"Can I have fruit with that?" Some at Muhlenberg are following the recent U.S. trend of becoming more "health-conscious" and are asking for food other than hamburgers, french fries and mozzarella sticks. Although there is currently food available in General's Quarters (GQ), its seems as if students are not completely satisfied and are left wondering if further improvements will be made.
Over the past few months, the College has worked with Sodexho, to offer healthier options. Sodexho decides exactly what types of meats, vegetables and breads are available in the Garden Room and GQ each day. Sodexho also makes standard recipes for everything from pasta salads and tuna fish, to chicken dishes, that are to be replicated in the College's kitchens.
Although Sodexho has played a large role in implementing the healthier food choices in GQ, they had little choice in the matter. Sodexho realized the new demand for healthier food
"I am happy to see that the school has finally added an array of fruits and more salads in GQ," said Leigh Wynn '08. "At home, I grew up eating many vegetables, and the adjustment to college eating was difficult at first; however, now that there are healthier options, I feel more in control of my diet."
Many students agree with Wynn and are taking advantage of the newest additions in GQ, such as the fresh fruit cups, whole apples, pears and bananas and cold vegetable slices consisting of squash, zucchini, carrots and celery. Steamed broccoli and green beans are offered as side dishes. These fresh vegetables, in addition to whole wheat breads and pasta, were added to the GQ menu so that students would be able to eat a lunch or dinner consisting of a variety of the food groups.
According to the Department of Health, "Eating a variety of foods and following the Food Pyramid will help keep your intake of total fat and saturated fat low." Susan Hurd, Registered Dietician with Sodexho said, "Students should follow the guidelines of the Food Pyramid, in order to get the energy, protein and vitamins they need to function both physically and mentally. Currently, Hurd feels confident that students can fulfill the requirements of the Pyramid by eating at GQ.
She emphasizes that it is never too early to develop healthy eating habits and that it is okay to occasionally eat fried food, but is unhealthy to consume it regularly. French fries and deep-fried mozzarella sticks, if eaten frequently, can contribute to obesity, high cholesterol and diabetes. Some healthy options to consider instead of the cheese fries and chicken fingers served at the Grill, which are mostly empty calories, are the salads, vegetarian soups and microwavable meals.
In regard to the healthiness of these microwavable meals, John Pasquarello, Manager of Dining Services said, "We responded to student needs. There was a demand for food on the go, and we made a conscious effort to offer healthy microwavable meals." One of the healthiest "minute meals" is the vegetarian burrito, which is loaded with protein, "good" fats and whole grains, from refried beans, cheddar cheese and rice. Other meals include macaroni and cheese, chicken parmigiana, pasta with Alfredo sauce and the most popular item, stuffed shells.
Unlike food at the grill that is prepared with oil and high saturated fats, these meals are made with natural ingredients and provide protein, complex carbohydrates and vitamins.
Although these meals are easy to grab on the go and fulfill dietary needs, they are not always available to students. These meals are not offered in GQ everyday; therefore, some vegetarians and health conscious students who do not eat from the grill are not left with many options to fulfill their daily nutritional needs.
When discussing the selection of food at GQ with several students, they immediately said that there aren't enough options for vegetarians and students who do not feel comfortable eating the meat at school.
Although Pasquarello assures students that GQ uses quality meats and cold cuts, there is an obvious difference in appearance alone between these cold cuts and cold cuts seen in upscale delis, which are usually Boar's Head Meats.
The brand of turkey used to make sandwiches at Muhlenberg is Jennie-O, and in 1999 Jennie-O also distributed undercooked "extra lean white turkey" sliced luncheon meat to many states throughout the country.
In terms of the appearance and quality of meats, Danielle Pino '06 said, "There is no lean turkey, it is all fatty, discolored and looks like the scraps of the turkey." Pasquarello said, "the school goes through a lot of turkey," but that does not necessarily mean it is quality turkey. It means that students need to put something in their sandwiches.
As a vegetarian, Melissa Gilmore '06 said, "Finding healthy food that provides protein is not easy. There is only so much salad I can eat, and it remains frustrating that the quality of the lettuce in GQ is not always fresh and is sometimes dry and brown."
In terms of other suggestions to benefit vegetarians, picky eaters, and health conscious eaters, GQ could offer fresher salads, vegetarian sandwiches, hummus and cream cheese dips with vegetables or spinach dips. Another option is to offer tofu in GQ, which is a healthy soy product full of protein and nutrients. In addition to the tofu, tuna fish is another good source of protein for non-meat eaters; however, the ready-made tuna fish in GQ is made with Ken's Extra Heavy Mayonnaise. There are 100 calories per tablespoon in this extra heavy mayonnaise.
When a student approached Pasquarello about the amount of mayonnaise in the tuna, which overpowers the taste of the actual fish, he responded, "We follow Sodexho's recipe for making the tuna fish." Although Muhlenberg has to follow the direct ingredients and recipes from Sodexho, they could easily offer plain tuna in the sandwich area with choices of different types of mayonnaise, which would allow each individual student to make tuna to his or her liking.
is a member of the 
