UNM needs more healthy food options, students say

Some students eating lunch at the Student Union Building during finals week this spring said that the University of New Mexico needs more healthy food and fresh fruit options available on campus. 

The Student Union Building has multiple food vendors, including Chick-fil-A, Blake’s Lotaburger, Mandalay Express, Subway, Dion’s Pizza and Freshens, as well as a rotating local food vendor that switches each semester and a “grab-and-go” market downstairs.

Junior Kieren Sanchez said that while UNM has a lot of food offerings, she doesn’t think that there are a lot of healthy options. 

“There’s a lot of fast options, which is helpful for commuters, and if you’re on your way to class,” Sanchez said. “But since it is so quick to get it, it might not always be the healthiest. It might come frozen, and not freshly cooked, and not with fresh ingredients.” 

Sophomore Nabuli Daud said Chick-fil-A is her favorite food spot “just because it’s cheap and it’s always there,” but she doesn’t think the University has enough healthy options and her wish would be for more fresh fruits to be available on campus.  

Sophomore Nahili Biffa also said she wishes there was more fresh fruit available, and she finds some of the vegan options at La Posada Dining Hall to be “unappetizing,” but is grateful for her unlimited La Posada meal swipes, which became a meal plan option in Fall 2025. 

Students who choose a Full Access Meal Plan have access to “Unlimited La Po+,” which allows unlimited visits to La Posada and La Ventana, according to UNM Food.  

“A lot of the times, if it’s really late at night or it’s kind of hard to stock up food for the next day, grocery shopping isn’t really an option, because the (Mercado at the Student Residence Center Apartments) isn’t necessarily the cheapest option and it is not the healthiest at all,” Biffa said.

Junior Bella Sanchez said the salad bar at La Posada is a healthy option, but that it doesn’t always appear to be fresh. 

“Sometimes the lettuce doesn’t look very good, and the veggies are a little old,” Bella Sanchez said. “The only food that’s consistently there every single time is really the hamburger and chicken nugget station.” 

When it comes to beverage options, Kieren Sanchez said most of the options on campus are “just sugary things.”

“It’s either water or soda. There’s also juice, but those are really highly concentrated in sugars,” Kieran Sanchez said. “l’ll mix the water and the juice to make it less sugary.” 

Sophomore Purity Orero said she thinks the University needs more “drink stations” other than Starbucks, and also felt UNM “could do better” when it comes to having healthy food options on campus. 

Senior Michael Lake said he thinks the University’s food options are great as they are. 

“A lot of the time I get Dion’s or Subway or something like that, but when you get tired of that, you can go to Mandalay (Express) or Blake’s Lotaburger,” Lake said.  

Freshman Nathaniel Saldana said his favorite spot to get food is Dion’s Pizza because it is not too expensive, and that he likes the rotating local food vendor in the SUB. 

Saldana said he thinks Freshens is a good option for healthy food, but he thinks UNM is missing a place to get ice cream. 

Sophomore Mary Milliorn and junior Cadence Camposano said they like Freshens’ smoothies as a healthy option because the vendor also accepts meal swipes. 

“My only critique about the food offered on campus is the fact that the Starbucks closes so early in the (Zimmerman) Library,” Milliorn said.  

Biffa said that while she has never visited the Lobo Food Pantry, she is glad the University generally offers accessible food options.   

“Sometimes food can be a little bit difficult, and when you’re in college and you’re doing your classes and you’re having a really busy day, it’s nice to not have food be another burden on top of everything,” Biffa said.  

Paloma Chapa is the multimedia editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at multimedia@dailylobo.com or on X @paloma_chapa88

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