Dixie State University’s underwhelming dining options need a revamp.
While a good Chick-fil-A sandwich is always a crowd-pleaser, the dining options on campus are weak for the most part.
A lack of diversity in food choices leads to incredibly bland options for students. Fried chicken, pizza, smoothies and sandwiches are all North American fast-food classics we all know and love, but is it too much to ask for diversity in the choices?
Aside from ACE Sushi’s menu, which is too pricey for college students’ budgets, the options are unhealthy and boring. With DSU’s enrollment numbers climbing every year, a refresh of on-campus dining options is in order.
More ethnic food choices seem to be the most obvious solution
For a story about new international students on DSU campus, I interviewed Laiba Ali, a senior English major from Pakistan.
Ali said: “I [find] myself liking everything here except the food because it’s so different from where I belong. There is no spice in anything, and I feel like I am starving.”
With 49 new international students on campus, more options that these students’ palates are used to would lead to a more inclusive experience. The more comfortable DSU can make these students’ experience on campus, the more likely enrollment numbers will continue to grow.
It is a well-known fact that the average US citizen’s diet is a big heap of processed foods and sugar. Almost all the food offered on campus are heavily processed. Fast food isn’t doing students any favors. Dining options inspired by dishes from other countries will also fix this issue. Dishes like Indian curry, which is full of vegetables, and Thai lettuce wraps that are low in calories but full of nutrition, are just a few of the many examples.
This isn’t to say that all food besides American food is healthy, but more often than not, that is the case. Traditional ethnic food is usually much less processed than the fast food offered on campus.
Ethnic food is also just what most people enjoy at the moment.
In a 2019 study done by the New York Post, the research found that 86 percent of the 2,000 Americans polled enjoyed cuisine from different countries more than dishes from their own. With numbers like this, it’s safe to assume dining options on campus that offer cuisine from other cultures would do very well.
Options featuring foods from different cultures will not only allow exchange students feel more at home but will also make all students happy due to the popularity of ethnic cuisine. It is also a healthier alternative to the fast food options we have now.
DSU is the fastest growing university in the state of Utah. It would be a shame for the dining services to not take advantage of the money coming in and grow with the university.
