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.
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.”
This sounds great, if all Temple Students were “created equal”, but apparently they’re not because the dining services at Ambler (and Tyler in the past) have never even been “separate but equal”.
Tyler’s and Ambler’s food services have been substandard and corners are always being cut there.
French fries, although always available from the grill, have been served numerous times on the hot meal line AS A MEAL SIDE!!! Not much healthier, some sort of fried chicken or fish nuggets might be supplied right next to the ‘oh so healthy’ french fries, and then MAYBE one other actual meal choice, whether Shepherd’s Pie is healthy or not is up for debate as “ground beef and cheese whiz” are now looked upon with contempt by Johnson and Hardwick.
Why are there such disparities?
What choices are there for vegans, vegetarians, or even our omnivorous friends who try to eat healthily? Zilch.