The Max is Greek

Sodexo offers Mediterranean diet in accordance with healthy eating 

The program is called Evexia and will feature Greek food as its basis.

“We’re trying to focus on healthy eating, and Mediterranean food is considered healthy,” said Timothy Grayson, executive chef for The Max.

The program may delight students who are looking for healthier eating habits. The Max, while used as most students’ meal plans, has often been criticized by students for serving foods with little nutrition.

“I don’t feel that it’s easy to eat healthily there most of the time,” sophomore mass communication Eric Pratt said. “I’m excited to see what kind of nutritious and healthy food they’ll be offering.”

A typical Mediterranean diet consists of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and nuts of all kinds, which provide micronutrients, antioxidants and vitamins. Other foods maintained in the diet include avocado, fish, olive oils and canola oil, providing monosaturated fats according to the American Heart Association.

According to the Stanford Medicine Cancer Institute, monosaturated fats, the “good” fats, are both preventative in inflammation and can fight disease at a cellular level. They are rich in vitamin E and can help reduce cholesterol levels. They also contain nutrients which aid in the development the body’s cells. Though Mediterranean diet is high in fat, monosaturated fats do not raise the risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer.

What’s more, the abundance of fiber in the Mediterranean diet could balance the effects of sugar in the American diet. According to American Diabetes Association, fiber slows digestion, reduces blood-sugar spikes and insulin sensitivity and therefore prevents obesity.

The program aims to accommodate all dietary plans. Evexia will offer both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, some of which include vegetarian moussaka, chicken kabob, and ouzo eggplant with red peppers.

Fortunately, students will not have to worry about the cost.

“It’s all inclusive with Sodexo, so if you have a meal plan, or if you pay the regular price to eat at The Max, you have access to the program,” Lauren Conway, senior marketing major and student marketing promotion coordinator for Sodexo said.

Evexia is part of Sodexo’s yearly promotions and was chosen by the Student Board of Directors of Sodexo, a group of college students who choose Sodexo’s menu and promotional events.

“We’re given a handful of promotions to choose from and when we choose one, we play off of it; however, we also try to tweak the promotions to make them work for the Georgia College campus,” Conway said.

After its March 14 kickoff date, students can look forward to seeing Evexia featured in three other major events. On March 16 there will be a St. Patrick’s Day lunch special.

The Max will then compliment the Greek dishes with a feature honoring the culture around which the program is centered. “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” will be playing in the University Banquet Room on April 9 at 6 p.m. And the last event will be on April 19, in celebration of Earth Day.

Posted by Connie Kokenes on Mar 15 2012. Filed under Close Up, Special Sections. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.