Campus dining options such as the P.O.D. in the Student Union, shown above, give students alternatives to eating junk food. Photo: The Daily Mississippian.
A number of University of Mississippi students are disappointed with the lack of healthy options on campus and wonder if the university plans to respond to their demand for healthier options.
With the addition of Panda Express to the Student Union, students are excited about the possibility of healthier additions to campus. Many students feel that finding healthy options on campus is a challenge.
“I just want something fresh,” sophomore general studies major Addison Sullivan said. “It is almost impossible to eat healthy on campus. The few places that serve fruits and vegetables are gross; they are never fresh.”
Sophomore general studies major Elizabeth Daly is concerned about the lack of options for students with food allergies.
“I wish the Union would have gluten-free options like at the P.O.D.,” she said.
Senior geology major Jon Lamar said he believes the school misreads what students want.
“The school thinks we want fast and easy, like pizza, hamburgers or Chick-fil-A,” Lamar said. “But I think everyone would really enjoy something fresh and healthy.”
Jason Phillips, director of operations for Dining Services, said that both he and Dining Services hear students’ demands for healthy options “loud and clear.”
“We are trying to do a much better job campus wide and are opening the new Rebel Market this fall to make sure we get those options out there,” Phillips said.
Rebel Market will be a new experience when it comes to on-campus dining for students, according to Phillips. He said Rebel Market will feature a totally gluten-free section with the addition of Freshii.
“We have been working to get Freshii here for a couple years now,” Phillips said. “It’s a very healthy, sustainable kind of place with a lot of good organic choices.”
Phillips wants students to know that Dining Services is always trying to give students what they want.
“The way students spend their dollars shows us part of what we need to build,” Phillips said.
If the healthier options of Rebel Market and Freshii do well, students can expect more healthy options to follow, according to Phillips.
— Julie Laberge
jklaberg@go.olemiss.edu
