Editor’s Note: This week marks the second in a three-part, biweekly news section series examining the health and fitness of college students.

Trevor Hammond is dashing between classes at Sacramento State when he feels his stomach rumbling with hunger. The senior communications major didn’t have time to pack a lunch and knows that only a few minutes remain before his next professor takes attendance. He races to the campus food court, plunks down $6 for a ready-made meal and takes off toward Mendocino Hall.

Hammond is not alone. Americans today spend 46.4 percent of their food dollars on restaurant meals, compared with only 25 percent in 1955, according to the California Restaurant Association.

Consumers also appear to regularly choose convenience over home cooking, with the CFA reporting that national sales from take-out meals are expected to exceed $161 billion this year. Other agencies around the country are reporting similar trends.

In its annual Eating Patterns in America report, consumer and information researcher The NPD Group announced on Oct. 24 that Americans are primarily motivated by convenience, not nutrition, when selecting foods.

But the report, which examined the daily consumption habits of hundreds of thousands of Americans for one year, also revealed that Americans are concerned about healthy eating.

Healthy eating is an important issue for college students, many of whom are making independent food choices for the first time in their lives. Students can often find it difficult to choose cookies over fresh fruit and fries over carrots when pushing a cart down the aisle during inagural grocery store trips.

Other factors such as social events, busy schedules and eating between classes also affect a student’s daily eating habits.

“Students tend to skip meals and then overindulge. They ignore their own hunger,” said Katherine Parker, registered dietitian with the recently-reopened Eating and Healthy Weight Program. “Plus, food becomes a social event for a lot of individuals instead of eating for the nourishment of the body.”

These habits have severe consequences, Parker said.

“Students tend to be really tired because they’re not eating properly,” she said. “Signs can be frequency of colds or illness, cravings and discontent. If your body is low in carbohydrates or fats, you can become anxious because your body is searching for a nutrient that is missing.”

Parker added that the health of a person’s hair, skin, teeth and bones is also affected by poor eating habits.

Since Sac State is largely a commuter campus, students typically spend full days attending classes, studying and eating meals while on campus. This busy schedule is all too familiar to freshman business major Shela Borr, who said that campus restaurants aren’t nutrition-oriented.

“I think most of them are not healthy, just all fast food,” Borr said. “There could be more healthy choices.”

Freshman Meghan Lervold, undeclared, agreed.

“It makes it harder to be healthy because all this junk food is right there and easy to get,” Lervold said.

Junior business major Inga Bliddal tries to stay away from on- campus eateries because, “it’s difficult to find anything that isn’t just fast food.”

Myth vs. reality

Sac State’s Dining Services Registered Dietitian Stephanie Ewing is responsible for nutritional promotion on campus. Ewing has noticed a common perception among students that campus eating includes only high-fat, unhealthy choices, as sterotyped by fast-food restaurants. That is not so, she said.

“A lot of people say we have no healthy food on campus,” Ewing said, looking through comment cards she’s received. “Here, for example,” she added, pointing to a card that read, “I’d like to see more healthy foods.”

The problem, Ewing said, is that students often just forget to look.

“They see Burger King and automatically think it doesn’t have anything healthy,” she said. “But they’ve got grilled chicken sandwiches, salads – all sorts of items you can get.”

Ewing also receives queries from students about nutrition information for campus eateries other than the Dining Commons. She said while she doesn’t have that information, she tells students that it’s important to talk about what it means to eat healthy versus really caring about specific nutrient content.

“Any food can be healthy if it’s eaten within moderation,” Ewing added.

Students often make the mistake of looking around campus, she said, and think, “I have my choice of Round Table – that’s pizza, that’s not healthy – or Burger King – that’s burgers, that’s not healthy.”

Instead, Ewing countered, students should take the time to examine menus and pinpoint nutritious items offered.

Healthy choices

To help students realize that choices are available, Ewing created a guide for healthy eating on campus with nutritious suggestions.

Each establishment, even Round Table Pizza and Burger King, has menu items that complement a healthy diet, she said.

For example, Ewing recommends veggie-packed salads with half a packet of salad dressing over cheesy pizza and a Whopper Jr. with no mayonnaise or cheese instead of a regular Whopper.

“Extras like mayonnaise and cheese can add in anywhere from 100 to 250 calories just like that,” Ewing said, snapping her fingers. “But if you do have them, get them on the side if possible. You be in charge of the fats that you’re adding to your sandwich or salad.”

