Choosing the Best Dining Option

Hey guys, welcome to Decisions, Decisions’ final submission. This post will serve as the entry in which I examine the benefits and disadvantages of preparing your own food as a college student. Additionally, it will also act as the culmination of my entire project in which I share with you guys whether I believe eating on campus, off campus, or preparing your own food is the best choice for the Santa Clara students. I’m not going to lie, guys. I was a little scared going into this final part of the project because I am about as far from a proficient cook as humanly possible. However, I do have quite a bit of experience grilling and because of this I knew I’d be able to handle it since my project only requires that I prepare burgers and some sort of side dish.

            Before I could begin preparing my own meal I had to stop at our local Safeway grocery store to procure all the necessary ingredients in order to make my meal. I picked up a bag of eight Oroweat whole grain wheat hamburger buns, a pack of Kraft American cheese slices, and pound of Open Nature beef. In total, the items I bought cost $11.32 (I received some nice savings because I am a Safeway Club member which is a free program I would highly recommend all of you consider joining if you ever plan on shopping at Safeway). However, since I was only using one bun, one slice of cheese, and part of the meat I bought it is more appropriate to say that the meal cost roughly $1.66. This price blows away what I paid at the Bronco and at In-N-Out and clearly shows that it is cheaper to buy and prepare your own food as a college student (or anyone else, for that matter). I didn’t bother to pick up a side because I had a few leftover apples and other possible options in my room that I could enjoy along with my burger. As for my drink, my beverage of choice with all meals these days is simply water, which thankfully is free.

            I was particularly impressed by how healthy the Open Nature beef I bought from Safeway was. After I had returned from the grocery store and was preparing to cook my food, I did some research on the grocery store’s website to learn a little more about what I was about to put into my body. I was happy to learn that Open Nature beef is raised without antibiotics, has no added growth hormones, is all vegetarian fed, and all the beef that the company produces is deemed to be USDA choice meat (Safeway). Additionally, the research I conducted along with this project indicates that most experts believe it is far healthier to prepare your own food at home as opposed to buying any kind of processed food. In the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Report of Dietary Guidelines, it was revealed that consumers take in up to 400 extra calories when eating out as opposed to preparing their own food due to highly refined grains and other factors they cannot control when they don’t make their own food (Van Horn). This report confirmed my personal suspicions that self-preparation is the healthiest dining option.

            In addition to the responsibly raised beef that I purchased, I also discovered that my entire meal was healthier than the ones I received on campus at the Bronco and off campus at In-N-Out. Since I prepared my own meal, it is difficult for me to report on the exact health information of the food I made. However, from what I can gather through the nutrition information located on the labels of the products I purchased, the health information is as follows: 450 calories, 17.5 grams of total fat, 7.5 grams of saturated fat, 34 grams of carbohydrates, 7 grams of fiber, 33 grams of protein, and 635 milligrams of sodium. These statistics indicate that the Open Nature beef, whole grain wheat buns, and cheddar cheese produced a very comparable and in many cases healthier meal than what I had access to at the other locations I dined at. Most notably the meal I prepared myself had significantly less sodium and fat than the burgers I bought at the Bronco and In-N-Out. Learning all this information about the food I bought made me feel much better about the purchase I had just made and got me excited to fire up the grill and get cooking.

            Cooking the burger was perhaps the most rewarding part of the entire meal. Grilling outside with some of my good friends was extremely entertaining and led to one of the most enjoyable meals I’ve had all year. Cooking the meal didn’t end up being nearly as bad as I imagined it would be either. The only aspect of preparing my own food that I wasn’t a big fan of was how time consuming and inconvenient it was. Before I could enjoy my meal I had to take time to go to Safeway to buy the ingredients, prep the grill, and then cook the food. Additionally, I also had to spend more time on top of that eating the actual meal itself and cleaning up afterwards. Altogether, this meal required a couple hours of work and a lot more effort than simply walking into Benson and ordering food or driving to In-N-Out to get a burger.

