Feed Your Adventurous Spirit

You can find healthy, interesting food on campusby Alina Tkachenko.City College has an extremely diverse student body, representing over 150 countries and speaking over 100 languages. The campus’s great ethnic mix is one of its strength, exposing CCNY students to other cultures and values. This diversity also makes City College students more open to new experiences. Food choices are no exception.A recent survey of CCNY students, conducted by Team Jettset, a group of students in MCA’s Advertising/Public Relations program, revealed that 79 percent of respondents described themselves as adventurous eaters – students who enjoy new combinations of foods. Being a food adventurer can mean you like to try ethnic cuisines you've never sampled or just enjoy mixing and matching everyday food combinations in interesting ways.You can find adventurous food choices on campus. And, as we know from the low health department grade last semester, our cafeteria food isn’t known for being healthy. But the Metropolitan Food Service has made more of an effort to help students eat less fat, processed sugars and salt. “Today’s Healthier Choices” signs make it easy to guide students to healthier selections on the menu.  And some of the options prove that healthy doesn’t have to be boring!With finals coming, it’s more important than ever to eat well to do your best work. Here’s a sampling of five adventurous and nutritious meals that you can find in our cafeteria priced at $3.99 for an entrée and $5.99 for a full meal with a side:Vegetable Tofu Stir Fry:  This is a tasty option and good for you. The protein in soy foods, such as tofu, has been show to decrease cholesterol. And studies show that cultures, whose diets are rich in soy foods such as tofu, generally have significantly lower rates of heart disease than those with low soy consumption.Vegetable Lasagna: Who said you can’t enjoy rich flavorful lasagna without piling on thecalories? Besides its great taste, vegetable lasagna is also an good source of several important minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, manganese and selenium.Stuffed cabbage: A variation of an Eastern European dish, stuffed cabbage contains nutrients that can stimulate the immune system, kill harmful bacteria, soothe ulcers, and improve circulation.Catfish with Citrus Herb Butter: This one is for fish lovers. It’s a savory and elegant entrée, moderate in calories and rich in omega-3 fatty acids.Roasted Vegetable Quiche: Try this tangy vegetable version to boost your energy level and add extra fiber.To help CCNY students appreciate good tasting and healthy food options on campus, CCNY’s Team Jettset has created the School Your Tongue campaign in collaboration with the Healthy CUNY Initiative (HCI), which seeks to make CUNY the healthiest public campus by 2016.“I like these new additions to the cafeteria menu,” says Tiffany Lopez, a psychology junior at CCNY. “I started eating here more often than I used to.”