When it comes to maintaining a balanced diet, college students often fall prey to overwhelming schedules and underwhelming college budgets. Students eat what they can, when they can, and this can make it difficult to resist grabbing quick, easy meals without realizing the nutritional content.
Kerry Barnett, junior chemistry major, said as far as healthy food options are concerned, there are not many options.
“Places serve fruit, and that’s about it,” Barnett said.
However, Jackson Donald, sophomore biological sciences major, said he enjoys the food options on campus.
“I think the food options are great – especially the Perry. You have a plethora of veggies and meats and fruits to choose from for every meal,” Donald said. “One of my best friends who is a personal trainer got a meal plan as a sophomore just so he could eat at the Perry. You have to be very disciplined to be a healthy eater.”
Shalonda Patterson, junior communication major, does not claim to be a very healthy eater, but she said she really enjoys the salad bar at Perry as well, along with the deli options at Bleecker Street in the Union.
“I eat on campus all the time. My favorite snacks are the cookies from Bleecker Street and bagels from Einstein Brothers. For lunch, I love Perry’s salad bar and Bleecker Street’s deli sandwiches,” Patterson said.
Amy Stevenson, nutrition analyst for Aramark Food Supply, which is Mississippi State University’s primary source of food, pointed out the surprisingly good and bad food options we have here at MSU. She said ultimately eating habits are most important.
At Panda Express, for example, the advertisement says there is “no added MSG,” or monosodium glutamate  a type of high sodium flavoring, which is naturally prominent in foods such as soy sauce. Stevenson said the problem with Panda Express is mainly the sauces.
“Besides being high in sodium, sweet sauces are very high in sugar. Sauces just have added calories, so be very aware of that. Fried rice has more oil, which is good, but you can have too much oil, so don’t eat it every day. Stick with meats with no sauce or with non-fried rice,” she said.
Even though some might think of it as a guilty indulgence, pizza is not all that unhealthy. Bread, cheese and tomatoes are all good sources of energy and vitamins. According to MSU Dining’s Healthy Choice Guide, a large slice of pepperoni pizza from The Village in Griffis Hall is only 260 calories, and a slice of personal pan cheese pizza is only 98 calories. Also, a frappuccino with whipped cream from Starbucks has almost double the amount of calories of an ice cream cone from ChickFilA.
Stevenson also explained why the “freshman 15” is such a big deal.
“You are eating later than usual, you don’t eat breakfast, and as freshmen, you are always getting sick. When you’re sick, you either don’t eat or you eat more, but a balanced diet would even keep you from getting sick,” Stevenson said.
She said balance is important to diet.  Students who do not eat enough red meat can take iron vitamins. Lactose-intolerant individuals should drink soy milk.
Instead of drinking sweet tea for every meal, Stevenson suggested drinking unsweet tea or half sweet and half unsweet.
“You’re always going to have cravings, and it’s okay to give in to them, but later, maybe have an apple or carrots to balance out your unhealthy snack,” she said.
Stevenson shared some helpful hints to guide students’ eating habits.
“Typically, cold food has less calories than warm food. It’s all this big chemical reaction, but, basically, if you toast a regular piece of bread, the toasted piece would have more calories than the same piece before it was toasted. So get something cold, like a deli sandwich, a salad or a wrap, especially in this heat. You need to be drinking a lot, but not sugary drinks that really dehydrate you. Also, if you go to the Perry, don’t get all you can eat. And, if you go back for seconds, try to fill your plate with fruits and vegetables,” she said.
Aramark also incorporates vegan meals, gluten-free options, dairy-free options and even vacuum-sealed meals or sandwiches to accommodate students with food allergies.
Aramark and MSU provides lists of the dining spots on campus, the menus and nutrition charts on the website: msstatedining.com. Any student can consult a dietition at the Longest Student Health Center, as well as MSU Dining’s Healthy Choice Guide, which is a booklet that can be found at many of MSU’s dining locations on campus.