to both the salad and the pizza and burgers, students would be able to be more in control of their eating lifestyles. It would provide them with all the facts about what they intend to consume, so it would be completely up to the students to decide whether they really want fatty foods or not. Most of the prepackaged food people buy in grocery stores have clearly labeled nutrition. However, when eating in the cafeteria, nutrition facts for fat content and calories are unseen. Though the cafeteria is buffet-style, students should have a general idea of what kinds of food they are consuming.
More options on campus:
A salad bar in the MarketPlace is not enough to balance out the unhealthy options of the other stations. Rowan offers veggie burgers, but they seem to never have enough to satisfy the needs of every student who would want one. Rowan has made an effort to not use trans fats in their fast foods, but there still needs to be more healthy options. The fast food places outnumber the healthy places to eat. In fact, a new food court is currently in the works that will sell wings and tacos. There needs to be more places where students can order alternative meals in as timely a fashion as is done in the fast food court. Rowan should also offer more fruits and yogurts for dessert at dinner as well as cakes, cookies, and brownies. Also, by adding lean meat as an option for sandwiches or dinner, students can enjoy their favorite meals without being concerned with the fat they may consume.
Provide a shuttle service to nearby grocery stores:Rowan has a policy that Freshman are not allowed to have their vehicles on campus. This means that they aren't able to drive to the nearby Shoprite to buy fresh vegetables and fruits. Freshman are forced to eat what Rowan offers on campus, unless they are able to find a ride home to eat there. The Market Basket sells things like chips, soda, cakes, and an assortment of frozen foods. If Rowan provides a shuttle service to the grocery store for Rowan students, that would be an incentive to students to lead a healthier nutritional lifestyle because they will have access to fresh foods as opposed to fried and frozen foods.
However, all of this responsibility cannot placed on administration. We, as students, must be aware that our eating habits affect us directly, and we are the only people who control personal nutrition, which is why included in this proposal is a suggestion for students.
Attend free seminars involving healthy lifestylesIf you are on-campus, or even check your e-mail regularly, there are always free meetings set up to inform students to make healthy eating decisions, such as “How to Avoid the Freshman Fifteen”. If you are concerned about your eating habits and healthy options on campus, it would never hurt to attend an information meeting! Some even offer free snacks.
Be aware of your off-campus dining alternatives
If you have a meal plan on campus, and are sick of cafeteria food, try using your ‘Boro Bucks at Shoprite. Shoprite can offer produce, fruits, and ingredients for your own meals if you have access to a kitchen
A final note: By understanding that both the students and the food services play a role in students’ nutritional values, we are all able to find a way to eat a bit healthier on a budget, but there is still room for healthier options at Rowan University, which is constantly trying to build a positive reputation for prospective students, as well as the community it surrounds.
Clearly display all nutritional facts:
Rowan makes a slight effort to provide calorie charts next to some food options, but this display is not consistent throughout the entire campus. It's easy to put a chart next to the salad bar, because salad is naturally a healthy food, but Rowan fails to point out that the dressing that goes on top of the salad is high in fat. With the nutritional facts chart next to both the salad and the pizza and burgers, students would be able to be more in control of their eating lifestyles. It would provide them with all the facts about what they intend to consume, so it would be completely up to the students to decide whether they really want fatty foods or not. Most of the prepackaged food people buy in grocery stores have clearly labeled nutrition. However, when eating in the cafeteria, nutrition facts for fat content and calories are unseen. Though the cafeteria is buffet-style, students should have a general idea of what kinds of food they are consuming.
More options on campus:
A salad bar in the MarketPlace is not enough to balance out the unhealthy options of the other stations. Rowan offers veggie burgers, but they seem to never have enough to satisfy the needs of every student who would want one. Rowan has made an effort to not use trans fats in their fast foods, but there still needs to be more healthy options. The fast food places outnumber the healthy places to eat. In fact, a new food court is currently in the works that will sell wings and tacos. There needs to be more places where students can order alternative meals in as timely a fashion as is done in the fast food court. Rowan should also offer more fruits and yogurts for dessert at dinner as well as cakes, cookies, and brownies. Also, by adding lean meat as an option for sandwiches or dinner, students can enjoy their favorite meals without being concerned with the fat they may consume.
Provide a shuttle service to nearby grocery stores:Rowan has a policy that Freshman are not allowed to have their vehicles on campus. This means that they aren't able to drive to the nearby Shoprite to buy fresh vegetables and fruits. Freshman are forced to eat what Rowan offers on campus, unless they are able to find a ride home to eat there. The Market Basket sells things like chips, soda, cakes, and an assortment of frozen foods. If Rowan provides a shuttle service to the grocery store for Rowan students, that would be an incentive to students to lead a healthier nutritional lifestyle because they will have access to fresh foods as opposed to fried and frozen foods.
However, all of this responsibility cannot placed on administration. We, as students, must be aware that our eating habits affect us directly, and we are the only people who control personal nutrition, which is why included in this proposal is a suggestion for students.
Attend free seminars involving healthy lifestylesIf you are on-campus, or even check your e-mail regularly, there are always free meetings set up to inform students to make healthy eating decisions, such as “How to Avoid the Freshman Fifteen”. If you are concerned about your eating habits and healthy options on campus, it would never hurt to attend an information meeting! Some even offer free snacks.
Be aware of your off-campus dining alternatives
If you have a meal plan on campus, and are sick of cafeteria food, try using your ‘Boro Bucks at Shoprite. Shoprite can offer produce, fruits, and ingredients for your own meals if you have access to a kitchen
A final note: By understanding that both the students and the food services play a role in students’ nutritional values, we are all able to find a way to eat a bit healthier on a budget, but there is still room for healthier options at Rowan University, which is constantly trying to build a positive reputation for prospective students, as well as the community it surrounds.
