The Thomasian’s dietary dilemma

DUE TO her hectic schedule, College of Commerce sophomore Emperatriz Camille Sangil finds it difficult to sit down for a while and eat. To satisfy her growling stomach, Sangil has resorted to a diet that consists of fast food such as French fries, burgers, and fried chicken.

“Fast food chains are very convenient for us students because it only takes a few minutes for us to order our food, which we can eat while going to class,” she said. “They also taste as good as they look, so I would not mind having fast food all week.”

Sangil is just one of many Thomasians who, because of limited time, are forced to grab and go.

Eva Olarte, director of UST Nutrition and Dietary department, agreed that students prefer fast food partly due to heavy school work.

“Students do not eat enough fruits and vegetables to supplement their diet because these things are not regularly available. Even if they do know how to eat healthy, they do not have a choice but to eat what is available,” Olarte said.

However, Olarte warned Thomasians fond of eating in fast food restaurants, saying that merely filling their stomachs with just about everything just to survive hunger is not enough.

“Fast food sold in these restaurants are rich only in carbohydrates and proteins. If students consume only these kinds of food everyday they may not be supplied with essential vitamins and minerals which are usually found in fruits and vegetables,” she said.

A deficiency in essential vitamins such as vitamin A, which increases eyesight, could lead to night blindness, or worse, complete blindness. Lack of vitamin C could lead to scurvy, a disease characterized by bleeding, bruising easily, hair and tooth loss, and joint pain.

Fast food remained the top consumer choice in Fast Food Facts at www.foodfacts.info, a source of nutritional information on fast food. Olarte attributed this to easy access to fast food.

“Taste is also an important factor in filling their stomachs. If the students do not like the food or if it is not appealing enough then they would not buy it,” she said.

But Olarte said students should not sacrifice nutrition for the sake of speed of service or good taste.

“Eating adequate amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables is preferable since they retain most of their nutritional value that can be lost during processing. Fish and chicken are also healthier options than pork and beef,” she explained.

According to the Food Pyramid, a well-balanced diet includes three to five servings of vegetables, and two to four servings of fruits per day. This is equivalent to two to three rice cups a day.

Daily meals must also include at least one type of food from the three basic food groups: energy giving foods like rice and bread, body-building food like pork and chicken, and regulating foods like fruits and vegetables.

“The ‘grab and go’ foods that Thomasians usually eat are only made up of energy-giving and body-building food which make the diet very limited,” Olarte said.

She also stressed the importance of knowing the right kind of food to eat.

It is for this purpose that the University has built its own nutrition clinic at the ground floor of the Albertus Magnus Building. The clinic offers nutrition counseling in helping Thomasians keep a good diet.

“It all depends on the students having an intelligent food choice,” Olarte said. “Nutrition education can help them realize the importance of considering the quality of the food they consume in terms of vitamins and minerals.”