Eat Healthy, Despite Health Code

Eating at John Jay is a game of numbers: 15,000 meals dished out weekly, 30 to 210 meals consumed per term, two meals each day, and endless ways to combine the buffet offerings onto that bright blue tray. “You figure the value out on your own,” Executive Director of Dining Services Joseph Heavey said. The choices available at a buffet both fulfill and frustrate the college student looking to eat well. How can you get the best bang for your buck when it comes to nutritious, organic, and local foods? I sat down with John Jay’s executive chef, Columbia’s resident dietician, and Heavey to find out.

It’s hard enough navigating the John Jay buffet without worrying about making healthy choices, but dietician Ina Tsagarakis offered tips on how to tilt the odds in your favor. Aside from avoiding the blatantly obvious nutritional pitfalls (the executive chef divulged that “wings, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese” always run out first), Tsagarakis suggests the idea of “building a plate” divided into quadrants—protein in one, starch (preferably whole grain) in another, and vegetables taking up the rest. If you can’t bear the thought of a meal without John Jay waffles or pizza, at least pour some fruit on the former and choose the veggie option for the latter. You can also help yourself out by diluting your juice—lessening the blow of the calorie-laden drinks—and trying some of those mysterious whole grains, such as kasha, quinoa, and millet, which have lots of fiber to fill you up. The kitchen already makes some healthy decisions for you—John Jay is trans-fat free and uses olive oil in dishes in place of less healthy fats.

Overeating is an additional problem students tend to have. Since John Jay is a buffet, “it’s really easy to overload your plate and get heaping portion sizes,” Tsagarakis said. Survey what’s for dinner, and decide what you truly want. Not only does portion control keep your waistline in check, but it reduces waste and helps the surrounding community. Extra food is donated to City Harvest, which only accepts intact trays. If just a few more people take only what they’re going to eat, an extra tray of food goes to the hungry in New York City.

For the organic and locally conscious, there is hope. Although the numbers for actual organic food are currently disappointingly low—according to Heavey, “if you could put a percentage on it, it would be in the single digits”—it can still be found. Organically conscious students should seek out the orange “O” sign. “The main trouble with organic is sourcing it, finding it in general, and finding it of good quality,” Heavey said. Keeping within the budget is also a concern. Heavey pointed out that a good side of regular salmon costs about $7.25, while if sourced organically, the price goes up to $17.25.

Thankfully, local foods are an entirely different story. John Jay’s milk, baked goods, fruit, and apple cider all come from local vendors, and even the coffee is roasted locally. “Locavores” will be happy to learn that the main priorities of John Jay are expanding local food options and creating menus to include what’s fresh—already, only fresh vegetables are used—and what’s in season. Although local growers are not necessarily certified, Tsagarakis pointed out that by virtue of being local, their process is mostly organic.

The safest bet, it seems, is taking a close look at ingredients and where they come from. With the right mindset, John Jay might not be so bad after all.