Written by Bailey Ochs, Media by Sean McFarland.
Mindful Options, a new line of food being served by Sodexo Food Services, has made its way to the Dining Commons (DC) at Greenville College this fall. When Greenville students returned to school after summer vacation this year, they were probably expecting the same old food in the Dining Commons as last year. A lot of students can be heard complaining about the DC food, if not about the poor quality, than about the repetition of the same meals served again and again. But the Sodexo staff had a surprise in store; a new line in the DC called Mindful Options. This food bar presents students with new foods to try and new versions of the foods that they are already familiar with. Besides putting a larger variety into the diet of DC goers, this food is also supposed to be better for your health. Signs in the DC advertise that Mindful Options food has less calories and fat than the food served in the other lines. Another plus is that students who are trying to lose weight or simply keep an eye on what they are eating daily can log the Mindful Options food into apps on their phones or computers.
Besides the benefits of better health and more menu variety, Mindful Options food also has the same taste as the food that is not as healthy. Pizza, stir-fry, and other foods that are found in other lines in the DC can be found at the Mindful Options bar with fewer calories and fat with a similar taste that students want from their food.
Although it is probably too soon to tell what the overall reaction to the new food will be from the students, some have given really positive feedback about the change in menu. Amanda Webb, a senior at Greenville, commented, “I’m quite impressed with the DC. Five stars.” Another GC senior, Maria Koppelberger, said, “It’s awesome that the DC is trying to help people be healthy!” It is encouraging to hear good opinions of the food in the DC, rather than groans about having to leave the home-cooked food behind for the school year. Time will tell how the Greenville students will continue to react to the change in their cafeteria food and if Sodexo will continue to keep Mindful Options on the menu.
