With nutrition facts now available for Dining Services’ daily menus — a health initiative that’s new this semester — it’s easier than ever for campus diners to choose which food items to stock up on and which to leave behind.

Before classes began, Kent State executive chefs compiled nutrition facts for the menus that change daily at Eastway Cafe and Kent Market, and the facts are listed at those locations, said Dining Services director Richard Roldan. Nutrition facts for more locations and items that are served every day are available on the Dining Services website.

“We talk about nutrition and people wanting to understand what they eat,” Roldan said. “So for us it was important that everything was out there and the information was available.”

On average, students gain three to 10 pounds during their first two years of college, and most students gain that weight during their first semester, said nutrition outreach coordinator Tanya Falcone.

There is a misconception that eating healthy on campus is impossible, she said, but with the facts, students have more choices than they might realize.

Pointers for campus eating as

suggested by Tanya Falcone:

1. Keep meals at a maximum of 500 calories and 15 grams of fat. This is based on the 2,000 calorie diet that plans for three meals and two smaller snacks.

2. Split meals that have larger amounts of calories and grams of fat with a friend or eat half and save the rest for later.

3. Look for items that are grilled instead of fried.

4. Eat healthy foods during a craving. For example, instead of eating three pieces of pizza, have one piece and a salad.

Students can request advice on what to eat and what not to eat from Tanya Falcone and the Nutrition Outreach Program by emailing [email protected] or stopping by room 200 in Nixon Hall.

“[Students may] see me every day, twice a day for the entire time they’re in college and it’s completely free,” Falcone said.

Nutritional shockers on campus:

Eastway Cafe (Thursday’s menu):

• The broccoli cheddar soup has 60 more calories and 9 more grams of fat than the Crispy Chicken Tenders

• The Turkey Cheddar Wrap has 220 more calories and 8 more grams of fat than a piece of pepperoni pizza

Items to avoid:

• Nathan’s Double Beef Cheeseburger:

10 oz: 1,250 calories and 91 grams of fat

• Jazzman’s Chocolate Chip Cookie:

600 calories and 29 grams of fat

• Eastway’s Avocado BLT Angus Burger:

840 calories and 62 grams of fat

• Einstein Bros. Mixed Berry Coffee Cake:

715 calories and 28 grams of fat

Healthy choices on

Eastway’s menu:

• The Southern Breaded Chicken Filet

• The Butternut Squash

• The Tomato Bruschetta Flatbread Pizza

Contact Alyssa Morlacci at [email protected].