As we get older, we learn the importance of taking care of ourselves to keep healthy. We learn we need to exercise and eat right. If we didn’t already know the importance of good health, we’ll learn it in the health and nutrition classes that fulfill some of Bakersfield College ‘s general education requirements. Even television further drills this into our heads with commercials advertising health foods and dieting pills.

So you’d think that BC, a place of higher education where we can mature and be educated, would offer healthy foods to keep up with our new, or not so new, knowledge of good health. But alas, this is not the case.

The cafeteria sells a variety of snacks that are obviously unhealthy. They do make “real food” like burritos, burgers, etc. But for those of us who wish to be healthy, our options are quite limited. And for the very few of us who do not eat meat, our options are even more limited. If the ingredients themselves are not already unhealthy, then the way they are cooked makes them unhealthy. Much of the food is fried and greasy and kind of unappealing to us who watch what we eat.

Sure, they’ve got salads, nuts and fruit. That totally makes for a fulfilling meal, right? Most of the salads have meat sprinkled on them and the few meatless ones are boring house salads that’ll leave you hungry. There are some pasta salads that could be considered healthy, but for those “carbophobes,” that’s a nightmare in a plastic box. For vegetarians, there are garden burgers, which is a step in the right direction, but, unfortunately, they aren’t always available, and when they are, the same thing can get boring fast. A little variety would be nice.

A lot of us are here at school all day and have to eat meals in between classes. If students don’t want to bring a lunch or don’t have time to go off campus, they have no other choice but to eat here. It’s too bad that they can’t have a filling yet healthy meal on campus.

While very thankful for the healthier options we do have, more tofu and lean meats would make a great addition to BC food options. Many students like grubbing on Doritos and cookies, but those of us who don’t would greatly appreciate some other choices instead of just going hungry again.