Upon arriving at the Tea Shop, Mills College students are faced with choosing food for their meal. While chips and chocolates surround the checkout counter, tempting some students, there is also a variety of healthy foods. For students in a hurry there are pre-made foods and vegetarian and vegan soups, but students with spare time could order customizable meals from the grill or deli.
Taylor Warmack, a senior and commuter student at Mills, finds some foods at the Tea Shop accessible in terms of having healthy options.
“I eat at the salad bar, fresh fruit, and the healthy snack bars,” Warmack said. “They are accessible to commuters as far as price.”
While food labels at the Tea Shop may not reveal the calories in each product, food is labeled to reflect what ingredients are used.
“The soup, salad dressings, and some coffee drinks like lattes should have labels,” Warmack said. Warmack would also like to see caloric information on the packaged salads and sandwiches.
Eunice Chung, a senior at Mills, feels that there should be more fruits available at the Tea Shop.
“[There] definitely should be more of a variety of fruits, like peaches and plums,” Chung said
Some students find it difficult to resist the temptations of unhealthy food at the Tea Shop.
“I think that it’s possible, but it depends on the person,” Chung said. “In front of the cash register there are a lot of chips and chocolate.”
Beverages found in the Tea Shop range from water, coffee, soda, juice to energy drinks and beer. On the go snacks include fruits, bagels, donuts, ice cream, potato chips, and candy.
Diana Cuellar, a senior and member of the cross country team at Mills, weighs in on eating healthy at the Tea Shop.
“There is the ability to eat healthy, but I also purchase unhealthy things,” Cuellar said. “I eat oatmeal and bananas; the bananas are really helpful to have when they’re not at Founders.”
In respect to the labeling of calories for food, Cuellar does not think additional labeling is required.
“I do not care; as long as there is a discernible carb or protein, it is not a big problem,” Cuellar said.
The Tea Shop is open Monday to Thursday 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m., Friday 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
More information about the products sold including calories can be found at: http://mills.cafebonappetit.com/cafe/tea-shop/
