Rutgers Students Dig-In To Healthy Dining Options

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Beer, pizza, and Ramen noodles were once considered staples of the college diet. But all that is changing.

Schools have started to update their menus and curriculum in an effort to help students make healthier choices, CBS 2's Christine Sloan reported Friday.

At Kilmer's market on the campus of Rutgers University you can find healthy food options like vegetables, sodium free cold-cuts, gluten-free foods, and organic products.

"I think students are becoming much more savvy in nutrition, so as a result their wants and needs have become savvy as well," university nutrition specialist Peggy Policastro said.

While colleges have been known for the "freshman 15," weight gain caused by young adults who choose cheap, junk food, some schools in New Jersey are providing healthier options.

"I feel going to Rutgers it gives you the opportunity to eat healthy, but not everyone takes the opportunity," student Shelby Frank said.

More restaurants are serving up dishes made of fresh and not boxed foods.

Rutgers also offers courses and programs on nutrition. Senior Alexa Essenfeld runs one called R U Healthy Dining.

"We're there every three weeks in the dining hall interacting with students. We play nutrition games and really are just a resource for students on campus," Essenfeld said.

So far, the more expensive, healthy options have been able to compete with popular fried fast food.

Many people believe that in the years to come healthy dining options will be the norm on college campuses.

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