Whether you’re a freshman eating at the cafeteria, a sorority girl on a lunch date at the Varsity, or just a girl looking for something to suppress her groaning stomach after waking up too late—once again—and skipping breakfast to make it to class on time, here’s the scoop on campus food.
In order to maintain a healthy diet and a happy heart, mind, and body, balanced nutrition is essential in our daily meals. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean proteins, are the five key factors in healthy eating. These five food groups give us the things we need—such as protein, fiber, and nutrients—to keep us lean, energized, focused, and satisfied.
And while SMU has a variety of meal options on campus, it’s easy to find ourselves picking the same food items over and over because of convenience, flavor, and price. Unfortunately for us, those foods that are affordable, quick and easy, and taste the best, are not always as friendly to us later on. What might gives our taste buds immediate satisfaction, could add some extra pounds in the long run. So next time you visit these campus dining spots, think twice before making your choice.
Real Food on Campus (also known as “Umph”):
Yes, there were days when I had eggs, hash browns, sausage, French toast, and cinnamon rolls, all on one plate, French fries with cheese sauce on top, and five hot cookies from the cookie lady with vanilla soft serve ice cream on top. There is no doubt that Umph has some delectable treats, but there are ways to eat more nutritional ones that still taste good.
Eggs are one of the best sources of protein we can get, so when in doubt, eat eggs. Eggs can be boring, so head to the omelet station to whip up a delicious, personalized meal with vegetables (always a good thing to eat), some meat (yeah more protein!) and a little bit of cheese for flavor (but not too much cheese).
Feeling like you really just want carbs though? Grab a pancake or two rather than make a waffle. A waffle has over 600 calories and 93 grams of carbohydrates versus a blueberry pancake with fewer than 200 calories and only 20 grams of carbs.
Umph now has a new section called, “Healthy on the Hilltop,” which serves healthy food items for lunch and dinner that are flavorful. There are even gluten free and vegan options! So check out this section next time you eat at Umph. Also, head over to the salad bar and mix and match vegetables or fruit with cottage cheese to make a protein filled snack or meal instead of your boring old salad with no flavor. Hummus is also a great alternative to dressing when eating vegetables, so go ahead and dip as many veggies (I like carrots best with hummus) as you’d like.
And last thing, when you’re walking out of Umph, grab as many apples, bananas, and oranges that can possibly fit into your back pack and take them back to your room for a healthy snack later in the day when you don’t feel like walking back to the cafeteria.
The Varsity: Your healthiest option is picking something out from the market—preferably yogurt and some berries, vegetable sticks, or even a small tray of sushi rolls. Your next option would be Subway. Stick with whole wheat when picking bread, and turkey or chicken rather than steak, pastrami, or roast beef. Say no to cheese and always pick mustard over mayo, and add as many veggies as you would like!
Then there is Pizza Hut. The personal size pizza can be anywhere from 550 to almost 900 calories each. There is nothing I can really tell you other than eat sparingly.
But lets be real here, I know it is impossible to simply walk past Chick-Fil-A without craving some waffle fries and a lemonade to wash it down. So if Chick-Fil-A is a must, then stick with the 8-piece nuggets rather than a chicken sandwich. A chicken sandwich has close to 450 calories (and that’s before you had the sauces) where as eight nuggets is estimated at 260 calories, with almost the same amount of protein (which is the one good nutritional value coming out of either option). I know the waffle fries are hard to resist, but these perfectly crispy on the outside and soft in the middle potato grids add 300 calories to your meal and have no nutritional value what so ever. And not to mention, the creamy, salty Chick-Fil-A sauce that we use to dip both our chicken and fries in, is 140 calories alone for just one of those packets (and who actually uses only one!?). So do yourself a favor and choose honey mustard to go with your nuggets and only indulge every once in a while on waffle fries and Chick-Fil-A sauce.
Hopefully these food ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ influence your meal choices when eating on campus. As long as you focus on a well balanced diet, made up of the five key food groups, you will stay beautiful both on the outside and inside.