Whether University students want food that’s inexpensive, locally grown, organic, ethnic or vegetarian, Eugene has a grocery store for every student’s tastes, budget and diet.
Local
Market of Choice, with locations on Franklin Boulevard and West 29th Avenue, sells local goods like Portland-owned Thomas Kemper Soda , Roseburg-based Umpqua Dairy and produce grown at local farms.
Sundance Natural Foods, on East 24th Avenue and Hilyard Street, works with local farms to sell fresh produce and other goods.
“Shopping local cuts down on your carbon footprint,” Sundance owner Gavin McComas said.
In the heart of downtown, just a short walk from the bus station, Kiva celebrated its 40th anniversary in Eugene this past summer.
Kiva’s website has pictures of the farms and farmers they do business with to let consumers know where their food is coming from.
They sell berries from the local McKenzie River Organic Farm and avidly support locally grown food.
“Local food is one of our priorities,” General Manager Carl Nash said.
The Lane County Farmers Market is another good place for students to purchase locally grown products.
The Farmers Market is held downtown on Eighth and Oak streets every Tuesday until October 26 and every Thursday until September 23.
Organic
Sundance also has a produce section, salad bar, buffet and food services that are all 100 percent organic.
“We have a strong commitment to being organic,” McComas said.
Purchasing organic food can keep both students and the planet healthy.
Market of Choice also sells organic produce.
“Probably half of our produce is organic,” Market of Choice Produce Merchandiser Gene Versteeg said.
Ethnic
International students who want a taste of home have a wide selection of stores to choose from in Eugene.
Cost Plus World Market, across the street from the Valley River Center, has an entire section of the store devoted to imported goods, such as sake from Japan and rice from China.
Sunrise Asian Food Market on 29th Avenue sells seaweed, rice, noodles and tea imported from Asia.
It also carries Chinese eggplant and other vegetables needed to create authentic Asian dishes.
Chain stores like Safeway, Market of Choice and WalMart also have ethnic food aisles with low prices and good selections.
Inexpensive
Located at 18th and Pearl, the national chain grocery store Safeway offers discount prices for club card members and generous sale prices.
Students can reach the Springfield WinCo, a warehouse-sized store with low prices, by driving 10 minutes from campus.
It boasts a large bulk-food section with everything from pasta and popcorn to tea and candy.
WalMart, on West 11th, sells mostly conventional food from big-name brands such as Kellogg’s and Nestle , but they also have a small organic foods section.
Nutritious
Regardless of where students shop, having a healthy diet during the school year is important.
Students on vegetarian or vegan diets should shop for beans and whole grains to get good sources of protein and consume flax seed oil for omega 3 fatty acids.
All students should increase their fruit and vegetable intake, University Health Center nutritionist Jessica Wilson said.
“Fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidants and minerals,” Wilson said.
Students should also be careful of what types of produce they are buying.
Conventionally grown produce is losing much of its nutritional value because of the genetic engineering and chemicals that are used to speed up the growth process, according to a July 2010 article in Prevention Magazine.
Organically grown food spends more time in the soil compared to conventionally grown food, thereby absorbing more nutrients and becoming resistant to disease.
Students who can’t afford organic food should buy vegetables that have bold or bright colors, produce that is a smaller size, and produce that is whole instead of sliced to get the most nutrients, according to the Prevention Magazine article.
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