Editor,
I am writing about UNM's food offerings. I conducted research on what foods were offered in the main food venues on UNM's main campus. The survey was conducted during the summer, so two food venues in the SUB were closed, and I couldn't read the full menus of Kabuki and Casita.
Although the research was for a class, I chose this topic because food is a subject very near and dear to my heart. What I found in my study of the SUB's foods was appalling - 31 percent of the foods offered were fried and 21 percent were sweets. So, 52 percent of the foods offered in the SUB are clearly unhealthy. Only 9 percent of what the SUB offers consists of fresh vegetables. Of the 9 percent that consisted of fresh vegetables, about 90 percent was in the form of salads. Many of these salads are made with iceberg lettuce as their main base. Iceberg lettuce has very little nutritional value. Apparently, vegetarians don't get to have much choice in what they eat on campus, let alone being able to have a balanced meal.
I am very conscious about what I eat, and I strive to keep my diet healthy. I know I perform better academically when I'm eating right. I also believe in trying to lead a more environmentally aware and sustainable life. Instead of having a cell phone, I spend my money on eating organically grown food. I do eat meat, but I eat only free-range, home-grown or hunted meat. I am obviously not a vegetarian, but a large part of my diet consists of whole, sprouted grains, fresh fruit and vegetables.
Unfortunately, these items are extremely hard to come by on campus. I believe Philip Rossetti is right when he states in his letter published in the Daily Lobo on Tuesday, "It's not the job of the school to control what choices we make. We are responsible enough to take care of that ourselves." I would argue that it is the school's responsibility to provide its
students with a wide range of food choices - healthy and unhealthy. In addition to all the grease traps located in the SUB, the University should also provide an alternative venue where students who desire to eat in a healthful manner can do so while on campus.
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I would love to see Casita West turned into a mini La Montanita. La Montanita's deli is excellent. It provides reasonably priced, hot food that is organic and very tasty. In addition to its food being organic, it also tries to use many locally produced food items. It believes in a model of sustainability, and with the University wanting to become more sustainable, I would say that La Montanita could fill a very important gap in UNM's food offerings.
I hope the administration takes these issues into consideration when negotiating any future food venue contracts. College students should have the right to choose what they eat, but there should be a full complement of choices.
Tanya Critchfield
UNM student
