Infographic by Sarah Manning
From students who live on campus to students who spend time on campus, it's important for Bobcats to properly fuel their bodies. Dominick Alfaro, graduate teaching assistant, provides Bobcats with advice on how to have a healthy semester through nutrition coaching.
Alfaro said the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) recommends three meals a day, but students' meal times can be affected by stress levels, number of classes and access to resources. Regardless of these factors, Alfaro believes it is essential for students to eat throughout the day to promote daily brain function, health, and well-being.
“In addition to providing students with proper nutrition; [helps] academically [by] Not only will feeding your brain help you get through the semester, but it will also help you health-wise and mentally,” Alfaro said. “School can be very stressful, but I think that stress can be alleviated a little if you can supply your body with the right amount of nutrients and vitamins it needs.”
Snacks are another way students can practice healthy eating. Alfaro recommends whole food snacks. These types of snacks can be purchased at places like UAC Cafe and Paws N' Go.
Chartwells Catering oversees most meals in the cafeteria and across campus, providing healthy options for students to choose from. A balanced diet consists of a variety of fruits and vegetables, grains, and protein sources, Alfaro says.
“There's a lot of stigma around eating processed foods. Of course we don't want to have a diet full of saturated, unprocessed foods, but any food is good if this is all that's available to students. It becomes food,” Alfaro said. .
Alfaro, manager of the student-led food pantry Bobcat Bounty, is a strong believer in food accessibility. She believes in eating nutritious food, but sometimes that means the act of eating itself.
“We should foster a shameless food environment,” Alfaro said. “We should promote health in some way, and food is healthy. So, in my opinion, any kind of food is healthy.”
