Cafeteria gives students the choice to be healthy

                Upon entering college, students are faced with myriad new freedoms regarding schoolwork, time management, and social activities. The University of Oklahoma’s student cafeteria, Couch Restaurants, recently underwent renovations that expand another aspect of student freedom – choosing how to eat.

                  Officials say that the $10 million year-long renovation began in fall 2008 and equipped the cafeteria – commonly referred to as “The Caf” among students—with free wi-fi, LCD screen TVs, a new coffee shop, and an abundance of new food options. The cafeteria is now comprised of 14 different restaurants, providing students with a diverse array of options.

                  Students can find Greek food at the Athens restaurant, while Casa del Sol offers a Mexican-style menu. Italian dishes, like pizza and pastas, can be found at La Roma, and students craving frozen yogurt can find it at Freshens.

                  Most notable among these and other additions may be the university’s attempt to provide a wide variety of healthy options. The Vegetation Station offers dishes that are not only made with nutrient-rich vegetables, but, according to the Housing and Food Department, are vegetarian-friendly, vegan-friendly, and suitable for students with food-specific allergies.

                  “Salad Sensations in Couch is a great destination for everything salad,” said Chuck Weaver, Food Services Director, referring to the cafeteria’s salad bar. Located near the center of the Caf, Salad Sensations features dozens of fresh produce options, nuts, fruit, and other nutritionally-sound toppings.

                  According to Weaver, every restaurant in Couch Restaurants has the ability to produce vegetarian entrees.

                  “The Caf is full of choices,” said Tim Attocknie, Food Service employee. “There are healthy, low-calorie choices right alongside the less-healthy ones.”

                  Some “less-healthy” options were also part of the renovation. The Sooner Sweet Shoppe provides not only a full-service coffee bar, but also a dazzling array of dessert options, including cookies, pie, cheesecake, tarts, and other appealing sweets.

                  Attocknie emphasizes the fact that the cafeteria’s additions are important because students are no longer limited to a small number of dishes; they enable students to eat according to their own dietary desires, healthy or not.

                  “It’s upon the students to choose what they eat,” Attocknie said.