What’s for dinner tonight? Greasy pizza? A fatty hamburger? Ice cream? I have become very upset and concerned over the little to non-existent healthy choices for students with meal plans.

I feel like whenever I enter Whitney, I have to search high and low for healthy options. I could get soup, but it’s a hit or a miss if the soup will be healthy option or a basic bowl of calories. I could get a sandwich, but there are limited healthy breads and fresh ingredients. Even the cereal section is dismal, mainly featuring sugary options like Captain Crunch and Coco Puffs. Of course, there pizza is always being served, which is not a good choice if I’m trying to eat healthy.

The other day, Whitney was serving corn dogs, curly fries, and, oh yeah, mushy unappetizing green beans. The fact is, even the few healthy options that are available in the cafe get covered up by the other tastier, but far less healthy options. If pizza is served all day, choosing yogurt with granola or a salad becomes much less appealing. And sorry to tell you this, but the vegetables are subpar: wilted, rotten, or over cooked, making healthy options more difficult to choose.

It is also alarming that such a huge portion of our cafeteria is dedicated to desserts. Even if you do eat a healthy meal, you have countless treats tempting you. Why is the dessert section bigger than the fruits and vegetable section combined? The average student walks past the dessert table at least three times, while typically only passing the salad bar once.

Every time I make my way through the cafeteria, my eyes are unwillingly drawn to the stacks of cookies. It becomes so easy to grab some on your way out. Since it’s readily available for students, they tend to indulge in this not so healthy eating habit.

The other dining options on campus are not much better. Char’s menu is all grill food: French fries, hamburgers, fried chicken. This is not much of a step up from Whitney in the healthy food department. It’s alright to eat there every once in awhile, but Char’s food should not be a part of an everyday diet. Checking out The Cellar also yields that what is mainly served is burgers, nachos, pizza, and wings. What is the deal with all this unhealthy food? Freshman fifteen? Try freshman fifty.

Students have to make an intentional choice to eat healthy. You have to tell yourself “I am going to eat healthy today,” and then continue to search for items all over Whitney instead of just being able to get in line and get a meal. This is because the meals served on campus aren’t packing the nutrients we need.

The deal is, the dining services have only a few good options. Yet, because the majority of the food served is sugary, greasy, and unfortunately, more appealing, the healthy foods get pushed aside. When juxtaposed with so many of these unhealthy options: pizza, ice cream, soda, or burgers, compared to a salad, milk, fruit, or yogurt, this makes choosing a healthy meal very difficult. Eating healthy should not be a quest, it should be an easy available option for students.

If this is an issue that bothers you, please contact the dining services with your feedback by clicking here.