While walking through the cafeteria one will see many snack options such as chips, Pop-Tarts and glazed donuts, but aside from the occasional fruit and nearly-expired yogurt cup there are not many healthy options to go with the pizza and deep-fried chicken tenders.
To better cater to a wider range of tastes as well as provide healthier alternatives, more fruits and vegetables should be added to the cafeteria.
While fruits and vegetables are more expensive to buy and store, an article by Anne Harguth, a dietitian with the Mayo Clinic Health System, states that a healthy diet can positively affect performance for athletes.
A cross-sectional analysis by the National Library of Medicine also found that high-achieving medical students consumed more fruit than their lower achieving counterparts.
This relates to joint research by the University of Alberta and Edith Cowan University in Australia that showed children with poor access to healthy foods are twice as likely to have low self-esteem and less likely to believe they can make healthy choices, further showing how important access to healthy food is.
By advocating for more fruits and vegetables in the cafeteria and raising awareness about this issue, we can work to ensure every student has access to balanced and appealing meals.
