Planning Your Plate

Quite often, eating healthy is pushed to the end of the list when transitioning to an independent college lifestyle. I figured healthy options were almost impossible to find in an on campus dining hall due to the limited hours for bulk preparation. However, it is quite the opposite. Penn State provides numerous healthy options, and through the 2 years I’ve spent here, new options are added each semester. 

On campus

There are 5 dining halls, and just an FYI, there are no restrictions on entering the dining halls whether you live in that housing area or not. (Fun Fact: I have tried all 5 dining halls!) I am going to break this down into each housing area, to make it easier to locate the information you are looking for.

Pollock: Pollock has both buffet style swipe (upstairs) along with a mini market store (downstairs). 

• Upstairs, once you swipe in for lunch or dinner, go to the right, and look for Leaf and Envy. These stations contain the salad bar (THE best one on campus) and vegetarian options. There are grains and soups and cooked veggies. My personal favorite is the bean and quinoa burger!
• Downstairs, the Edge Market has fresh fruit, juices, and healthy snacks, along with refrigerated packaged veggies + fruit. Lots of great grab-and-go nutritious options with reasonable prices. 

East: East has à la carte options (upstairs) along with kiosk ordering stations and a mini market (downstairs).

• Upstairs there are lots of different stations, no need to swipe in, you will swipe after you pick your food. There is a Deli station where you can get a made-to-order wrap or sandwich, the Salad station has customizable salads, and the Bowls station has acai bowls and smoothies. Lots of delicious options! (Fun fact: Faith, me, and some of our friends would make the Bloop trip from the Engineering Units to East just for the salads!
• Downstairs, very similar to Pollock, the Edge Market has fresh fruit and healthier options of packaged foods, very easy grab-and-go with reasonable prices. 

West: West has buffet style dining (requiring a swipe) and made-to-order in West Wing, both upstairs. Sisu is located downstairs, it is a small market style shop with fresh fruit, juices and packaged healthy snacks. 

• For lunch and dinner the dining hall has a salad bar with healthier and vegetarian options (like delicious roasted veggies) right next to it. This is always my first stop! For brunch on the weekends, the salad bar becomes a fresh fruit bar and made-to-order omelets are available. 
• West Wing has a lot of fried food (beware…) but their wraps are easy to customize for a healthy lunch option with a perfect portion size. 

South: South has a small buffet but mainly à la carte options, similar to East. Louie’s is the mini market with fresh fruit and a larger variety of grab-and-go options.

• Urban Garden is the station with a salad bar, soups, proteins and healthy sides. Although you can serve yourself, the portion sizes are appropriate, with reasonable prices. 
• In A Pickle serves made-to-order wraps and paninis, and the portion size here is much larger than other similar campus options. 
• The buffet has a salad bar with a small selection of options for clean eating. 

North: North is the smallest of all of the dining halls, which also means the fewest healthy options. There is a very small market but the à la carte options include made-to-order salads and wraps.

Green 2 Go boxes are a sustainable initiative that I have found extremely beneficial. Instead of asking for a styrofoam box the next time you want take-out from a dining hall, ask for a Green 2 Go. This system is very simple and extremely waste-conscious. 

1. The first time you ask for a Green 2 Go you will pay $5 (simply a deposit that will be returned when you ask at the end of the year, either Meal Plan or LionCash). The cashier will hand you a punch card (right) and keep this handy for the next time you get a box.
2. Fill with food and enjoy!
3. Keep and exchange when you decide to take-out again OR rinse and return to a cashier for a carabiner that you can exchange the next time, instead of the box. 
4. Remember your punch card and once you get 10 punches you can exchange the card for a free meal!

Downtown there are tons of options for all different budgets. Might require some walking depending on where you are coming from but definitely worth it. Reference this link for more information. 

Roots (personal FAV) → Create your own grain bowl or salad, fantastic treatment of allergy orders, located on Beaver Ave, under the Edge apartment building.

Fiddlehead → Create your own grain bowl or salad, great treatment of allergy orders, HUGE portion sizes (can easily get 2 meals out of 1 order), located on the corner of College Ave and Fraser, across from Hammond and catty corner from Dunkin

Sower’s Harvest → Smoothies, paninis, salads, small business, genuine food, Located under campus tower (huge peach colored apartment building along S Garner Street), behind Calder way Starbucks

Irvings (State College classic) → wraps and sandwiches on bagels or bread, breakfast or lunch, super fresh and clean ingredients, located on College Ave across from Campus Gate, next to Lion’s Pride

Salud Juicery → juices, smoothies, wellness shots, bowls, located on Fraser street, behind Fiddlehead

Playa Bowls → bowls (acai, coconut, green, oatmeal, pitaya, chia, poké), smoothies and juices, located under the Legacy apartment building, corner of E Calder Way and Hetzel street, closest to South Halls

Hello Bistro (chain restaurant) → salads (pre-made or create your own), also have burgers and grilled cheese, fries which aren’t the healthiest options but can be adapted + eaten in moderation, located on College Ave next to State Theater.

Caitlyn Longenecker
Team F Mentor