            Looking back on this project I’m amazed by how much I’ve learned about the different dining options available to college students attending Santa Clara University. My findings have clearly shown that while preparing your own food is by far the cheapest and healthiest option, eating in Benson or off campus are far more convenient for students with busier lives and restraining class schedules. This project has taught me that there isn’t a distinct best dining option available for college students. All of the locations I dined at and received my food from had their own advantages and disadvantages. Ultimately I have learned that instead of worrying about where we eat, it is far more important to think about what we eat. As this blog draws to a close, I urge you all to take the time to learn about what you’re putting into your bodies and always strive to find the best options available to you wherever you choose to eat.

Works Cited

"Safeway - Open Nature - Meats." Safeway - Open Nature - Meats. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 May

2013.

Van Horn, Linda V. "Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary

Guidelines for Americans, 2010." United States Department of Agriculture. USDA, May 2010. Web. 31 May 2013.

Redefining the Fast Food Experience

Hey guys I’m back again this week with another review for you. This post will serve as my second dining options review for students attending Santa Clara University. I had the pleasure of not having to eat on campus at Benson and got to add a little variety to my dinning (apart from the actual meal of course). This week I ate at off campus at a fast food restaurant I’m sure you’re all familiar with, In-N-Out. Now before you all condemn me for eating fast food let me first remind you that although In-N-Out is technically a fast food company it is far more ethical than the rest of the industry. The food chains unique practices and beliefs set it apart from the competition and truly place it in between the fast and slow food movements. As a result, college students, including myself, attending Santa Clara have an affordable option for eating off campus. In-N-Out is a company that students don’t have to feel quite as guilty about supporting and enjoying.

            In-N-Out still has the same iconic look that it’s sported since the late 1940’s when it originally opened its doors to the public. The bright red and white color scheme can be seen throughout the entire restaurant, both inside and out, and makes approaching the establishment feel like stepping into a time machine. From the plastic umbrella laden tables that litter the grounds outside to the classic interior it appears not much has changed since the fast food chain went into business. Another aspect of In-N-Out that hasn’t seen many changes since the company’s establishment is its menu. Although the menu has only seen about as many changes as the decorations and layout of their restaurants I would argue that this is definitely a positive aspect of In-N-Out. The fact that their menu has seen very few changes over the years means that In-N-Out still serves the same delicious items its been pleasing customers with since it originally opened its doors for business. Additionally, the company also prides itself on resisting as much industrialization as possible and still prepares all the meals by hand. In-N-Out goes above and beyond its competing fast food restaurants.

            Unfortunately In-N-Out is not easily accessible when walking from campus. Some of my friends and I attempted the trip at the beginning of the fall quarter and it took us almost thirty minutes, a good amount of which was spent walking along a highway. After that trip I realized that all my future endeavors to the restaurant would be much more successful if I went with a friend who had access to a car so I could avoid making the questionable decision to walk along the interstate again. I’m still astounded by the fact that even though there always seems to be an endless line at In-N-Out it doesn’t take long to get to the register and place your order. This is due to fantastic service the company’s employees provide. The service at In-N-Out is far superior to any service I’ve received at other fast food restaurants. Even though there was a long line when my friends and I went to In-N-Out so that I could conduct this review it took us only a few minutes to receive our food after we ordered it.

            After biting into my first In-N-Out burger earlier this fall I have yet to find another burger that rivals it when it comes to taste. An In-N-Out burger is not even comparable to Santa Clara’s Bronco Burger, as they are not even in the same league. Whether it was my first visit, or my most recent one, I am still blown away by how genuinely delicious In-N-Out’s burgers are from the first bite to the last. The combination of the company’s fresh ingredients, expert craftsmanship, and perfect preparation allows In-N-Out to produce a burger that’s unlike anything I’ve ever tasted before. Along with my scrumptious burger I had the pleasure of enjoying some of In-N-Out’s delicious animal style French fries (hand cut fries topped with melted cheese, In-N-Out’s unique spread, and grilled onions) as well as an ice-cold cup of complementary water. By the end of my meal I was thoroughly satisfied and happy with the meal I had received. If you have yet to visit In-N-Out for some strange reason the only advice I can give you is to make a trip there as soon as possible and prepare yourself for one of the best burgers you’ve ever tasted in your entire life.

