From soft drinks to hot meals, some students dine inn while others park to go. The survey also found out that 92% of students were in favor of cafeteria hours to be extended to cater for evening students, while 86% of students thought that the culinary Department should have a restaurant on campus. Most students today do not consume the recommended daily values of health foods and nutrients, putting them at a higher risk of chronic diseases. College cafeteria have less choices of healthy foods, and have limited variety of food in their menu.
And they also offer less r no service at all to evening students. College years, presents an opportunity to introduce new habits that can change a student healthy life style forever. According to the Center for Disease Control estimates that, medical cost associated with adult obesity top $147 billion. Jennifer Haubenreiser the President of the American College Health Association and Director of Health Promotion at Montana State University says, “College can shape the environment where students live and work so good choices are easy to make and students need to make informed choices”.
Jennifer Haubenreiser goes further to say, “Now, because cafeteria are the main source of food to college students, there is increasing need to address the growing need of obesity and other chronic diseases associated with eating habits”. Colleges have responded positively to the issue of obesity by introducing new masseurs. In her article that was published in the Journal of Food Science, Sander Libby reports some of the ways that cafeteria are under taking to improve healthy eating habits in colleges. Some, college cafeteria ave responded by labeling dishes with calories and nutrition information, build mobile apps for students to research meal options and some colleges have introduced organic multi- dishes”. These services shows that college cafeteria are taking steps to fight obesity and other chronic disease’s associated with bad eating habits. However, the evening student’s don’t get a chance to benefit from the new measure since these services are not rendered to them. Majority of the college students who attend school in the evening are working class with responsibilities.
Some have family to support while others work to support themselves . 0ne may wonder as to why college cafeteria do not extend their hours of services to evening students. Perhaps one is to be reminded, that most evening students have an alternative when it comes to buying meals than students who attend classes during the day. For any business to be successful you need to have enough customers. Fast food restaurants along the way and around colleges often compete for the same business and will always come on top since they are conveniently located.
The survey shows about 62% of evening students don’t eat at college cafeteria. Perhaps this explains why cafeteria cannot extend their hours of operation to evening students since they assume little business in the evening. However, 92% of the survey think cafeteria hours should be extended to cater for evening students. And the culinary department can have a successful business as noted from the survey in doing just that. Its clear that we need a restaurant on campus under the Culinary Department since 86% of students supported the idea of ulinary Department opening a restaurant in college according to the survey.
This could prove a breakthrough for the department in the restaurant business, and will also employ more students to work in the business. Eating healthy is important for human growth and development. College cafeteria have started to introduce healthy foods, but they still fall short of extended hours to cater for the evening students. Although the survey showed 92% favored cafeteria hours to be extended and 62% favored the culinary department to open up a restaurant in college.
However, the decision lies in the hands of the school board. The management have shown little or no willingness at all to persuade the cafeteria to extend their hours of operation. With emerging fast food restaurant, students will require greater awareness of the dangers of unhealthy foods in these restaurant, better discloser to students, and more public discussion about what type Of healthy foods the cafeteria serves, and their willingness to open their doors to evening students at any time during school hours.
