Dining Services launches ‘eat smart’ program

    Murray State Dining Services will launch a new healthy eating campaign at Winslow Dining Hall and the Thoroughbred Room Monday in the Curris Center.   
    Marketing Coordinator of Murray State Auxiliaries Charlie Cox said the new healthy eating campaign “Eat Smart and Win” encourages students to make healthier food choices.
    For example, in 2007 69 percent of adults were overweight or obese while only 18 percent of adults ate the recommended servings of fruit and vegetables, the Murray State Dining Services Web site says. Murray State wants to do its part in reducing obesity and the associated health problems, it says.
    “The foundation of the campaign is a labeling system at campus dining locations, particularly Winslow where dinner never comes in a cellophane packaging with a black-and- white nutrition label,” Cox said.“The Eat Smart icon will be placed on certain foods that are deemed reasonably healthy by our standards.”
    A food must possess five out of the following six criterions: less than one gram Trans fat, less than 10 grams of saturated fat, less than 30 percent calories from fat, less than 150 grams cholesterol, less than 1,250 milligrams of sodium or at least two grams of fiber to earn the double-heart Eat Smart symbol, Cox said.
    Caitlyn Droste, student nutrition assistant, and Kathleen Burke, menu management assistant, have reviewed all of the menu items, Cox said.
    Terri Benton, associate director of dining services, said dining services are using some existing recipes that fit the criterion  instead of creating new recipes.
    “The foods we will be serving are low in fat and heart healthy, but we are not as strict as the American Heart Association standards for heart health,” Benton said. “For instance, the AHA does not allow any meat, but we have included low-fat meat items such as chicken.”
    The menu for Dunker’s Deli is in the process of being re-labeled to include the Eat Smart icon also, Cox said.
    Tia Johnston, sophomore and Winslow student worker from Leitchfield, Ky., said she believed Murray State Dining services already serves healthy options.
    “Winslow does have the deli that is open all of the time, and they do serve grilled chicken and vegetables regularly,” Johnston said. “But no one wants to eat grilled chicken everyday even if it is the healthiest option available. Change would be nice.”
    Johnston said posting the nutrition facts about the foods would increase student awareness of what they are consuming.
    “Students just go in there and eat what they think is healthy, but if they have the nutrition facts available to them, they would be more informed and could make the healthiest choice possible,” Johnston said.
    Dining services will also be promoting the new heart healthy campaign by having a drawing and prizes at Winslow on Sept. 16, Cox said.  Dunker’s Deli will also serve a heart healthy special each week, Benton said.
    Nutritional information will be posted inside Winslow and the Thoroughbred Room, and it will also be available online at murraystate.edu/dining/nutrition, Cox said.
    Ashlee Cobb can be reached at ashlee.cobb@murraystate.edu.