If you’re a student at Binghamton, you must have noticed all of the food related events this week on campus. Otherwise you’re spending too much time in the library and need to get out there and start eating! All these events, whether it’s the Harvest Meal at CIW dining hall or the Chef’s Competition at Appalachian dining hall are all part of the under-celebrated holiday: Food Day.
“Food Day?” You exclaim. “Does that mean I just eat a lot of food?” In which I reply, “Unfortunately, no. However, it can be equally appealing. Just trust me!”
Food Day is a day dedicated to improving one’s diet and increasing awareness for the need to change national food policies. With that in mind, we here at Spoon made it our mission to study the eating habits of fellow Binghamton students. Turns out, a whopping 91% of you don’t quite know what this day is, so listen up!
Most of you admit to having mostly carbohydrates in your diet, which although is a necessary part of our diets, should not outweigh our intake of fruits, vegetables and protein. However, with only 19% of you admitting to having junk food-heavy diets, so it seems as though there’s little need for concern. Keep up the good diets folks!
However, surprisingly 40% of you did admit to eating junk food as a snack. Resist reaching for those fries as an afternoon snack and reach for the pita and hummus or some pumpkin spice granola.
To understand where the average survey-taker was coming from, we asked where everyone was eating and where he/she preferred to eat at. Appalachian came out as the big winner, with about 50% of all the participating students preferring it.
As a native Mountainview resident myself, I pride myself on the Appalachian dining hall offerings such as the NourishU section by Sodexo. The NourishU section serves cooked vegetables and meats with no added ingredients. It’s a great way to get your daily dose of vegetables and protein without worrying about salt, sugar and other additives normally found in cafeterias worldwide. NourishU can also be found in the C4 dining hall as well.
If right now you’re saying, “Oh my goodness, I totally have wanted to change my diet and have had no idea where to start!” Let Food Day help you take the first step.
It only comes around once a year so watch these documentaries to educate yourself on where your food comes from or indulge in the best and healthiest food around, and maybe stick to it for a healthier lifestyle. Check out these links to kickstart your mindful eating plan:
- Top 10 staples for a healthy dorm room pantry
- Salad: More than just rabbit food
- How to eat healthy frozen food
- Alternatives to sliced bread
Here are some more interesting statistics we’ve collected on how Binghamton students eat!
– While 25% of participating students don’t count their calories, 68% of students said they count their calories more often than not.
– About 50% of students stated they usually ate an average of 2 meals a day.
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If you’re interested in learning more about Food Day, come to the Farm to Institution Panel today at 4PM in UU108!