            When I got back from my lunch off campus and compared my receipt from In-N-Out to my receipt from the Bronco last week I was amazed at the difference in the total cost that I observed. My burger at In-N-Out cost $4.63 and my total meal only ran me a little over five dollars since I opted not to get a drink. Conversely, last week’s Bronco Burger cost me $6.79 and the total meal ended up costing almost ten dollars. Now I’m no math major but I’m fairly certain it is easy for most of you to tell which option ended up being cheaper. I saved close to five dollars eating at In-N-Out, which is almost half as less of what I spent at the Bronco. Five dollars might not seem like an enormous amount of money but when you’re a college student living on a college budget, every little bit you can save definitely counts. Although my meal at In-N-Out was cheaper its important to keep in mind that since its not easy to walk to the restaurant you may have to factor in transportation costs depending on how you get there.

            Like I mentioned in my last post, one of the most important factors to take into consideration when choosing your next meal in college, and throughout your entire life for that matter, is how healthy is the food you’re eating. Although I was expecting my burger from In-N-Out to be significantly unhealthier than the Bronco Burger I had last week I was surprised to find out that was not necessarily the case. Thanks to In-N-Out’s easy to use website I was able to uncover all the company’s nutritional information for their entire menu and get the statistics that I needed in order to make an accurate comparison. According to the health information the website provided, the burger that I enjoyed at In-N-Out contained, “480 calories, 27 grams of total fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 39 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 22 grams of protein, and 1000 milligrams of sodium” (In-N-Out). A quick comparison between this data and the information I shared with you last week reveals that the burger from In-N-Out’s burger is unhealthier in every category when compared to the Bronco Burger except for the fact that it contains two more grams of dietary fiber which is beneficial for digestion. These findings show that although In-N-Out’s burgers may be delicious, the superior taste comes at a cost and this should be kept in mind whenever you choose to eat off campus at the establishment. However, In-N-Out’s burger is still healthier than the majority of other fast food options and should be chosen over other fast food restaurants in my opinion if you’re going to eat fast food.

            I definitely can’t complain about getting to make an extra trip to In-N-Out this year. Their burgers are above and beyond the best fast food I’ve ever tasted and they make arguably some of the best all around burgers I’ve ever had. Additionally, like the majority of fast food restaurants you don’t have to break the bank in order to enjoy a meal at In-N-Out (you also don’t have to feel quite as guilty about supporting the fast food industry since In-N-Out refuses to use beef that’s brought too far away from the establishment its being served at). However, its important to keep in mind that In-N-Out is still fast food and definitely shouldn’t be considered healthy by any stretch of the imagination. It’s a great treat every once and a while but I wouldn’t recommend making routine stops here if you want to fend off the dreaded freshman 15. Be sure to stop by next week for my fifth and final post where I’ll be attempting to buy and prepare my own burger.

Work Cited

"Nutrition - In-N-Out Burger." Nutrition - In-N-Out Burger. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2013.

Man vs. Bronco

Welcome back guys and thanks for checking in again. After a weeklong hiatus I’m back with another post for you and an important one at that. This post is the first of my three dining option reviews for college students attending Santa Clara University. This week I had the pleasure of eating at a campus favorite I’m sure you’re all very familiar with, the Bronco. From my experiences at Santa Clara thus far, it appears that most students have mixed feelings about this dining option that can only be described as a love hate relationship. On one hand the Bronco offers fast, convenient, tasty food to the Santa Clara community. On the other, it’s the only on-campus dining option that’s open at night and because of this many students complain they are forced to eat there a lot more than they would prefer; especially considering the type of food the Bronco serves is hard to classify as healthy.

            The Bronco is designed and laid out in a style very similar to many sports and fast food restaurants that are found in other colleges around the country. Large flat screens TVs displaying current sports games, comfortable seating, and plenty of Santa Clara athletics sports memorabilia fill the restaurant. However, upon entering the Bronco it becomes clear that it is actually comprised of three different dining options. This layout is similar to the rest of Santa Clara’s on-campus dining options and is intended to provide more selections for students when it comes to choosing what they want to eat. The three options available in the Bronco are: Tailgaters, the main component of the Bronco that serves traditional American fast food such as burgers and chicken tenders; 540, the Bronco’s pizza kitchen that operates during the same hours as Tailgaters and serves up pizzas, calzones, and pastas to the University’s students; and Fresco, the popular salad bar that is only open for limited hours each day and is often plagued by long lines and waits. Together these three options combine to make the Bronco.

