When I’m downtown during the week for classes and work finding something to eat while I’m pressed for time can be a hassle. Eating at the same old conveniently placed restaurants, like Subway, Diary Queen, Panera Bread and Pizza Hut can be tiring on the tastebuds! Columbia does have vending machines in a majority of its buildings, which can be great for students who don’t have a lot of time to stop at these places in between classes or just can’t afford to eat there. These vending machines offer snacks and beverages for the student who is in a hurry or wants a quick meal during class breaks.
But can these helpful vending machines be seen as too unhealthy for us college students? Candy, chips, pop and cookies are not the best things to eat in general, so I would like to think they would certainly not be good for a college student with numerous exams to study for and homework to complete. College students already don’t get a lot of sleep as it is. I know for a fact unhealthy food can disrupt sleeping habits, and it takes its tole on the body.
Some of the Columbia buildings provide machines with fruit, subs and sandwiches, vitamin water, soups and breakfast-type foods, and it’s a good attempt at drawing students away from the M&M’s and Doritos. But what happens when the fruit gets old or the sandwiches start to mold? It’s back to the candy, pop and chips! And don’t even get me started on the vending machine prices!