The challenge facing Saga, Inc. and Hillsdale’s Health Services Department is a tough one: how to give busy college students access to healthy food that they actually want to eat.
It’s much easier said than done.
A recent survey conducted by Health Services showed that students are definitely concerned about their ability to eat healthy in Saga at mealtimes. About 42 percent of the student body – 596 students – responded to the email survey regarding their opinion on both the nutritive value of food available at meals and their eating habits at school.
The responses, as well as the number of respondents, revealed that the student body is both interested in eating healthily and aware of how how to do so.
More than 50 percent of respondents said that it was “extremely important” to have healthy options available at meals, and less than 5 percent said it is “not important at all.”
In addition, 50 percent identified themselves as “moderately aware of what types, portions, and varieties of food to eat in order to have a nutritious diet” and 44 percent said they were “very aware.”
The Health Services Department is also interested in providing students with the resources they need to eat healthily and function well.
“Food ultimately is fuel for your body,” said Brock Lutz, Director of Health Services. “You wouldn’t put apple juice in your car to run it and if you did your car wouldn’t run very well. So why would we have any different perspective on our bodies?”
The central method employed by Health Services and Saga to help students eat healthy at Saga is the Healthy Plate, Lutz and Saga general manager Kevin Kirwan said.
The coordinated effort between the two departments began last semester as a way to help students identify and select healthy options available at Saga, even when in a rush and tempted by readily available, unhealthy options.
“College student are busy, time is very limited, and they’re not going to walk into Saga and spend a lot of time trying to figure out what the most healthy thing is,” Lutz said. “They’re just going to grab a wrapped cheeseburger, French fries, sugar beverage – almost none of which is actually nutritious.”
The Healthy Plate Program is comprised of students employed by Saga to look at what is being served at each meal and examine the nutritional information of each item, then use serving recommendations from the FDA to craft a plate on display in the serving area to give students an example of the best way to fill their plates.
According to the survey, however, only 19 percent of students consult the plate even some of the time. Over 15 percent did not even know that it existed.
“The healthy plate is unrealistic,” said freshman Megan Prom. “I don’t want half a plate of rice or salad.”
Other students were similarly unimpressed, including sophomore Julianna Chuslo, who described the Healthy Plate as “generally bland and tasteless.”
In response to such responses, Health Services is looking for ways to make the Healthy Plate more visible. In addition, they are working with Saga to implement several of the suggestions that students either supported in the survey or brought up themselves in the free-response section.
These suggestions include new food items that Saga should offer, or offer more often. Lutz said that Health Services is working with Saga on the responses – including several proposals to introduce new food items – although he is unsure about when students should expect them to appear.
Freshman Tracy Brandt suggested more whole wheat, nuts, grains, and vegetable variety.
“They do well with lean meat, but I wish they had more fruit and veggie dishes,” Brandt said. “They could probably improve the preparation of vegetables.”
Freshman Sarah Albers echoed Brandt, calling for fresh fruit, yogurt, good proteins.
“The salad bar leaves a lot to be desired,” Albers said. “There’s no variety or quality in the lower fat dressings; it’s the same thing every day. The main food from the hot line is usually very unhealthy too.”
Prior to the survey, Kirwan explained that he determines what students like based on how much they take of any given menu item and how much returns, uneaten, to the dish line. If the item is popular, Saga will continue to serve it. If only a few people take it, then they won’t.
“We’re gonna listen to our customers,” Kirwan said. “We’re gonna base our meal rotation based upon what we know are high-satisfaction items that a lot of people like.”
The other main indicator Saga has of student approval is attendance.
According to Kirwan, Hillsdale students attend each meal in relatively high percentages, compared to other schools of the same size.
“What that means in the overall scheme of things is that number one, they enjoy coming here, either for the camaraderie, the conversation, the surroundings, and hopefully the food,” Kirwan said.
However, students say that attendance does not always equal preference.
“We’re required to buy a meal plan,” Junior Jordan Anetsberger said. “If we go anywhere else, it’s a waste of our money. Simple as that.”
Anetsberger said that Hillsdale has “a decent” number of places to eat besides Saga – he personally frequents the Coffee Cup Diner two-to-three times per week – but that if students don’t have a vehicle, Saga is really their only option.
The survey provides additional insight into what food options students find appealing, and both Health Services and Saga are engaged in applying their findings to answer a difficult question: how do you give busy college students access to healthy food that they actually want to eat?
It’s a challenge, but one that Saga and Health Services are working to overcome and, hopefully, students will find the results appealing.