Cafeterias fail to satisfy appetites and budgets

The Fresh and Natural cafe at San Jose City College does not seem to be so fresh or natural.

When in a time crunch, it is nearly impossible to find a meal that is cheap, nutritious and most importantly, tasty, even with the options given on campus.

The driving force of this cafe is its convenient location and its variety, making it a perfect spot to get a quick meal between classes.

Located in the Student Center, the cafe offers a decent array of menu items, but healthy or dietary-conscious options are slim. Burgers and a variety of fried foods are featured on the menu, but it is hard to keep count of the calories, let alone nutritional value.

The cafe offers two types of salads and few sandwiches, but more items with more health value should be added to the menu to appeal to the student body.

Fresh and Natural offers various menu items that are prepared ahead of time, which raises concerns about the length of time food has been sitting out, how the food is prepared, and whether or not it is losing any nutritional value by being prepared earlier as opposed to being made to order.

With any food establishment, quantity is not better than quality. The food we tried was bland, ranging from the double bacon cheeseburger and baked potato, to the chicken taco and Caesar salad.

The prices were not something to brag about either. A small serving of teriyaki chicken and noodles costs $5, add a $3 energy drink and a candy bar to that and the meal easily amounts to over $10.

Combo meals or discount pricing on certain items bought together would be an incentive to gain more customers. This would allow the cafe to retain the convenience it has now, but with more flexibility in pricing for students.

While on the topic of money, the related cafe in the Technology Center does not offer the option to pay with a credit or debit card. This makes the simple task of getting a snack inconvenient for those who prefer to use the plastic payment method.

There should be more of an emphasis on students’ needs and well-being to capitalize on the ever-changing college student’s diet and budget. One way the school could achieve this is by reaching out to local produce growers, community gardens and farms to maximize on helping the environment, the local economy and the student body.