Food Choices for the Concerned Eater | TheGothicTimes

By Diane DeBiase?

Picture this: you just get out of class, you are strolling down the walkway between Karnoutsos Hall and Rossey and you begin to hear your stomach rumble. Whether you live on campus or are a commuter, either way you know that you are HUNGRY. Now here comes the hard part, where should you go to satisfy your growling tummy? There are the food trucks on Audubon Avenue and Kennedy Boulevard, or the Starbucks in the Professional Studies building or there is always the cafeteria in the GSUB. So I decided to investigate and see what kind of healthy, and not so healthy, food that I could find on the campus of NJCU.

We all want to try and eat healthier; however most of us are on a tight budget. So yes, the food trucks on Kennedy Blvd and Audubon Avenue are convenient and have cheap food, but are they worth it? After scanning the menu on the side of the truck, the only healthy items are a few salads and a handful of wraps.

The salads on the food truck range from $7.95 to $8.95. The wraps are approximately $7.95 for most on the menu. There are also other items on the menu that are popular but aren?t exactly healthy, such as the cheeseburger and cheesesteak. While the food may not be your healthiest choice, the truck has been a staple at NJCU for years and has a great reputation for quality food.

Next on my trek I stopped into the Professional Studies building and wanted to see what Starbucks had to offer. So I checked out the food offerings myself and found a few healthy choices. I?m not sure someone would want to grab their dinner here, but breakfast, lunch or a quick snack would be fine. Here there was a yogurt parfait for $3.60, Greek yogurt for $2.99, fresh fruit such as bananas and apples and Kashi bars. They also have a variety of teas, coffees and drinks. In the front cooler they also had small salads that were already made and small containers of fruit. The food here seems fresh and healthy, as long as you don?t overdo it on the muffins and pastries that they also carry.

My final stop was the school cafeteria in the GSUB. In September of 2011, Gourmet Dining LLC started running our school cafeteria, and the changes that have been made are definitely a step in the right direction. When I asked to speak with a manager to find out what kind of healthy offerings they had, I was quickly introduced to Mr. Donald Bunn. Mr. Bunn, aka Malik Mohammad, is the manager of the cafeteria and took me on a tour to show me all of the new menu items. Julianne Aiello, the director of dining services, and Anthony Cinelli, the executive chef, have come together to create a menu of food that is not only health conscious but budget friendly too. ?We wanted to give the students and faculty more choices, and this new menu does just that,? stated Mr. Bunn.

Our first station was the salad bar. ?We try to grow a lot of our produce in the garden on campus, the salad bar needs to be fresh every day.? said Mr. Bunn. The prices for the salad bar range from $5.85 to $6.50 or you can pay by weight at $.38 per ounce. When I visited the cafeteria it was in the evening and the salad bar looked clean and fresh even at 7:00pm.

Gourmet Dining LLC has also begun using a company called Nature Boy. Nature Boy provides the cafeteria with vegetarian options such as meals, sandwiches and wraps. These products are Halal and Kosher, high protein, low sodium, low calorie and made from organic ingredients.

Some choices in the refrigerated section include hummus, yogurt, fruit cups, sushi tuna rolls, vegetarian chicken salad and whole grain wheat bread with spicy tofu. Items like the sushi were $8.25, however the sandwiches and wraps were all under $6.00.

?We have something for everyone,? stated Mr. Bunn. ?Whether you need lactose free, gluten free or nut free, we have it all.? I was astonished by the amount of drink choices there were as well. Everyone knows that you can grab a soda or iced tea anywhere, but to have freshly made smoothies, organic fruit juices and Odwalla juices is quite surprising for a school cafeteria. Again, like all my other food stops, there are the not-so-healthy food choices too! You can get pizza, burritos, cheeseburgers and even tacos. But just know that there are also homemade soups and a full course dinner including steamed vegetables available daily.

There are also monthly events at the cafeteria, such as eating contests, Iron Chef Challenges and Biggest Loser contests. I was pleasantly surprised at what the NJCU had to offer. I was also surprised at how friendly and helpful Mr. Bunn was. He took his time and explained everything to me.

If it was me trying to decide where to eat, I would definitely choose the cafeteria. The food choices are amazing, and the prices were about the same, if not better, than the other food spots. Just the fact that you know the food is made daily and made with fresh ingredients, makes you feel more comfortable about eating it. I am sure everyone has their days when they want to get something quick off the food truck. However I highly recommend trying out the improved cafeteria in the GSUB. I think you will be just as impressed as I was!

Ms. Aiello works hand-in-hand with a registered dietician to make sure that the food meets certain criteria and isn?t high in calories, fat and/or sodium. The dietician helps develop the menu and is available to talk with the students. The dietician also helps students pick out foods that best fit your diet. The best part is it is free of charge!

Source: http://www.gothictimes.net/2012/11/05/food-choices-for-the-concerned-eater/

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