From healthy salads to greasy bacon cheeseburgers, from cafeteria food to brown-bagging it, students can choose from a wide range of cuisine at Sacramento State.

The selections and the nutritional value varies and there’s also the cost issue — grabbing a quick bite to eat could set you back $7. With all the time students spend at school in and between classes, hunger pangs have to be dealt with by eating on campus.

Between working hard to pay bills, rent and tuition and rushing around from class to work, it’s hard to find the money and the time to maintain a healthy and consistent diet in college.

“I normally eat at Kung Fu Fats two to three times a week for lunch. When I’m broke I settle for Burger King,” said Junior Kendra Halter, a business major.

Kung Fu Fats isn’t the cheapest option either, which is why she opts for Burger King. A medium a la carte plate at Kung Fui Fats is about $6.03, while a medium Whopper Jr. value meal is $3.49, including a medium order of fries and medium drink.

Students’ eating choices depend on preference, healthiness and affordability. Some students prefer switching their options around.Halter, who works part-time, and lives on her own, says she can’t afford to eat union food everyday.

“I’ll bring my own lunch a few days a week to save money,” she said.

Nutritional or not, students need to eat, and sometimes settling for a cheap and often fatty ration of fast food seems like the only alternative.Dr. Dianne Hyson, professor of nutrition with the family and consumer sciences department, says it’s important students make healthy choices, like cutting down on all the added fats, and eating healthy, by choosing low-fat drinks and lattes.

“Soda is on the rise of being the biggest source of calories,” she said.

There are also better choices you can make and still chow on a burger.

Choosing a burger without all the cheese and bacon is better than getting all the fats that come with added garnishes, Hyson said.

As far as healthy alternatives, Da Deli is a good bet, along with Togo’s next to the Riverfront Market. Students can get salads at either place.

Round Table also has nice mixed salads to have with a fatty slice of pizza.

Junior Chris Rose prefers Togo’s for lunch a few days a week. “Their sandwiches are not like all the fast food, and they’re a healthier alternative.”

Rosa financially supports himself and admits, “I eat at home a lot to save money.”Students should not always get the same fatty food all the time, Hyson said.

The Student Union offers nice international food options to vary your diet. From Indian (Mother India), to Chinese (Kung Fu Fats).

Junior F.L. Robinson’s typical school lunch is from the international menu in the Union.

“I eat Kung Fu Fats for lunch everyday because they have good orange chicken, chow mein and steamed rice,” he said.

The Union also serves your typical American food from Round Table and Burger King.

Junior Travis Wilczynski, a psychology major, normally eats at Subway off campus for lunch.

“Subway is good and it’s healthy,” he said. Wilczynski is one of many students who are on a tight budget, working part-time, living with roommates and taking 12 units. He brings lunch on days he doesn’t eat Subway to save money.

Students living in the dorms have food issues as well.

All of the students living in the dorms have meal plans that are included in resident halls and dining commons agreement.

Freshman Amanda Stone, majoring in Liberal Studies, has the Meal Plan A deal for the Dining Commons. She normally eats one meal (lunch) everyday.”I usually get their grilled cheeses or chicken sandwiches with a salad. Their cookies are really good too,” she said.

Stone is a believer in the freshman fifteen theory, that says students gain 15 pounds in their first year at college.

“When you reach college level and everything is still new to you, you haven’t built in a schedule to work out.” Stone adds, “Also we normally stop growing taller after high school and instead we get bigger and wider.”

Many students feel the Dining Commons food is repetitive and are tired of the unchanging meal routines.

Every night, dinner includes the usual salad bar, stir-fry, pasta, and Mexican food, with choices of dessert from ice cream to pie and cake.

Junior Talitha Coleman has adjusted to the Dining Common’s choices of chow but feels the same selections of food is tiring.

“I think they have a really healthy menu, but I think they should change the order around so that dinner and lunch aren’t always the same,” she said.

Freshman Becky Mackingy agrees.

“The Dining Commons needs more variety. They need to spice things up a bit. The DC is a rip-off; a bag of cookies is like three dollars,” she says.Residential advisor of Desmond Hall Akan Etienbet thinks the Dining Commons food is also repetitive.

“The DC is not that bad. I’d like to eat healthier but it’s not that possible at the DC, besides the salads there,” he said.