Food for Thought

Do students gain weight during the academic school year on campus, or at home when returning for Fall, Winter, and Summer breaks?

Alexandria Jones, junior, TAT at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) said she eats a lot more at home because she feels deprived from a good wholesome meals when she is on campus. The dining options offered on campus are: the Dining Commons, Otter Express, and Peet’s Coffee.

The Dining Commons (DC) open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Oatmeal, waffles, pancakes, sausage, both scrambled and hard-boiled eggs, muffins, and made to order omelets are among the breakfast items offered at the DC. With a list like that Jones feels the options are not healthy at all. Jones said that even though she goes to the DC to eat there are not a lot of healthy options offered especially for breakfast, besides the fruit near the exit.

The DC provides healthy options for lunch and dinner. There is a vegetarian stand offering both vegetarian and at times vegan choices for those wanting a healthier alternative to their meal. Also, for lunch, there is a made-to-order salad chef along with a make-it-yourself salad bar. The salad chef will make different styles from Chicken Caesar Salad, to Buffalo Chicken.

“My favorite thing about the DC is the salads, especially since I’m trying to eat healthy this semester. I just wish they had the salad chef for dinner as well because there aren’t too many options at the salad bar like there is with the made to order salads,” Loreion McCray, junior, Business, said.

The Otter Express (OE) is a quick and easy option for students who need to eat on the go, with options of burger and fries, sandwiches, chicken tenders, and more. The options at the OE are high in calories but the student’s preference when in a hurry.

“I prefer the Otter Express just because there are quick already made options, and they’re open until 12 a.m. which is awesome for me since I have classes that go until 10 p.m.,” Ashley Rojas, junior, Collaborative Health and Human Services said.

The Otter Express also offers ‘Simply to Go’ providing Sandwiches, Caesar and Garden salads, PB&J’s, parfaits, fruit cups, etc.

Peet’s is where Rojas, goes for her coffee fix. Peet’s provides an assortment of coffee blends, tea, and smoothies. Pastries including croissants, cookies, scones and more. They also have healthy snacks provided: mixed nuts, trail mix, yogurt, and more.

Students are offered options of healthy living lifestyles with clubs such as the Outdoor Recreation Club (ORC) providing events with fun exercises and outdoor activities. There is also the Otter Sports Center (OSC) which is open to CSUMB students Monday through Friday 5:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday 12 p.m.- 4 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m.- 8 p.m.

Around 9 p.m. on a Tuesday night the gym is filled with many students, sports team members, as well as elderly individuals. The gym offers a basketball court that may be used as long as none of the sports teams are occupying it. There is also a room filled with weights and weight machines. The room next to it is filled with treadmills on each side that have mini televisions attached to them. There are also a few more weight machines provided in that room. The third room contains a number of elliptical machines, which target muscle groups in both the arms and legs.

At CSUMB students are given various food options from burgers and fries to salads and fruit; to gain weight at college is left to the student’s lifestyle choices.