It's not about whether the SUB has healthy options. It's about people making healthy choices, dietician Shelly Rael said.
"You can't say the SUB is unhealthy," she said. "People can make good choices, too."
Rael works as a dietician in the Employee Health Promotion Program, a program that put together a Web site that gives information on how to make good choices from the nine food vendors in the SUB.
Rael said good choices include green vegetables, and bad choices are combo meals.
"More is not better," she said.
She added veggies are hard to find at the SUB.
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But at Bene Pizza, Rael suggested getting a garden salad and a slice of pizza with vegetables. The Web site states a tomato-based sauce or low fat dressing should be used for the garden salad.
At Casita, the SUB's Mexican restaurant, she suggested getting tacos with beans and rice or a side of beans.
She said people can get fruit at Zia Juice, but the drinks are calorie-loaded.
Sophomore Jen Shark said the serving sizes of drinks at Sonic and Zia Juice are too big for them to be healthy.
"Look at this thing," she said, holding up her Sonic drink. "It's humongous. It's ridiculous, even at Zia. I don't know how healthy that can be."
Shark called herself health conscious, but said she eats at the SUB every day, because it's close to the music building, where she takes most of her classes.
She said the SUB should offer a salad bar with a lot of options, something like Souper Salad or Sweet Tomatoes with a nice selection of fruits and vegetables.
Student Mandy McClelland said the food at the SUB is probably not very healthy.
There could be healthier options, she said, but by the time she gets to the SUB, her options are limited.
But even Sonic and Chick-fil-A have healthy options, Rael said.
"Get a junior burger, skip the fries and order a diet soda," she said. "That would be an OK meal."
McClelland said she goes to the SUB every day to get food or coffee.
When ordering coffee drinks, Rael said people should skip the whipped cream to save about 100 calories.
"Go with nonfat milk instead," she said. "Gosh, those can be so many calories."
According to the SUB Web site, the Mercado has offered a line of organic foods since the beginning of the fall semester.
Higher Grounds and The Marketplace offer sandwiches and soups.
Those wanting to know how to make healthier choices at the SUB can visit the UNM Health Employee Promotion Program Web site.
Nutrition facts
* A junior burger has 500 calories less than a Super Sonic Burger.
* A chocolate cream pie shake has 800 calories.
* A regular lemon slush has 330 calories.
* A bakery muffin contains 600 calories.
* A large order of fries at Chick-fil-A has 2.2 grams of fat.
Information provided by the Employee Health Promotion Program Web site
