College students today are more snack-savvy than their counterparts from a few years ago, Rick Rickman, manager of Sodexho food service at Eastern Arizona College, said.

More students appear to know which foods are healthy and which are not, but that does not stop them from indulging in treats, nor does it prevent a number of freshman students from falling victim to the “freshman 15” — the extra 15 pounds some freshmen put on during their first year away from home.

Rickman doesn’t totally believe there is a freshman 15 and characterized it as a “decades-old rumor.” Some students add a few pounds, but few put on 15 pounds or more, Rickman said.

“I see it more in the fellas, who don’t get out enough and exercise,” Rickman said.

He said weight gains may not come from meal choices in the college’s dining facility. Instead, they may be the result of snacking while socializing or studying late into the night.

Three EAC students who talked briefly to the Eastern Arizona Courier about their snacking habits said sometimes unhealthy eating boils down to dollars and cents.

Jenna Whetten, a second-year student who comes from Colonia Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, said when she’s out with friends, she buys items that have the best price, which may not be healthy choices.

“You’ve got to remember, we’re broke,” Whetten said.

“I buy from the dollar menu,” Ben Gray, a second-year EAC student whose hometown is St. Johns, added.

Whetten and Gray said they did not gain 15 pounds during their first year at EAC — in spite of their eating habits.

Jason Goates, who hails from Sierra Vista and is in his first year at EAC, said he consumes energy drinks, “only if I’m up all night.”

All three students said they like fruit as a snack. Goates likes to eat frozen grapes, while Whetten and Gray enjoy peaches.

They also have their favorites when they go out. Whetten likes chips and salsa, which are readily available at many local restaurants. Goates said he likes In and Out Burger, but he’s out of luck in the Gila Valley because there is no local franchise. Gray said he likes Panda Express, a Chinese fast-food restaurant, which also has no facility in the Valley.

Gray admits that healthy eating while in college is a challenge.

“I think it’s really hard to eat healthy as a college student. You’re always on the go,” he said. “I always feel better when I eat healthy.”

Students who live in a college dormitory may find it less challenging to eat healthy meals. At EAC, students who live in the dormitories are required to participate in the 19-meal plan. This plan includes breakfast, lunch and dinner served Monday through Friday and brunch and dinner served Saturday and Sunday, Rickman said.

He also said the food service at EAC bears little resemblance to food services on college campuses a decade ago.

“We’re a restaurant — just like a restaurant down the street,” Rickman said. “We have a corporate menu base with a Southwest twist.”

He said Sodexho includes regional favorites on its campus menus. For example, colleges in the Seattle area may serve salmon and oriental dishes, while in southeast Arizona, the food selection may include tacos and burritos.

Sodexho also caters to students who have special dietary needs, such as peanut allergies or diabetes.

Eating a healthy diet is only part of staying physically fit and keeping off unwanted pounds. The other part is physical exercise, Kate McCluskey, supervisor of the EAC Wellness Center, said.

She said with the availability of after-hours activities and pizza deliveries, some students are bound to put on weight. By making healthy food choices and taking time to exercise regularly, students can keep unwanted pounds at bay or shed extra pounds they have already gained.

Like Rickman, McCluskey believes college students today, especially athletes, are equipped with more knowledge of nutrition than their predecessors of a decade ago.

She said sometimes students do not realize they have gained weight until the second semester of school.

McCluskey said about 1,200 students sign up for the Wellness Center each semester.

These students work out on treadmills, stair masters, single-station weight equipment and elliptical trainers.

She said students often ask for advice on improving their physical fitness.

“They find that simple changes help the problem,” McCluskey said.

When students pose questions about nutrition, McCluskey said, she shows them the food pyramid.

In addition to weight loss or weight control, regular exercise helps relieve stress and promotes a feeling of general well being, she said.