Eating healthy in Barone

Having problems eating healthy at Fairfield? A campus nutritionist has a simple tip that she says can help you balance meals in the Main Dining Room and know how to pick the right foods that will keep you healthy.

“Don’t go right in Barone. Go left!” nutritionist Kelly Aronica advises. Translated: If a student goes left when walking into the Barone cafeteria then they will pass the salad bar and the “create your meal” station first, instead of passing the greasy section if they were to go right.

In college, students’ eating patterns constantly change. “What’s hard is that you are away from home and you are bound by what’s there,” says Aronica. “Then you have this idea you can have as much as you’d like and whatever you want to eat.”

So what is good to eat?

For every meal, it is important to get protein, a little bit of carbohydrates and either some fruits or vegetables. In the “create your meal” section, use the pastas or other options and throw in a lot of vegetables with some meat.

Cheese is good for you and has good fats for your body. Olives, avocados and other nuts also contain healthy fats that serve an important purpose for the body.

“The word ‘fat’ scares people and so they intake foods with low fat, but no one checks the nutrition facts on the side.” says Aronica.

Aronica initially became interested in nutrition because of her unhealthy eating habits, and she realized she wanted to learn more about healthy living. She first wanted to be a book writer, but she went back to school to get a higher degree in nutrition.

Aronica works at the Health Center and meets with students individually to set up a healthy meal plan that fits best for each student. Every opportunity she gets, she tries to request more healthy meal choices in Barone.

Some students are fascinated by Aronica’s approach to Barone.

“I found it interesting how important it is to pick your food and eating styles,” says Matt Bisaccia, a senior Biology major.

Despite Aronica’s efforts, many students end up eating healthy by default because they have no other option.
“The food in barone is good maybe once out of seven days in a week,” said Andrew Kringas ‘14. “I circle the cafeteria twice and end up with a salad every time.”

Freshman Kathleen Woods commented, “I personally have to eat around most things because of my celiac. It’s pretty tough because there are limited options, but I think they do a good job of serving different fruits and vegetables.”