Fourth Former Oliver Andrewson, who usually buys an Ice Energy drink or Core Power, said that the options were “pretty limited [and] not the healthiest.”
The Café is known for many things: a mid-morning snack, an after-school hangout, and a place to just sit and chat. But how good, and healthy, is the food within it? What do students actually buy, and what could be added to improve the options of healthy foods?
While many students visit the Café at different times, for the most part, they all buy the same types of food. Pretzels and cookies, for example, are student favorites.
Still, some students disagree on the variety of options available.
Although the Café satisfies many students’ preferences, some think that there could be healthier options.
Fifth Former Aidan Chiang, who usually goes for a cookie, thinks that the food selection is adequate. “They’re not bad,” Chiang said. He mentioned that the Café has “good variety.”
Fourth Former Ray Kresge, usually opting for a milkshake or cookie, shares a similar opinion. “I think they’re fine,” Kresge said. “I just go in and get something I know.”
Although the Café satisfies many students’ preferences, some think that there could be healthier options.
The Café primarily serves candy, and the few “healthy” items advertised aren’t too appetizing.
“There should be more savory options,” Third Former Kent Foo said. “They have stuff that nobody ever gets.”
Fourth Former Brayden Holland said, “There are some parts that are healthy, but the majority isn’t.”
What can be done to improve the quality and variety of food in the Café? A few students have ideas.
Perhaps the removal of a “healthy” option from the Café suggests that Haverford students do not value eating healthy as much as they should.
Holland suggests adding fresh smoothies to the Café. Fourth Former Thomas Lentz expressed that there should be more breakfast options, as many students rely on the Café for breakfast and aren’t given much choice.
Third Former Edward Cheung thinks the few current smoothie options are not freshly made and don’t offer much incentive, tucked away with the milkshakes.
Cheung says there should be “something you can eat without thinking about that is also healthy.” He suggested carrots and hummus, which the Café used to carry.
Perhaps the removal of a “healthy” option from the Café suggests that Haverford students do not value eating healthy as much as they should. However, adding healthy options to the Café is easier than it may seem.
Cheung proposes adding fresh fruit, something that already exists in the dining hall during lunch. The fruit not eaten at lunch could simply be brought over into the Café and put in the little basket that sits on the counter. Other options from the dining hall, like yogurt and miniature cereal boxes, would also be easy to implement.
In a school where physical fitness matters so much, the current Café options just don’t cut it. Even for a snack, the current options of candy, chocolate cookies, muffins, and energy drinks are not healthy for athletes and non-athletes alike. Placing dining hall options in the Café may be the exact solution the Café needs.
