Northwestern students returned from their Spring Breaks spent near and far to discover that the grass isn’t the only thing turning green on campus this spring. On Tuesday, March 10, the Hub began offering a new menu item that has many students excited for fresh starts and warm weather — green smoothies.
The smoothies, which are served in 32-ounce portions, are available in three flavors: Strawberry Blast (which includes strawberry, banana, spinach, carrot, raspberry and blueberry), Green Smoothie (which includes banana, spinach, celery, apple and cucumber) and Fruity Green Smoothie (which includes banana, spinach, apples and grapes). Students can order the drinks as a meal exchange option, or purchase them with cash or flex money for $4.49. They are made entirely with fresh fruits and vegetables and have no added sugars or fillers.
The smoothies were so popular that the Hub had to stop serving them mid-evening on Tuesday because of product shortages.
“The smoothies are huge,” said Kara Prachar, a vegetarian NW student who is excited about the new addition to the Hub’s menu. “It could’ve lasted me two meals. I couldn’t even finish it.”
Corey Kundert, the Resident Director of Hospers Hall, has been drinking green juices and smoothies consistently for about three years. When he was diagnosed with Chrone’s disease, he started learning more about alternative diets and has been perfecting his craft ever since. The Hub took advantage of Kundert’s expertise when developing recipes for their new menu items.
“The recipes all came from me, and I went in to try out each smoothie with Ned,” Kundert said. “I got them online. There’s a plethora of resources out there. I have a book called ‘The Juicing Bible’ that I use a lot.”
Kundert stresses that the nutritional value of the smoothies has benefits for far more than just individuals on special diets.
“These have lots of micronutrients,” Kundert said. “That means they’re already pre-digested, so they’re already broken down and go straight into your bloodstream quicker.”
Prachar became interested in juicing after watching the documentaries “Forks Over Knives” and “Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead,” both of which discuss the downfalls of the typical American diet and explore juicing as an alternative.
“I’m on the food committee on campus, and we just kept pushing it,” Prachar said. “I’m super pumped that they’re finally available. They (Sodexo) are doing some really great things.”
Joe Tolsma is another student on campus who has enjoyed the smoothies this week and is excited about the Hub’s response to student voices.
“At first I was concerned because they were serving them in giant Styrofoam cups and wouldn’t let me use my own Nalgene water bottle,” Tolsma said. “I feel like a lot of students who are interested in nutrition are the same who are interested in environmentalism, so that didn’t make sense. But now they’re letting students get the smoothies served in their own containers.”
For Kundert, eating healthily is about far more than just physical health.
“The standard American diet is just so engrained in most of us that healthy options are usually overlooked because they’re seen as too different,” Kundert said. “For me and other people, this isn’t just about juicing. This is a great step towards progressive thinking. As a Christian institution, we should care about what we eat and how that affects our bodies as well as others.”