            When I walked into the restaurant my food was already hot and ready waiting for me under a heat lamp. I had tapingo’ed my order with my phone using a smartphone application that links to a resident dining account. This allows students to place orders in advance for convenience. As I approached the counter I found my usual order, the infamous Bronco Burger, prepared and ready to go. The Bronco Burger is a staple of many students’ diets and is ordered by the majority of them each week, including myself, more times than we’d like to admit. I loaded it up with my favorite fixings including lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and ketchup at the condiments stand then hoped into the Tailgaters line. After picking up a bottle of water and side of apples with peanut butter I was ready to enjoy my lunch. I sat down with some friends at one of the nearby tables and eagerly began to consume my lunch.

            The first bite of the burger was pure bliss. The tender meat, melted cheese, and blend of assorted condiments were exactly what I had been craving. Bon Appetite, the company that supplies the food for Santa Clara’s on campus dining, works hard to ensure that they use locally grown beef and fresh vegetables in all their food. This combination produces a noticeably superior burger and there’s no better way to understand that than by trying one yourself. Within minutes all that was left on my plate was a large pile of greasy fries that were included with the meal. I opted not to eat these and instead moved onto the apples and peanut butter I had picked up to replace them. I sipped on my water as I finished eating to wash the entire meal down. From the first bite to the last I can safely say that the Bronco provided me with a satisfying meal.

            Although I did not have to pay for the burger or sides with cash they definitely weren’t free. The Bronco Burger cost $6.79 for the burger and fries. On top of that the additional side of apples and peanut butter that I purchased cost another $2.29. In total my meal ended up costing $9.08. All things considered this is a pretty reasonable price to pay for a good, filling meal in Benson. Most meals purchased on campus typically end up costing over $10 due to their high prices. However, although their prices are high they are justified due to the fact that the food is always fresh and comes from responsible sources. I am interested to see how the price of this meal compares to what I’ll be paying when I eat off campus at In-N-Out as well as when I prepare my own food that I purchase in the coming weeks.

            One of the most important factors that should be taken into consideration when choosing any meal in college, and throughout all our lives for that matter, is how healthy is the food we’re selecting. It is critical to understand where our food is coming from and what is in it. Although the Bronco has a bad reputation among students for serving unhealthy food, the research I did didn’t necessarily reach the same conclusion. Bon Appetite’s website provides health information for all of the food served on campus and states that a Bronco Burger contains, “420 calories, 20 grams of total fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 31 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 28 grams of protein, and 540 milligrams of sodium” (Bon Appetite). These health statistics are very comparable to what is found in many other burgers at other colleges and restaurants. This proves that although it’s probably not the best idea to order a Bronco Burger regularly, the Bronco may not deserve all the harsh criticism it receives from people around campus.

            I enjoyed having an excuse to make an extra stop at the Bronco this week and get another delicious Bronco Burger. I hope you guys come back during the next few weeks to see my comparisons of the on campus food at the Bronco to off campus and self-prepared options.

Work Cited

"Grill Entrées | Café Bon Appétit." Grill Entrées | Café Bon Appétit. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May

2013.

Slowing Down Fast Food

Welcome back guys, thanks for stopping by again this week. Before I get started examining what the best dining option is for college students I’d like to take some time to provide you with some background information on my project and explain why I chose it. I recently read one of Mark Bittman’s pieces in The New York Times entitled Shared Meals, Shared Knowledge that got me interested in the slow food movement and ultimately made me more conscientious about where my food comes from. Throughout the article Bittman makes a strong argument as to why we should think carefully about what’s in our food and where it comes from before we consume it. I believe that these are important factors we should all keep in mind when choosing our next meals throughout college as well as long after graduation.

