Everybody loves food. Now it is how we handle our cravings that determine how we can manage to stay in a healthy shape while still eating exactly what we want. Brenau’s dining hall, along with 15 other institutions, utilizes the food services offered by Aramark. Aramark’s Susan Bertucci–a Registered Dietician, Licensed Dietician and Certified Diabetes Educator–led the student support service event on Friday, September, 22 titled “A Fresh Look at Campus Dining.”
   When discussing a “healthy diet,” Bertucci explained that there is “no such thing as a healthy diet,” and that “diets are individualized per person.” It is recommended that two to three cups of fruits and three to five cups of vegetables are eaten daily. Bertucci also recommends that students limit their meat portions to three to four ounces. Luckily, Aramark includes nutrition cards with their meals which you can find either online at campusdish.com or in the line when getting your food.
   Some of the most recommended nutrition tips include ditching the diet, not drinking your calories, not skipping meals, eating more whole foods instead of processed food and portion control. Ditching the diet is the number one recommendation because it can help you focus on building a healthy lifestyle due to the fact that you would be eliminating necessary food groups, thus creating a non-sustainable lifestyle. When drinking your calories, you generally end up leaving out a decent portion of nutrients you really need throughout the day only leaving a marginal amount of space to actually eat the rest of your calories. Skipping meals may seem like the proper way to lose weight, however, doing this results in you losing essential nutrients causing your metabolism to gradually slow down. Fortunately, it is okay for you to take fruit out of the Hopkins Dining Hall if you end up missing meals do to a busy class schedule. In fact, one of Aramark’s mottos is “Don’t leave the dining hall hungry, and don’t leave mad,” said A.B. Bailley. The dining hall also offers whole foods to eat all day–a continental breakfast and Lite Bites–so you don’t have to worry about always eating processed foods in your dorm room. You do not even have to sign in to the dining hall if it is in between meal hours, so eating in there throughout the day will not count against your meal plan.
   If you have any dietary concerns and restrictions, talk to the dining hall staff, and they will gladly work with you to fulfill your daily dietary needs. Also, make sure to stop by Hopkins this Thursday during the lunch block. Bailey will be making Philly Cheesesteaks to order by giving a demonstration the entire time. Also, if you would like to have any particular meal themes served, you must get it approved by Student Services, but you may request a particular meal at random.
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