Now that we have some new adjustments this year, particularly at Fusion, I feel it’s necessary to write once more about nutrition on campus, especially since it still hasn’t been too long since Christmastime. After all, health is always important, regardless of the season.

Firsrtly, eating at Fresh can be risky. Sure, it’s great to have a place with enough food to go around. The variety of foods served ready to be taken and eaten is a good feature for one entry price. However, for people who have a harder time controlling their portions, the fact that there’s always more sitting there is nothing but a bad temptation. This doesn’t mean that Fresh is bad, it just means that we need to be careful if we are heavier eaters.

With many genetically modified ingredients, we don’t feel the satisfying sense of comfortable fullness as quickly, so we want to keep eating more. I know my mom and sister have gone on a boot-camp diet this month, which involves eating no genetically modified foods and being sure to exercise. While this does work, not everyone sees it as the most beneficial solution. I am not personally recommending it, but it’s a possibility.

This year, there are a few changes to food on campus. The biggest change is probably in Kirkhof, with Fusion downstairs bringing in some new menus. Now, before I go into detail, let me note that I’m not discouraging anything. As an employee and regular customer at Fusion, I know that the food choices are definitely tasty and healthy. However, as with any restaurant, there are things to keep in mind when deciding what to eat.

I’ve only worked and ordered from certain restaurants at Fusion, so I’m no expert on everything. But one thing that really stands out to me is Alfredo sauce vs. marinara sauce at Ciao. While Alfredo sauce is tasty, without a doubt, I’ve read that it’s not as healthy as its alternatives. This may seem like common knowledge to some, but working on the pasta line at Ciao, I notice many people get Alfredo sauce. While this isn’t necessarily a problem, it does make me question once again why the unhealthy and even less-healthy foods tastes so good. I mean, we all know that chocolate chip cookies aren’t meant to be eaten all the time. So why is it sometimes hard for people to resist?

This is just one example. I’m no food expert, and there are many things about food, even the food served here, that I have yet to learn. My goal is to simple help make people aware of the ingredients and how well they match up with healthy alternatives. I can’t think of anyone who ever went from unhealthy eating to being a health nut overnight, and we don’t necessarily have to be health nuts. However, I’m sure all of us would honestly say that there’s some part of our diet that isn’t the best. Like I said, I am a fairly regular customer of Fusion, especially Ciao, so I know how good the food is. My main recommendation is simply that we keep an eye on what we are eating and act accordingly, even if the changes we make happen in baby steps.