Education majors care about teaching. Art majors care about expression. Political science majors care about politics.
I’m all for avoiding stereotypes, but hopefully there’s some passion involved in shaping four years of life.
It would follow, then, that nutrition majors care about eating well.
For nutrition sophomore Bernice Tomasso, this definitely holds true. “My brother was always making fun of me, saying I cared so much about my diet I should be a nutritionist,” she said.
After seeing her mom go through health problems at a young age, Tomasso was determined not to do the same. “I want to be a positive example, a leader in health,” she said.
She does an exercise boot camp four times a week, and cardio workouts on the side. She can quickly list things like top sources of iron in vegetables — and ways to eat them every day.
But many of those vegetables are not available to her on ASU’s Downtown campus, where nutrition majors are required to live — and to purchase a meal plan.
The Downtown campus boasts a whole five student dining destinations. And these locations don’t have much to offer.
The residential dining hall serves veggies soaked in butter, greasy pizza and salads with watery iceberg lettuce.
The omelet on their breakfast menu comes in at a whopping 26 grams of fat, with waffles and breakfast burritos following close behind, according to CampusDish.com.
El Portal offers greasy Mexican food piled on top of iceberg lettuce. I’ve never seen the kitchen, but its sister location in South Phoenix has committed numerous health code violations.
The salty Asian dishes at Hsin Café and rich pasta salads at Wraps and More are also questionable. “You have no idea what ingredients or nutritional value is in any of it,” Tomasso said.
And Devils’ Greens, the healthiest sounding option, also disappoints. “There are no beans, just not very many options,” Tomasso said. “And it’s way too expensive. I paid $11 for a salad.”
Those who prefer to eat off-campus must waste at least $927 a semester on the cheapest meal plan. “As a Taylor Place resident, you will be required to purchase a meal plan,” ASU’s website states.
“If I had that in cash, I wouldn’t even use it all,” Tomasso said.
She lived on the Tempe campus last year, and while the options weren’t perfect, they were better than Downtown. She ate salads, whole-wheat turkey sandwiches and veggie burgers.
“I researched the healthy options,” she said. “But you can’t live off salad.”
According to the Center for Disease Control, only 17 percent of U.S. children are obese, while about 33 percent of adults are.
It would seem, then, that the college years are important in developing eating habits.
“I guess it’s called the freshman fifteen for a reason,” Tomasso said. “Learning to cook for yourself is important in college. You can’t go out to eat every night your whole life.”
Tomasso is concerned not only for herself, but also for fellow students. To address the problem, she’s working on plans for a student organization that would advocate healthier eating habits, both on-campus and off.
“Every person I talk to has a serious problem with it, but nobody does anything,” she said.
Mandatory meal plans might ensure that students with no nutrition knowledge don’t blow food money on pizza and beer every night. But to require a low-quality meal plan for students so aware of their nutritional needs is absurd.
Reach the columnist at alexandria.gregory@asu.edu
