Eating Healthy at EMU

College can be a quagmire for those students wishing to maintain a healthy lifestyle. After all, tasty and inexpensive options tend to take precedence over more wholesome choices. Why blow a week's worth of hard-earned money at Whole Foods when you can score a crate of Ramen and have wads of cash to spare?

But there is another option for Eastern Michigan University's students. EMU Dining Services works to bridge the gaps between delicious, healthy and cost-effective at its various on-campus dining facilities.

"Dining Services values the feedback we get from students looking for healthy options on campus," Schofield says. "Many changes over the last five years have been in direct response to this feedback as well as current trends in the food industry."

Health consciousness permeates the campus, and in no place is this more visible than at The Commons. The all-you-care-to-eat buffet offers a variety of fresh fruit, juices, and a salad bar. The brown rice is cooked daily, and the salmon used in recipes are flown in from Boston and immediately prepared, never having met a freezer. EMU Dining is looking to test-drive a health food station as well.

The Eastern Eateries has a few healthful gems hiding within the unassuming cafeteria. Skip the burger and fried chicken joints and seek out the salad bar. If greens ain't your thing, The Skillet has a noodle bar. Pick your noodle and load it up with your favorite healthy options.

On the go? The Eagle Cafés scattered across campus offer fruit and yogurt cups, pre-made salads and fresh soups. Vegetarians and vegans will delight in the Student Center's GreenMarket Bistro. In addition to fruits and veggies, the Bistro also offers freshly made hummus, stir-fry and meat substitutes like the new kale burger.

Those with a food allergy or food intolerance, fear not. Packages are clearly marked if they contain any of the top food allergens (wheat, peanuts/tree nuts, fish/shellfish, soy, dairy, eggs), and those students who have severe adverse reactions to certain foods may opt into a specially designed program through the Disability Resource Center. Meals will be prepared by a specially trained chef in a designated allergen station, and the student will be able to designate preferred times for pick-up.

Schofield urges students to take advantage of the healthier options on campus—the fruit and veggie cups, the hummus and the Greek yogurt—and kicking soda and energy drinks in favor of water. She stresses the importance of planning ahead in order to halt unhealthy eating habits before they begin.

Jess J. Salisbury