Pitt Eats<\/a> campus dietician, said the new dining locations were created based on the premise that every student has their own health goals and definitions of healthy food, which calls for a variety of options.<\/p>\n\u201cWith the rec center being as large as it is, you have students coming in who might be looking to train for a marathon and build endurance, or students who are more of a bodybuilder and looking for more of that muscle growth,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cEverybody\u2019s individual health goals and nutrition intake will look different.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wilson said each location focuses on different forms of replenishment \u2014 Squeezed focuses on hydration and Recharge focuses on protein and carbohydrates.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you think about exercise, with the sweat, you\u2019re obviously losing water, so you want to replenish from a hydration standpoint,\u201d Wilson said. \u201c[With Recharge], it is more so that replenishment post-exercise, when you are looking to replenish your protein and carbohydrate stores.\u201d<\/p>\n
Erica Hill, a junior mechanical engineering major, has ordered a build-your-own omelet from Recharge three times. Hill said two out of the three omelets were \u201cthe most delicious thing ever in the world,\u201d and the other omelet was burnt.<\/p>\n
As an engineering student, Hill spends most of her day in Benedum Hall and said the new dining locations are more convenient for her than others on campus.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving a food option that\u2019s closer than going up the hill to Chick-fil-A or going down to the Union or the Eatery \u2014 that\u2019s fire,\u201d Hill said. \u201cEverybody is hype about that in the engineering building.\u201d<\/p>\n
Iyad Al Hamad, a first-year neuroscience major, said the new dining location is his favorite meal swap option because they serve \u201cfood that actually tastes like food.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the Eatery, it just feels so processed,\u201d Al Hamad said. \u201cEvery time I go to the Eatery, when I come out, I just feel bloated and like I want to lay down and sleep.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Owen Woodworth, a first-year dietary nutrition major, said the new options serve a good variety of fruits and vegetables, which also taste fresher than at other locations.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think this is probably the healthiest food on campus at Edamame because you know exactly what\u2019s going into your bowl. You don\u2019t exactly know everything that\u2019s in your food when you go to the dining hall,\u201d Woodworth said. \u201cHaving the option to select your ingredients is very good.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Woodworth said micronutrients are important to him, and the new options cater to people who care more about nutrition.<\/p>\n
\u201c[At Edamame], it\u2019s also possible to get a good variety as far as micronutrients go,\u201d Woodworth said. \u201cWhen you\u2019re at the Eatery and you get a burger, you\u2019re not having a very diverse diet, which is not optimal for your gut microbiome.\u201d<\/p>\n
Woodworth also believes Edamame serves food with consistent quality.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been here four times so far, and every single time it has been comparable in quality, whereas in the Eatery or the Perch, it\u2019s very hit-or-miss day to day,\u201d Woodworth said. \u201cYou can count on getting the same thing here every day, and it\u2019s going to be of similar quality.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pranamya Rangaraju, a first-year biology major, enjoys the avocado toast from Recharge because \u201cit tastes more fresh.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I get a salad at the Eatery, it doesn\u2019t taste as fresh as the vegetables they have [at Recharge],\u201d Rangaraju said. \u201cI don\u2019t know if it\u2019s a placebo effect \u2014 maybe it\u2019s the same vegetables \u2014 but I definitely like it better.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Grace Patti, a first-year marketing major, likes to order kani rice bowls from Edamame and said it tastes healthier and feels lighter.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like how it\u2019s something actually healthy instead of a bunch of fried food,\u201d Patti said. \u201c[The food from the Union] is usually burgers and tacos, which feels very heavy. This feels lighter, and I don\u2019t feel gross after.\u201d<\/p>\n
Allison Chao, a senior biology major, said wait times for food can be a problem. In her experience, her orders usually take 20 more minutes than expected. Chao said she orders before she works out at the rec center to avoid a 40-minute wait in the morning or a two-hour wait at night.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAt night, when everybody goes to the gym, the wait could be up to two hours long,\u201d Chao said. \u201cThough you have to budget your time with the long wait, I think it\u2019s worth it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Morgan Gurdak, a first-year public health major, usually orders a breakfast burrito from Recharge and prefers it to similar foods at Ethel\u2019s.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe burrito felt like a meal I\u2019d cook at home and it was super packed,\u201d Gurdak said. \u201c[Compared to Ethel\u2019s], I think it\u2019s more homestyle and heartier.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chloe Wright, a first-year nursing major, orders Mediterranean wraps from Recharge because the quality and portion size is better than Pom and Honey, the other Mediterranean on-campus dining option.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey give you way more food than Pom and Honey does \u2014 their bowls are really big,\u201d Wright said. \u201cPom and Honey is okay, but this is better in my opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rowen Kearney, a first-year nursing major, eats at the rec center after she works out because it feels more healthy and less oily than the Eatery food. She also likes how the menu allows her to control the amount of food she wants to eat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I come here, I can pick out my own food and know what I want,\u201d Kearney said. \u201cAt the Eatery, most of the places serve you, so you really can\u2019t portion control. Here, you have an option of what you want to eat and how much.\u201d<\/p>\n
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