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Better diet likely for those who eat on campus, food expert says By
Natalie Larson
Students who eat at campus cafeterias have a better chance to get a balanced, nutritional diet than those who cook for themselves, according to Brooke Parker, a registered dietitian. "I think that student's who eat in the campus cafeteria have a better opportunity to eat healthy," Parker said. "I don't know of any apartment that has as many fresh fruits and vegetables to choose from or as many protein items. Most college students avoid buying meat and fresh produce because of cost and spoilage." The Carousel, the Junction and the Hub are the three on-campus cafeterias. Each serves its own type of food. Mark Fishburn, the manager for the Hub, said, "We try not to compete too much with each other." According to Parker, who helps to plan the Junction meals, the Junction typically serves 300 for breakfast and 525 to 575 for lunch and dinner. Parker said the most popular foods include salads, hamburgers, chicken nuggets, lasagna, pizza, pasta and tacos. For those interested in reducing calorie intake and cutting fat, the Junction has started a line this year called The Lighter Side that has foods under 400 calories and 10 grams of fat, Parker said. According to nutritional statistics for the Hub restaurants, a slice of the Carmel Nut bread has 509 calories and 13.3 grams of fat (one tablespoon of butter adds 102 calories and 11.5 grams of fat); a half cup of Aggie Ice-cream has about 160 calories and about half that is fat; and a Crisp Chicken Burrito from Taco Time has 422 calories and 25 grams of fat. Fishburn said the number of transactions in the Hub for September was 52,119. The average amount spent per transaction was $2.44. He said, "The largest point we take into consideration is what people want." Students might say they would like to see more healthy choices in the Hub, but Fishburn said, "Sales tell you differently than what they say they want." "A residential dining situation is a great solution to eating a well balanced diet," Parker said. "At the same time, an individual could continuously make poor choices and eat fried foods, soda, and desserts for every meal. It's all about giving the students choices and then educating them regarding healthy nutrition." Parker said she suggests students should "increase fruit and vegetable intake, especially whole fruits and vegetables which offer fiber, vitamins and minerals, as well as phytochemicals." She also said students need to eat protein with each meal, and women need to be aware of their calcium intake. The dietetics program and Parker are presenting a USU Nutrition Clinic to campus. Parker said it will offer students a health fair, individual counseling, educational bulletin boards, nutrition brochures and cooking demonstrations. Parker said, "Our goal is to better educate the USU population in the areas of nutrition and health."
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