It is important for students to realize, Ewing said, that they can still eat at their favorite fast food restaurants without packing on the pounds.

The Whopper Jr. option contains only 290 calories and 21 grams of fat, less than half than the 760 calories and 47 grams of fat than the Whopper with cheese alternative.

A personal size, skinny-crust, cheese pizza contains only 530 calories and 22 grams of fat, compared to the 850 calories and 27 grams of fat in a personal size, pan crust pepperoni pizza. It’s all about comparing options, Ewing said.

But beyond calories and fat, Ewing said students should focus on including nutritious foods in their diet, instead of just excluding less-nutritious ones.

Ewing said to choose foods containing whole grains, fresh fruit over juice and lean meats such as turkey, chicken and ham.

Even choosing thin crust, red sauce, roasted chicken and vegetable toppings can boost the nutritional value of pizza, Ewing added.

Law

California law does not require restaurants to provide consumers with nutritional information, but many large chains choose to do so for promotional purposes.

This lack of information, however, doesn’t put consumers at a disadvantage, Ewing said.

“From the standpoint of a nutrition professional, I don’t really like all that information out there because most people don’t know what to do with it,” Ewing said.

She added that while the average student isn’t aware of how many calories he or she should consume in a day, there is a tendency to “freak out” after learning about high-calorie foods instead of asking, “If it’s X amount of calories, ‘How much should I have in terms of my daily allotment?'”

While this information, which is different for each individual, can be obtained by speaking with a registered dietitian, there are also other options. Students should use their common sense to focus on portion sizes over calories, Ewing suggested.

“Look at a calorie as just as unit of measurement, because that’s all it is,” she said, “Your body, ultimately, doesn’t care if your calories come from a super-high-fat greasy bacon burger or from vegetables. But health wise, and in terms of disease prevention, we want to be choosing healthier foods.”

Portion size

Limiting portion size is what helps limit the amount of calories you consume and keeps you within what you need, Ewing said. In order to control calories, the first rule of thumb is to slow down when eating.

“People typically eat way too fast, and that’s what causes them to overeat and get too many calories,” Ewing said. “Instead, take time in between each bite, and set your fork or the piece of food down.”

Another strategy is to really listen to what your stomach is telling you, she added.

“Notice when you start feeling full,” she said. “Actually be satisfied versus being full and thinking, ‘Oh, I’m stuffed, I have to unbutton my pants.'”

Parker said students can easily take care of their bodies by being physically active and eating small meals throughout the day, instead on one big fast-food combo, and limiting alcohol consumption.

“It’s about selecting balance in your life,” Parker said, adding that there is a lot of variety when eating out. “It’s a matter of students taking the opportunity to search for options.”

Ask a health professional

Parker said if students are unsure about what they should eat, they should speak with a registered dietitian.

While she said that many people won’t pay for services that aren’t covered by insurance, Sac State provides students with access to these professionals free of charge.

Parker encouraged students to get advice on maintaining a healthy lifestyle now before bigger issues develop.

She also recommended that students focus on balancing their diets by eating from all food groups – grains, vegetables, fruits, milk and meats and beans – and by bringing snacks to get through the day, such as All-Bran bars, pieces of fruit or baby carrots.

Students can also access an online estimate of what their bodies need by visiting http://mypyramid.gov, Ewing said.

By submitting information including age, gender and daily physical activities, a student can receive customized recommendations on how many calories he or she needs and how many servings he or she should have from each food group.

“It’s not the best tool in the world, but it gives you a little bit of an idea,” Ewing said.

Making the switch

Hammond used to always buy the same lunch combo – a personal pan pepperoni pizza, breadsticks and Mountain Dew soda – but this year he and his girlfriend made the decision to start eating healthier.

“Just had to do it for the girl,” he said with a laugh. Now, he purchases a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread, a bottle of water and carrot sticks from Togo’s when he’s hungry. The switch means he is eating fewer calories and less fat, but at the same time getting more nutrients and fiber. Hammond says he feels better and likes knowing that his body is getting the nutritious food it needs.

And Parker said the importance of nutrition can not be underestimated.

“If you don’t get adequate food, your body can’t work at its optimal level,” Parker said. “It’s really the key component of life.”

Students can obtain a copy of Ewing’s guide to healthy options on campus by contacting her through www.dining.csus.edu/nutrition.html. Parker can be reached by calling the Eating and Healthy Weights Program at (916) 278-WELL.