Healthy eating can be misleading

A salad is generally a healthier meal to eat, but what about an 820-calorie salad? No, it is not from McDonald’s or Wendy’s. This 820-calorie salad, called the Bros. Bistro salad, comes pre-packaged from the Einstein Bros. Bagels.

Unfortunately, unlike the Johnson & Hardwick cafeteria, there are no signs at Einstein Bros. Bagels to inform customers about the nutritional information on any of its products. None of the pre-packaged food in the Valaida S.Walker Food Court is labeled either. To obtain this information, students can ask Dining Services personnel or visit einsteinbros.com.

“We are not liable by the company to post this information, so we choose not to,” said Dan Callen, manager of Einstein Bros. Bagels in the Student Center.

Also high in calories are the chicken caesar and chicken chipotle salads, which are in the grab-and-go refrigerator. The chicken caesar salad chicken has 820 calories, while the chicken chipotle has 710. Choose any one of these three salads, and the average calorie count is about 780.

The Bros. Bistro salad weighs 10.5 ounces and costs $4.98. The chicken caesar salad weighs 14 ounces and costs $5.89, and chicken chipotle is 15.2 ounces for $5.89.

In the food court, there are two seemingly healthy options: the Einstein Bros. Bagels grab-and-go salads and the Sizzling Salads bar, where diners can create their own salads. The charge to create salads is 42 cents per ounce. For the same price of a pre-packaged salad, diners can make about a 14-ounce salad.

Freshman kinesiology major Sarah Plaviak chooses to eat the chipotle chicken salad despite the 710-calorie amount.

“If you get a salad from the salad bar, it costs too much,” Plaviak said.

Lindsay Scott, a senior finance and international business major, got a chicken caesar salad because “it was more convenient.”

If Einstein Bros. Bagels’ salad can contain as many as 820 calories, how many calories are in the salads of fast food restaurants?

McDonald’s and Wendy’s are just two top fast food chains nationwide that now have salads on their menus.

McDonald’s Premium Southwest salad with crispy chicken is the highest calorie salad on its menu. It weighs 12.5 ounces and has 430 calories. Wendy’s mandarin grilled chicken salad weighs 14.2 ounces, has 540 calories and is the highest calorie salad on the fast food restaurant’s menu.

Feasting on one of these two salads and ordering a small fry and would still have a lower calorie count than Einstein Bros. Bagels’ bistro salad or the chicken caesar salad.

For those who reluctantly choose to get a salad instead of giving into a sweet tooth, Ben & Jerry’s and Edy’s ice cream are available.

Instead of high-calorie salads, choose to down a whole pint of Ben & Jerry’s “Lighten Up!” chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, which contains a total of 800 calories. There would be 20 calories to spare.

If the idea of cookie dough isn’t appealing, have a whole pint of Edy’s MAXX Java Chocolate Mash Up ice cream, and there still would be 20 calories left over.

With the ice cream pints, nutritional facts are provided.

Wandering around the Student Center debating what to eat?

Good luck deciding.

It is a tricky choice between convenience and cost — and the choice between salad and ice cream.

Samantha Kelly can be reached at samantha.kelly0002@temple.edu.

When students look to cook, grocer will deliver

Every amenity a student could ever desire can be found on Temple’s Main Campus.

The resources are endless, as there are a multitude of eateries, a hair salon, a movie rental business and even a hotel. It seems just one thing is missing – a grocery store.

While it may not be a big deal for students who frequent the Louis J. Esposito Dining Hall and the Valaida S. Walker Food Court, those without meal plans are left to wander off campus to find groceries. Despite not having a place on campus to purchase groceries, students have found alternative means of obtaining them.

Genuardi’s offers people the convenience of online shopping and home grocery delivery. The grocery store allows anyone to shop from the comfortable setting of their homes, without having to wait long for groceries to arrive.

Undeclared sophomore Mary Wolfe decided to give Genuardi’s home delivery service a chance.

“I received a promotional coupon in the mail for Genuardi’s at-home delivery service,” Wolfe said. “The coupon granted free delivery on the first order, so I decided to give it a try.”

When visiting the Genuardi’s Web site, users enter their zip codes and are directed to stores’ weekly specials. Shoppers can browse aisles to find different types of foods.

The Web site also offers coupons and promotional codes for customers to enter when they check out.
Wolfe enjoys the convenience of the service because it allows her to use her time for something else besides grocery shopping.

“I was able to shop by aisle on the Genuardi’s Web site and even browse through the organic foods, which I opted to purchase,” Wolfe said. “I received my groceries in two business days, during a two-hour time slot that I chose.”

Online shoppers can create accounts with a username and password. Users’ personal information will be saved, and they can return as many times as they prefer. Delivery charges for purchases are as low as $6.95.

Wolfe said she was impressed by the convenience and ease of online grocery shopping.

“I would definitely order from Genuardi’s again,” she said. “The process is easy, and I was satisfied with my experience. Buying groceries and fresh produce in the city can be difficult. This is a great alternative.”

Jillian Crull, a sophomore journalism major, said the lack of grocery stores near campus is an inconvenience for students.

“The cost of parking a car on campus is so high that it is hard for those of us without cars to get the groceries we need,” Crull said.

Crull said the unavailability of affordable parking on campus limits students’ mobility.

“Having a grocery store on campus would be such a convenience,” Crull said. “Not only would the store be filled with students regularly, [but] it would allow those without a car on campus to get groceries efficiently.”

Lauren Sheehan can be reached at lauren.sheehan@temple.edu.

Healthy eating in the dorms

At the thought of a typical college student’s diet, visions of pizza, fast food and Ramen noodles usually come to mind. Temple has made an effort to break this stereotypical vision and promote healthier eating habits by revamping its dining services with $4.5 million in upgrades.

Temple’s extensive renovations to its dining services have increased meal selections and introduced healthier options for health-conscious students.

Jeffrey Browne, marketing director for Sodexo, said every dining venue on campus offers healthy items, some more than others.

“Students have a plethora of healthy options to choose from,” Browne said.

The newly renovated Johnson & Hardwick cafeteria features a 48-item salad bar and vegan and fruit stations to make it easier for students to exclude foods like ground beef and cheese whiz for healthier toppings such as lettuce, tomatoes, onions, rice and beans.

“They like the salad bar and vegan choices, as well as the atmosphere,” Browne said.

All Temple students are welcome to eat at J&H. Browne said the new dining hall has seen an increase in traffic from off-campus residents and commuters.

When they’re not eating in cafeteria, students can still eat healthy while enjoying food from their favorite vendors at the Valaida S. Walker Food Court in the Student Center.

There are the plenty of choices for healthy foods, like the salad bar and the Wrap Up station, but every stand has a few wholesome options. The American Dog offers vegetarian hot dogs and chili- and cheese-stuffed items. Dos Manos is a popular burrito and taco vendor that serves as a healthier alternative to the now-defunct Taco Bell.

Einstein Bros. Bagels also boasts plenty of “carb-conscious” selections. Besides whole-grain bagels and fat-free spreads, bagel lovers can enjoy freshly squeezed orange juice and fruit salad.

Although healthy foods can be pricey, Browne says there is not much discrepancy at Temple between the prices of nutritional fare and junk food.

For Temple, it’s all about providing choices and giving students the means to eat right.
“Students demand more options,” Browne said, “and we want to offer the widest variety of choices that we can.”

Jen Klimowicz can be reached at jenniferklimowicz0001@temple.edu.