Is fried ravioli a food group?

A bowl of Iceberg lettuce with tomatoes and chick peas, a couple of grilled chicken breasts, whole wheat pasta and a glass of skim milk.

Deep fried ravioli, brisket, a handful of fries and a soda.

The latter option is championed by Keith Bussanich ’10, who describes his meal choice as “eating whatever I feel like. I don’t consider nutrition at all.”

For most students, personal food choices in the Barone cafeteria are based solely on whatever they are craving.

Food offerings is becoming a prominent issue in colleges nationwide as nutrition remains a confusing concept to college students.

Schools in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York, for example, are having their cafeteria menus regulated by law, a recent New York Times article reported. Many districts have eliminated any items containing trans fats or processed starches. (i.e.: fried foods and white bread).

Those of you whose food pyramid consists mainly of the “fried meat and potatoes group” can relax, however. Your staples are not going anywhere.

Chris Bosze, Sodexho resident dining manager, feels the cafeteria is “centered [on] the principle of choices. Every day there is a full salad bar, grilled chicken and a make your own omelet station, which has healthy options for students.”

Lisa Palladino ’10 supports Bosze’s argument: “If students make the effort to be healthy and eat right, then they can. They can find healthy stuff if they want to.”

Asked about the presence of trans fats and three separate soda stations in the cafeteria, Bosze returned to his position on student choices.

“We’re not going to remove soda. Too many students drink it. But, on the other hand, we offer two varieties of diet soda, four different juices and milk, both whole and skim.”

In general, Fairfield students feel that proper nutrition is emphasized in the cafeteria.

Jenna Dibimardo ’09 mentioned the “variety of salad, fruits and vegetables they have up there” in the cafeteria.

“They have all of the nutritional information above the food, so you know what you’re eating,” said Christine Ruane ’10.

Providing nutritional information for students is another aspect of Barone that Bosze emphasizes.

“The mind, body and soul program is excellent, but no one ever uses, or probably even knows, about it,” he said of the program on a computer in the cafeteria.

Marcello De Pascale ’09 is aware that there is a computer but has never seen anyone on it. He agrees that most students do not know about it.

Students such as Erica Herzog ’09 know that information is readily available to them every time they dine at Barone.

“All the nutritional facts are there. Students just have to use intuition and make the right choices,” she said.

Other students feel that Sodexho should do more.

“They could offer more healthy hot foods because most of that stuff is fried,” said Greer McCarthy ’09.

Jane Glover ’10 agreed: “There’s always a lot of fried stuff.”

Though Bosze understands student complaints, he said there are ways to avoid unhealthy foods.

“Yes, we do offer fried foods like these (fish and chips), but there are just so many options that kids aren’t confined to eating these offerings,” he said.