“Do you want to eat with the plastic [cutlery] or the china?” a cafeteria staff woman asked me before I stood in line to purchase my German chocolate cake topped with a spiraling cinnamon icing. A coat of shredded coconut and pecan glaze layered on top and could be found again in the middle of the desert, sandwiched between a moist, rich, and chocolatey breading, leaving an underwhelmingly sugary aftertaste. It tasted as if someone’s mama made it! And the best part of all was that it was made from mostly all organic ingredients: organic flower, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, coconut, pecans, sea salt (which is all natural in itself), and then you’ve got your local Hudson Valley butter and heavy cream. Despite the cake’s lack of excessive sweetness, I could hardly tell the difference.
This cake is one of many food items being served in the cafeteria at The New School’s premiere residence, Kerrey Hall, where most meals are made from whole ingredients. Integrating organic produce is one of the first steps that colleges can introduce to promote health initiatives for their student body. Recent studies show that college students are not consuming enough fruits and vegetables. According to a study published in The Journal of Food Distribution Research in March 2013, 82 percent of students surveyed reported not eating fresh fruits and vegetables daily.
Part of having a great college experience is its food culture. Most college students want to eat spectacular food in all ways, including taste and texture. Some believe that food should somewhat be conscientious. According to a finding by the global investment bank Jefferies Alix Partners, natural, organic, and healthy nutritious foods are becoming more important for millennials, and the demand for foods coming from an organic agricultural standpoint has increased by about 20 percent every year since 2002.
But the price barriers attached to buying nutritional whole foods are oftentimes a concern for students. In addition, trying to adopt a healthy lifestyle can be demanding for those who have to juggle their academics, social life, and for many a part-time job. It’s much easier to pick up greasy chicken tenders and fries on the go when students have a hectic campus life and only limited food options, which is why colleges have to make these foods more readily accessible and in the face of their students.
“I think it is important because the college experience, to be complete, needs to take care of all aspects of students’ learning, including awareness about what’s good and healthy to eat,” Fabio Parasecoli, the associate professor and coordinator of the Food Studies’ program at The New School says. “I would also include what’s fair and sustainable, as we can’t isolate individual health from larger systemic and social issues.”
Even if college campuses are not prepared to transition into a fully organic eating experience, they can still replace prepackaged goods and fast food meals with real foods like vegetables, fruits or grains. When students incorporate a balanced diet into their everyday lives on campus, they are not only able to maintain a healthy weight, but they perform better in school.
One of the ways a lot of colleges facilitate obesity is by making vending machine items and fast fried options more readily accessible. Yep, that’s right! “Freshman 15” is not just a myth, it’s a real phenomena! These packaged and fried foods are fast, cheap, and easily satisfy students’ appetites. But these foods translate over to students not doing as well academically as they could be.
Dr. Gomez-Pinella, a professor of neurosurgery and physiological science at the University of California, Los Angeles, found a relationship between nutrition and students’ cognitive abilities. For one, most students are not getting enough of their Omega 3 fatty acids, which can be found in fish, walnuts, flax seeds, beans, and olive oil. Omega 3’s have been found to increase normal brain function and memory. A diet high in these fatty acids also has a positive correlation with higher test scores.
There has to be more options provided for students to explore and embrace. For instance, students could be provided with more conscious snack options like baked chips. It simply is not enough for them to just be getting the minimum nutritional needs.
First thing’s first – universities should push for a more nutritionally conscious environment by creating a health-conscious space and by using allergenic labels like gluten-free or dairy-free. These foods can become more affordable for students if colleges allocate some of their budget toward subsidizing an all-out healthier dining experience that integrates three essential elements: taste, texture, and less politics. If colleges cannot provide their students with more nutritional options, then students should further evaluate the worth of their education. And how can they determine it when they aren’t getting their money’s worth? When the price exceeds the value.
Michael is an aspiring columnist and screenwriter at Thew New School who contributes to Thought Catalog.
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