Editorial and Opinion
Good grades, looking good, and procrastination are just a few of the crazy elements of student life. With the new year starting, many students are making New Year’s resolutions. And it’s true, they can be achieved with the right habits, mindset, and healthy eating. But as a student in residence, I can safely say that the food options at York just aren’t cutting it.
The only options us students on residence have is whatever is offered at York Lanes, the Student Centre, Central Square, and the many small shops scattered throughout campus.
While York has responded with healthy alternatives, such as the salad bars across campus, it’s a little hard to live off extremely plain greens. I would love to see more options, such as a variety of lettuces, more toppings like avocados. Even more protein options would be great, such as any form of legumes or chicken. Even more dressing options other than the three basic ones available would be awesome.
York could also introduce more vegetarian restaurants like Berries and Blooms, but with more than just cold salads. This way, York’s restaurants can focus on fresh ingredients, rather than food that is bagged and frozen.
As for the farmers market in the TEL, there isn’t much you can do with the raw vegetables sold there. The majority of residences lack formal kitchens to prepare food, even in the common rooms. Residents are n permitted to own any kitchen appliance that could allow us to prepare food.
For those living on residence, it feels like we’re in the film “Super-Size Me,” but instead of 30 days, we have to endure two semesters.
These alternatives provided by York are more of a novelty than a legitimate healthy alternative. I would suggest the installation of basic kitchens in the common rooms, in order to give the students the option of cooking for themselves if they please.
But after eating a burrito from Z-teca for the eighth time in a week or the big breakfast from Central Square every morning, I generally feel bloated, mainly because of its high fat content and sky-high calorie count.
Eating from the same four or five restaurants that have the same options every single day is not only unhealthy, but also numbingly boring for my tastebuds.
Having to eat Berries and Blooms salads every day for lunch can get old quick. Besides being fattening and boring, the meals at York have tuition-like prices. As many students can agree, our wallets are shallow and squeezing every penny is the way to go. But dropping $8 just for lunch every single day isn’t easy on our wallets.
As for those who commute to York, they can bring their own food. But for the 4,000 students on residence, there is a serious problem developing.
But enough complaining, and in typical York fashion, we want change and we want it now. If it is not too much to ask for York, could you introduce a restaurant that caters solely to healthy eating that provides both economic and vegetarian options?
Marcos Cardenas
Contributor