            Right about now some of you might be wondering who Mark Bittman is and why he is a credible source in regards to health and food issues. Bittman has been writing for the New York Times for over thirteen years. Presently he is the Times leading food columnist and the author of the bestselling author of the books Food Matters and How to Cook Everything. His books primarily focus on food, health issues, and the slow food movement making him a perfect resource for my project. Bittman has gained national attention and popularity as a result of his skillful writing and persistent request, “urging Americans to change the way we eat” (New York Times). Over the years Bittman has established himself as an authority on the slow food movement and a strong advocate against the fast food industry.

The particular article that I am sharing with you today, Shared Meals, Shared Knowledge, was originally published in the Opinions section of the New York Times on September 27, 2011. The New York Times is a publication that I’m sure you are all at least somewhat familiar with. It is one of the oldest, most respected newspapers in the country and reaches a large audience of people around the world. The article was written as both a response to the fast food movement and the many other pieces that Bittman has written on the subject. For those of you that are unaware of what the fast and slow food movements are I will provide detailed explanations of both throughout my review and analysis of Bittman’s piece. Essentially, this article was written to help convince readers why they should care about what they eat and where it comes from.

Bittman begins his article by introducing his readers to both the slow and fast food movements. He states that Slow Food USA, an organization that helped popularize the slow food movement, defines slow food as being, “good for its eaters, its producers, and the environment” (Bittman). He later adds that the slow food movement also focuses on, “eating more locally, eating less imported food, relying on staples like grains and beans, reducing your food’s carbon footprint, and eating a healthier diet” (Bittman). Conversely, Bittman explains that the fast food methodology that the majority of our nation has embraced focuses on convenience above all else. He continues by stating that the fast food industry has changed the way Americans view food and taken the meaning out of sharing a meal with other people. Additionally, Bittman argues that our nation’s reliance on convenience has distorted the idea of what real food is and reduced seasonal foods to, “pumpkins turned into jack-o-lanterns, followed by cranberry sauce (sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup, no less)” (Bittman).

Once he has described the fast and slow food movements to ensure that all his readers have a mutual understanding of the concepts he discusses throughout his article Bittman explains the importance of cooking and self-preparation. He begins by stating that, “Americans forgot the lessons brought over from the old countries” (Bittman). Bittman explains that the convenience of the fast food industry has convinced many people to stop preparing their own food as well as eating at home altogether. Additionally, he adds that the myth that cooking is expensive has also forced many people into falsely believing that they cannot afford to cook their own food. In order to disprove this myth Bittman shares Slow Food USA’s five-dollar challenge campaign with his readers. This project encourages people to cook their meals at home and offers many recipes that cost fewer than five dollars per person. This is very competitive with the prices of many value meals at the majority of fast food restaurants and because of this Bittman believes the campaign can help, “show that buying normal ingredients from a grocery store and cooking them at home is cheaper than going out to eat” (Bittman).

After reading Shared Minds, Shared Knowledge I immediately knew that it would have a great influence on my project Decisions, Decisions. My project focuses on determining whether eating on campus, off campus, or self-preparation is more beneficial for college students when it comes to choosing their next meal. I am interested to see whether it is possible prepare my own meal on campus and spend less money than I would by eating in Benson or off campus at a fast food restaurant. I also support Bittman’s argument that slow food is much better for its eaters, producers, and the environment and because of that I am motivated to prepare my own food and help support the movement. Ultimately, I share Bittman’s view that, “Ethical, sustainable food is surely the ideal, but to get there we have to encourage the purchase and preparation of available food that can then be cooked (or eaten raw, for that matter) at home” (Bittman).

I hope you guys are as excited to see the comparisons of the different dining options as I am. Come back in two weeks to see my first review: eating on campus, at Benson, in the Bronco.

Works Cited

Bittman, Mark. "Shared Meals, Shared Knowledge." Opinionator Shared Meals Shared

Knowledge Comments. New York Times, 27 Sept. 2011. Web. 03 May 2013. <http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/27/shared-meals-shared-knowledge/>.

"Mark Bittman - Opinionator - NYTimes.com." New York Times. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 May 2013.

<http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/author/mark-bittman/>.