Eating healthy on campus as easy as seeing the light

By MARY JORDAN
Collegian Staff Writer

Most Penn State students are concerned with making healthy eating choices and want to have the information necessary to do so, according to a survey conducted last week by Housing and Food Services.

The survey asked students eating on campus whether they wanted to keep the colored-light system used to rate the nutritional factors of food served in the commons.

The exact results of the survey are not yet available, but Michele Newhard, special projects manager of HFS, said the majority of students surveyed found the system to be helpful.

"(The colored system is) the first thing I look at," said Annina Burns (sophomore-nutrition and media studies). "It makes (food choices) easier (because) you never know what you're getting in the commons."

Since the early 1990s, food services has used a color code to help students see the nutritional value of the food being served quickly and easily.

The system consists of labeling the foods with "red light," "yellow light" or "green light" symbols based on the total percentage of calories from fat.

However, Karen Henderson, Simmons dining hall manager, said the colored rating system can be misleading.

She said some students choose a "green light" item, thinking it is low in fat and therefore will be good for them, but this is not always the case.

"Something can be low in fat but high in calories," Henderson said.

Newhard said the light system was implemented because of a heightened awareness of health and nutrition among students.

"There were more students asking for nutrition information and it was just a way for us to upgrade," she said.

"Red light" foods have at least 50 percent of their calories from fat, "yellow light" foods have 30 to 50 percent and "green light" foods have 0 to 30 percent, Newhard said.

"Red light" foods should be eaten conservatively, "yellow light" foods should be eaten in moderation and "green light" foods should be chosen often, according to the dining commons menu.

In addition to the colored rating system, HFS added a five-star rating in 1996 which measures the amount of carbohydrates, protein, calcium, iron and sodium in food.

The rating systems can be helpful even for those who don't use them consistently.

Ella Dennis (sophomore-elementary education) said she uses the system to choose her food. If there are two items she is interested in, she said she uses the coding system to help her make a choice.

Union Street in the HUB is also becoming aware of students' consciousness about eating healthy.

Dave Gingher, assistant director of food services at the HUB, said nutrition information is available upon request for any of the food stands.

The Chick-Fil-A food stand is currently the only one that has nutritional information posted for each food item on the menu. The HUB is in the process of doing the same for Casa Ortega.

Gingher added when the HUB expansion is completed, all of the old and new food stands will have nutrition information posted next to each food item.