You probably walk by this door every day and don’t even notice it, but did you know that the Office of Dining Services offers personalized diet planning for students? Saint Joseph’s University offers free consultations with a licensed dietitian and nutritionist.
Maintaining a well balanced diet is a difficult feat as a busy college student. It can be challenging to balance work, school, recreation and health, that is why St. Joe’s offers a free resource to guide your food decisions. Students can schedule free consultations with Sarah Fine, MS, RDN, LDN, CSG, certified nutritionist and dietician. According to Fine, “During my nutrition sessions, I aim to provide students with the tools they need to make smart health decisions to meet their individualized goals”. Fine is a nutrition expert that you can reach out to to help create a plan for yourself based on your health goals.
The structure of each nutrition consultation varies. A consultation typically begins with the students relaying typical eating schedules and habits, as well as their regular physical activity schedule. Fine described her primary role: “I provide suggestions and tips to the students based on their goals and routine. I answer any questions they have and provide them with additional resources. I will follow up with them about a week later”. If you have any changes you would like to make to your eating schedule but are unsure where to start and want someone to hold you accountable (not in a strict manner), this is the resource for you.
Fine provided us with some healthy eating tips. In regards to Campion Dining Hall, Fine shared: “When eating in Campion, try to consume a protein, a vegetable, and a grain option for a well-rounded meal. Adding fruit and a dairy source will help complete the meal”. Fine offered tips like filling your plate up with food from multiple stations and adding flax seeds and kale to smoothies. Fine stressed the importance of listening to your body’s hunger cues: eat slowly and let your body gauge how large or small your portions should be. She recommended that students bring small snacks with them to campus to eat between classes to stay energized.
We interviewed two first year students, Gabrielle O’Brien and Anne Potter, about the food served at Campion Dining Hall, the nutritional plan resource, and whether or not they would utilize this resource. Overall, they felt that it was a smart and useful resource, but maintaining a strict meal plan is still challenging.
If students are interested in this campus resource, they should start by sending an email to dietitian@sju.edu. In order to schedule a free consultation session with Fine, students must complete a pre-consultation form, wait for a response and choose a time that works best for them to meet. If you are interested in formulating your own personalized nutrition plan, take advantage of this resource by emailing Sarah Fine or stopping by the Dining Services Office located in the Campion Food Court.
