Current Release: April 28th, 2009 | Vol. XXX Iss. 10

Photo By Andrew Foster

French fries: not just a side dish

Kuong lam

khlam@vwc.edu

They re golden. They re greasy. They re plentiful and they re delicious.

For some students at Virginia Wesleyan, french fries are not just a side order for lunch or dinner, they are the whole meal.

Peeled, cut, salted, seasoned, cooked, frozen and shipped right from Sodexho are all the different variants of french fries that are served to students every single day, both in the Marlin Grille and the Boyd Dining Hall.

 I just love them, says senior Kari Patton.  Curly fries, waffle fries, regular fries. I love all fries. My meal would not be complete without fries.

Patton is one of many students at VWC who consume two or more servings of french fries a day. In a survey based on how often 30 random students consume french fries, nine said two or more times a day, compared to three who ate them once a day and the 18 who ate them a few times a week. Only one student claimed to never eat french fries at all.

 My rule is that I can never eat my own fries, says junior Tricia Wilhem.  I think they are so bad for you.

None of the students questioned thought that french fries were beneficial to their health, but they did not know what was used to cook them. According to Food Services, they are cooked in soybean oil with zero grams of trans fat. The Federal Drug Administration states that soybean oil contains polyunsaturated fats, which do not raise low-density lipoprotein cholesterol that raises the risks of having coronary heart disease. These fats are actually healthy when eaten in moderation.

However, consuming too much polyunsaturated fats could lead to colon cancer. Not to mention that each serving of french fries contains 450 calories.

Healthy or not, french fries have become a staple side order that accompanies almost every meal at every fast food restaurant in the world. The Food Channel s Web site says that french fries are the most common side dish in American sit-down restaurants. For Virginia Wesleyan students, they come with every combo meal in the Marlin Grille and in the short order line in the cafeteria.

While some students prefer to have french fries with their meal, other students feel an obligation to eat them.

 They are the only good thing in the cafeteria, says junior Caitlin Donlan.  French fries are a safety. If there is nothing that I like to eat, I know that I have to eat, so I just get the fries.

There also tends to be a trend between the ages of the students and how often they consumed french fries, based on the survey. Eight of the nine students who consumed two or more servings a day were either freshmen or sophomores. The juniors and seniors asked tended to consume fries every two days or less.

 French fries used to be my favorite, says junior Taja Glover.  But now I m sick of them. I don t even desire them anymore.

 I crave it! says freshman Arielle Morris.  There is something about fries that I love, and here at college, I can have them whenever I want.

Jaime Johnson, a junior, claims that easy access to french fries at college is a big reason why the consumption levels are so high.

 I only eat them at school, because at home I eat a ton of veggies, says Johnson.  They re cheap and quick to order.

With french fries a staple in the American diet, so it goes in college. Cooked, salted and served in less than three minutes, french fries are the ideal snack for students living at a fast pace. Whether they are considered healthy or not by Virginia Wesleyan students, french fries are a big seller.

Imagine college life without french fries.

 I think I would die! says Morris.  I would have nothing to eat and probably starve to death!