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Let’s Go: JMU’s Hidden Gem for Healthy Eating

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at JMU chapter.

Hey collegiettes™! In one of our open HC polls, we asked about your New Year’s Resolutions.  We at Her Campus JMU have your resolutions down to a science!

So far:
·      38% want to be up in the gym (workin’ on their fitness)
·      25% wish to spend more time with friends and family
·      25% strive for a 4.0 this semester
·      13% want to kick a bad habit

Last week, Brittany Kinsella wrote a nutrition article on keeping your diet resolution. This week, we’re going to tell you where you can make those beneficial meal and snack choices and what to look for. There are plenty of places to eat healthfully on campus, but this is one of my personal favorites that a few of my friends never knew about.

Picture class on the quad—your stomach grumbles that annoying grumble, and you think everyone hears it. (They may have, but you’ll never know.) Then your professor says those magic words: “Well that’s it for today…” and class ends twenty minutes earlier than expected. Now you can finally grab a bite before you run off to the next place. (You busy collegiette™ you!)

Let’s Go is the perfect place for those types of days. The perfect dining location works when you’re strapped for time, studying for a test or trying to bring food home. The salad bar isn’t as large as the ones at Mrs. Greens’ and E-Hall, but Let’s Go offers healthy lunches and nutritious snacks near the quad. Let’s Go has changed drastically over the past three semesters, and the quality still remains.

Location: Gibbons Hall (behind D-Hall, Market One and Chick-Fil-A)
Cost: One meal punch or $9.50. They accept cash, FLEX, Dining Dollars, Dining Dollars GOLD, credit cards and meal plan punches.
Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 10:45 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Fri. 10:45 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Seating: Outdoors, but you could relocate to Market One, the quad, the library, your dorm or apartment, and other locations.

Let’s Go offers a salad bar, hot food, soup, fruit, a sandwich/wrap and a drink (all included).
·      Suggestion:A spinach salad with fresh tomatoes, broccoli and carrots topped with balsamic vinegar and oil. They also offer Ken’s Dressings and other vegetables, rice and salads.
·      Suggestion:Ratatouille (offered on select days)—a delicious, low-calorie squash mixture. Here is a recipe to try at home.
·      A piece of fresh fruit comes in handy later between class and work for a light snack.

Resolution tips: Be mindful about what you’re putting in your body. For a better diet, beware of the creamy dressings and soups as well as sugar-packed juice cocktails. They are loaded with calories. Water is the way to go.  Also avoid salt-heavy and fried foods as best you can. I personally can’t live without French fries, but hey, it’s all about balance!

It’s important for us to be aware of what we’re eating and how we’re balancing nutrition with adequate exercise and rest. Many of the salad bars are great at JMU because you know you’re getting your vitamins and nutrients. Whoever has had lunch with me has probably seen the crazy salad concoctions I’ve made.  Let’s face it: Ramen and hamburgers don’t really give you nutrients. At the core, they are the fruits, vegetables, proteins and carbohydrates. Give Let’s Go a try when you’re in between classes, grabbing lunch with a friend or taking out.

Sources:
www.AllRecipes.com  
http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/college101.html
More on Diet & Fitness: http://www.hercampus.com/health
A refresher: College Eating and Fitness 101
JMU Dining: Sustainability efforts

Alexa is a junior from Cream Ridge, New Jersey.  She is studying Media Arts & Design with a concentration in Corporate Communication and minors in Creative Writing and Anthropology.  She works for the JMU Office of Residence Life as a Program Adviser and as the Graphics Editor for The Breeze.  She loves watching The Bachelor, pinning to her fashion boards and running outside.   Alexa aspires to work in the glamouous fashion magazine industry in New York City or LA.