Food day provides healthy options

Healthy food options were on display for students and faculty in the Taggart Student Center at the annual Food Day Thursday hosted by the Utah State University Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences program. The program explores a variety of food topics; this year’s event focused on plant-based options and how to shop for them on a budget.

“Shopping on a budget for any college student can seem overwhelming,” said Madeline Beus, a senior majoring in dietetics.

Beus added that there are many places to get healthy options such as a regular grocery store and natural foods stores.

There were several booths setup so people could try plant-based foods for themselves. Some of the foods on display were green smoothies, Hadig, a type of oatmeal found in Armenia, and black bean salad.

Shelby Newby, a junior majoring in dietetics, said most of these foods are available for anyone that is on a budget, especially college students.

“It is very important that college-age students know what kinds of healthy foods are out there and how they can manage with little money,” Newby said.

In addition to managing healthy foods on a budget, Newby said it can be easier to break down the cost of certain foods according to its serving size so people can get the right amount of food for the right amount of money.

With so many healthy and plant-based foods available, Newby also said it is a good idea to get most fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods when they are in season. This is when the food is at its best quality and the price is reasonably low for consumers.

There are other non fruit and vegetable items people can buy, Beus said.

“In addition to having fruits and vegetables stored away, people should also consider buying and storing certain foods such as beans, pasta, rice and tortillas,” Beus said.

Overall, Beus said the turnout was very impressive and hopes that people are now more aware of the healthy options and are able to be more budget conscious.

-connor.comeau@aggiemail.usu.edu

Twitter: @Connor_Comeau