Collegiate Times

Along with outstanding academic programs and an elite football team, Virginia Tech is also noted for its vast food selection and multiple dining facilities.

This university can satisfy almost any appetite with menus that include anything from chicken tenders to lobster and mahi mahi. The abundance of food choices are an advantage Tech has over other schools, but this luxury can also add unwanted pounds to those who aren't careful.

"It's all about choices," said Mark Bratton, executive chef of West End dining hall. "The biggest problem most students run into is that they find their favorite food item and eat it everyday."

Aside from the biscuit served during Sunday morning brunch, all other food items at West End are trans-fat free. Even their french fries are fried in a healthier canola/corn oil combination.

While all the items but one are trans-fat free, this does not make it ok to gorge on such dishes as creamy alfredo pasta all the time or include the mashed potatoes or french fries with every meal while chugging down milkshakes from the West End shop Wired.

According to Bratton, making the best choices involves balancing meals, such as buying London broil with a side salad from another shop, Leaf and Ladle.

The Italian shop Bistro Firenze even offers its pastas in "small plates," reduced portions designed for those watching their calorie intake. Leaf and Ladle is also a great location for students to get their daily serving of fruits and veggies.

JP's Chop House is the only place on campus to offer grilled fish, and the marinara sauce West End uses is the only homemade recipe used on campus.

Even at the shop known for its hamburgers and quesadillas, the Fighting Gobbler Sports Lounge has made a few healthy options available to diners that taste amazing. Two of these include the low-fat charbroiled lime chicken on a toasted bun, or a side of mixed vegetables flavored with a sodium-free seasoning.

West End has the best of both worlds, providing diners with enough choices to eat healthy while still leaving open the option to enjoy a juicy burger and fries once in a while.

For those students with the biggest appetites, D2, located in Dietrick Hall, which serves approximately 3,758 people daily, easily satisfies such a large amount of people with its characteristically diverse menus.

While traditionally unhealthy foods like hamburgers, fries and hotdogs can be found at the shop Gauchos, and cookies and pastries at La Ptisserie, there are just as many ways to compromise and include nutritious foods into the all-you-can-eat meal D2 provides.

"Our healthiest options are usually found at Eden's and Olives where students can find vegan and vegetarian foods," said manager Lance Mailem. Olives's award-winning menu includes vegan and vegetarian favorites including falafel, hummus and fresh vegetables and fruits.

Inspired by Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern eating styles, Olives is not only capable of feeding vegans and vegetarians, it also allows other diners to easily incorporate low-fat items into their meals and meet their daily recommended intakes of fruits and vegetables.

Eden's is also a healthy shop to visit while dining at D2, offering fresh baked breads and soups along with its traditional salad bar set up.

Looking for a good source of protein? Look to swing by and pick up one of the excellent sandwiches or grilled meats in Gauchos, the cold cut subs in the East Side Deli, or even a cold glass of skim milk available on tap.

Like West End, D2 offers diners the options they need to eat healthy, but it is ultimately the diner's personal responsibility to choose healthy menu options and include them in a balanced meal.

No matter what dining facility one chooses, there will normally be a fair share of fatty, calorie-laden menu items, but most places will also find a balance in providing the same number of healthy options, whether it be lean meats or fresh fruits and veggies.

Finding this same balance in our own meals is essential to maintaining a healthy diet, and personal choices are a crucial factor in maintaining or losing this balance.

Fries or salad? Burger or grilled fish? We're all faced with answering questions like these when we're hungry, and yes, most of us are going to choose what tastes the best.

This is ok to some degree, but the dining halls on campus make it so easy to find nutritious alternatives, why not compromise once in a while and do your body a favor.