There exists a general understanding that cafeteria food is unhealthy, but this stereotype is only true when it comes to french fries and hamburgers. In reality, Sodexho has been making the effort to offer healthier choices to students at lunchtime. These healthy choices include the salad bar, the sandwich station, and the “healthy snacks” cart, situated between the two. But the product that has expanded most rapidly in the cafeteria is the offered produce. Under the “Take Five” slogan, which refers to the five recommended daily servings of fruit and vegetables, students can purchase handy cups of healthy snacks such as grapes or orange slices.
Sodexho has recently taken an additional step to promote a healthy diet. A special “Produce of the Month” promotion began at the beginning of this school year. Every month since September has featured a new fruit or vegetable. September brought apples, October was watermelon, November featured sweet potatoes, and December’s chosen produce was the banana. For fifty cents, students were able to enjoy this potassium-rich fruit daily. Unfortunately, bananas were not made into a permanent menu item. This is most likely due to their short shelf life and the disinclination students express towards purchasing a banana with even one bruise or imperfection. The produce of the month for January is oranges- not quite as exciting considering oranges have been offered every month so far.
Some students are questioning the effectiveness of offering nutritional meals to students. “The healthy choices tend to be overpriced,” Junior Katherine Anderson pointed out. The quality of the produce also fails to meet expectations. “The apples are a little more than overripe,” Junior Jaffar Mahmoud said. “But at least they’re trying,” added Natalie Ross, also a junior.
By Gwen Kestler, entertainment editor
