Campus Dining: Sustenance, Nutrition, and the Almighty Dollar

Grand Valley State University prides itself on improving campus conditions, including everything from sustainability efforts to healthy living programs for its faculty and staff, so why do the healthier menu items like salads require students to have such deep pockets?

Campus dining at the university integrates some of the sustainability practices, such as bins for recycling, and using eco-friendly coffee cups. However, even though there are some healthy options available to students, there aren’t enough, and they come at a steep price for those whose income may not be able to support the cost of campus dining convenience. GVSU should price the healthy items lower, so students can afford to eat on campus.

“It seems to me that Grand Valley is looking for the easiest way to make a profit,” said Michelle Harring, a student who brings her lunch from home to avoid the cost of campus dining. “They talk about wanting to make the campus healthier and more eco-friendly when all they are doing is reiterating bad habits to students.”

A trip to Kirkhof Center’s River Landing is a good choice for variety. Students can choose between burritos, burgers, sushi, pizza, or salads, to name a few options. The price for the salad comes in at $6.19, where as the pizza is $3.09 a slice. Meaning, one can get two giant slices of pepperoni pizza for the price of a salad. For a snack, a fresh piece of fruit such as an apple or a banana is $1.09, and a Nestle Crunch Ice Cream Bar is 99 cents. The price of the non-healthy items is lower than that of the healthier alternatives, and students are forced to choose between cheap and convenient or healthy and pricy.

“It just comes down to money,” said student Ji Yeon Lee. “Salad is made of perishable and raw materials, which is a lot more costly, and they figure most kids still prefer pizza so it’s cheaper and they can sell more. They can sell less salad and still make the same amount of money with people buying the pizza.”

The university has made strides toward informing students about nutrition by providing menu icons and labels in all of the campus restaurants. These nutrition labels state which items are non-fat, under 300 calories, or low in sodium, according to the nutrition page on GVSU’s website. Also on the website is a list of the ways campus dining practices sustainability, as well as a list of the local vendors used to purchase food. According to Jackie Forster, a student employee at Fresh Food Company, the campus already has enough healthy options.

“We have vegetarian and vegan meals, and a salad bar,” said Forster. “It’s good because you only have to pay one price, and you can eat as much as you want. The options are out there, and I think it would cost more for the students in the long run if they changed it, especially with keeping up the green initiative.”

One meal at Fresh Food Company, while allowing the student to eat until his or her fulfillment, can cost up to $10, and the emphasis made on the nutritional value of certain foods doesn’t change the fact that the inexpensive items are still the ones that aren’t the better choice for nourishment. Unless the student purchases a meal plan with the university, the options for healthy, affordable foods are slight. Dining on campus can be a fun experience, with all of the different atmospheres available, but the price and the fare need to be balanced. Add more green, charge less green, while staying green.