Dining Halls: The Need for Nutrition AND Convenience

By: Kristi Painter

Good nutrition is essential for college students who want to keep their minds and bodies in good condition during long hours of studying in a dorm room. Unfortunately, this is the easiest time to make bad nutrition decisions, a three course meal may sound more appealing but a slice of pizza and a soda are more accessible in a busy schedule. While meal plans and dining halls are offered at colleges they may not be the easiest or most convenient way to get the nutrition you need. According to Beth J. Harpaz, more and more college student have begun cooking simple nutritious meals for themselves when they can rather than relying on dining halls to fulfill their needs. Harpaz states that this “food revolution” has influenced college dining halls towards more healthy and international dishes but some students still prefer the convenience of their dorm hall kitchen.

In reality, the downfall of college dining halls today is not nutrition but convenience. Those with some gastronomic skills are much happier creating their own unique dishes than visiting the local dining hall, as said by Harpaz. But for the students without any culinary skills it is much easier to microwave a slice of leftover pizza in your dorm while doing some much needed studying for an upcoming exam than to walk to the dining hall and eat a well balanced meal. Dining halls should now focus on providing convenient and healthy solutions for busy college students. Convenient, healthy options are important for providing proper nutrition to busy college students .