When you think of eating healthy, what comes to mind? You might think about fruits and vegetables, but what about some other foods? Let’s be honest, you aren’t going to eat only fruits and vegetables for the rest of your life.

Moravian College offers a decent variety of food. For example, they usually have fried chicken, pizza, French fries and burgers every day. The issue is the paucity of choices for people who wish to eat on the healthier side.

At Moravian, it isn’t easy.

When you enter the Marketplace and are scavenging for healthy, organic choices the obvious option is the Sustainable Table. But while “organic” suggests “healthy,” that’s not always — or even often — the case.

I have been eating organic for about 5 years, but I do not believe you need to be well informed about organics to know that organic chocolate cake is still chocolate cake. You’re not eating fewer chocolate or calories, you’re just eating organically-produced ingredients that are better in some ways but are still fattening. Luckily, the Marketplace has at least made shiny labels informing the students whether this organic item is also healthy or not.

My issue: we know broccoli is healthy, we know fruit is healthy, but to reiterate, where are all the healthy meals?! We need to have a whole healthy meal, not just healthy ingredients. I am glad the Marketplace and the Blue & Grey Cafe provide salads with alternating toppings. I don’t know if we all think alike, but in my opinion, after a couple days of straight salads, I get sick of eating the same thing over again. I think it’s unfair to students who want to eat healthy but have only a couple of options, unlike everyone else.

I’m not bashing students who enjoy “fast food” choices. I believe everyone has the choice to decide what they want to eat. But for those of us who want to eat healthy, we can’t, either because we don’t have  enough choices or because we get tired of the daily salad and so choose something less healthy to eat.

Hopefully, Moravian College can be more open to healthier meals and options, satisfying the students who pay a pretty penny to eat here.