One of the most notable changes to Bluffton’s campus in recent months was the transformation of Bob’s to Freshëns. This change from chicken fingers and mozzarella sticks to smoothies and rice bowls has been hailed as a fresh, healthy option for students to enjoy.
However, according to senior nutrition and dietetics major Alexandra Lammers, Freshëns falls short when it comes to providing healthy and nutritious meal options.
This summer, Lammers interned at Purdue University and spent a day working at their campus’ Freshëns franchise.
“The smoothies that they offer are just sugary juice blends,” said Lammers. “I was almost devastated over the summer when I found out that Bluffton was putting in a Freshëns because I already knew what they would be serving.”
Smoothies are one of the most popular items on the menu, but Lammers said she’d advise students worried about sugar intake to stay away from them, because they’re not as healthy as they seem.
“[Health conscious students should stay away from] all of the smoothiesーespecially the Cookie Dough smoothie,” Lammers said. “The Tropical Therapy smoothie has 120 grams of sugar, and just for reference, a can of Pepsi has 33 grams of sugar.”
Sophomore nutrition and dietetics major Kayla McSwords said another red flag when it comes to sugar intake is the sauce on rice bowls, flatbreads, salads and some of the mac and cheese options. McSwords had a simple proposal to this problem.
“You can tell people how much sauce to put on,” McSwords said. “Don’t be sheepish about it. You can ask for not a lot of sauce, or you can put a ton on it, it’s up to you. Make sure it’s not drowning in the sauces, because that’s just excessive in sodium and sugars.”
The amount of sugar in the sauces is not the only aspect that has these two dietetics majors concerned about the nutrition in the rice bowls.
“The Mexican rice bowl is 710 calories, which is half of some of students’ suggested daily calorie intake,” Lammers said. “The amount of food that they are putting into the bowls isn’t very much for it to be 710 calories. There is hardly any benefits from the rice bowls. They contain a lot of fat, and the Buffalo bowl contains 79 percent of the sodium you should consume in a day.”
For those looking to make the healthiest choices at Freshëns, Lammers said Goin’ Green and Super Red are the best choices for smoothies. Spicy Korean is the best rice bowl, according to Lammers, though it does contain 520 calories and 52 percent of the sodium an adult should eat in a day.
While salads are not currently included in Meal Deal, Lammers said the Roadhouse BBQ chicken salad is the best salad option available.
McSwords said moderation is the important thing to remember whether you’re eating at Freshëns or anywhere else.
“A candy bar here and there isn’t bad, but if you eat a candy bar every day, or two or three, then you’re just going to build onto a problem that won’t be stopped,” McSwords said. “Sugar is super addictive, concerningly addictive. Because of the sugars in the smoothies and various sauces一although they are quite delicious一just be mindful of how much you’re putting in your body.”
Overall, Lammers doesn’t believe that Freshëns was a good replacement for Bob’s. One problem she sees with Freshëns is that it can’t be made “healthier,” because it is a franchise, so Bluffton won’t be able to change the menu.
“I think that Bluffton should have maybe waited another year before remodeling Bob’s and asked for more input on the change and given more facts on the different options,” Lammers said.
On the other hand, McSwords still considers Freshëns a step in the right direction from the fried foods at Bob’s. She said she feels Bluffton found a good balance between healthier options and items that students enjoy eating with Freshëns.
“I’m really glad I have an option here on campus late at night,” McSwords said. “If I want to eat a comfort food, mac and cheese isn’t super healthy for you, but I think it’s a much better alternative than getting three servings of mozzarella sticks.”
