This is not your father’s student meal

How about having to plan and cook thousands of lunches every day, and do it again at dinnertime? Lisa Krausman is a dining-center manager at the University of Northern Iowa.Krausman says the “mystery meat” of lunch lines past is long gone, replaced by consumer-driven menu. Some of the most popular are “American basics” like hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, but some surprise favorites are hot roast beef and turkey sandwiches. Krausman, a registered dietician, says a salad bar offers nutrition, too. And what about the fabled “freshman fifteen,” unwanted pounds that college kids may gain their first year away from home?She says the change from eating family meals to an all-you-can-eat serving system can do it, as can decreased activity levels between high school life and college. Cookies are a favorite dorm-food dessert, says Krausman, and she says there’s nothing wrong with enjoying “comfort foods” as long as the students do it in moderation.