Although many love the Hungry Cat's food truck's entrees, others are concerned about the healthiness of the food.
A student would have to eat almost three Big Mac sandwiches to eat the same number of calories in one Churrasco beef sandwich from the Hungry Cat food truck.
That beef sandwich, which is made with beef, bacon and mayonnaise, has 1,377 calories, which is almost twice as much as a Homestyle Asiago Ranch Chicken Club from Wendy’s, according to nutritional information available online.
The Hungry Cat is the university’s response to closing Boyd Dining Hall, the only dining hall on West Green.
With the food truck’s limited space to craft culinary delights, the university wanted to serve “authentic food truck-style food,” said Rich Neumann, director of Culinary Services, in an emailed statement.
“The major issue is space. Food trucks are very limited in storage space, and we designed the menu accordingly,” he said.
The small space offered on the truck limits the number of entrees that can be served.
However, Neumann added lower-calorie vegetarian options, such as the vegetarian white bean burger and the Gaucho mushroom taco, which are offered for students who seek healthier alternatives.
After receiving feedback from students, the food truck began offering whole fruit after Spring Break.
Freshman Maleek Irons, who has tried every entrée except for the vegetarian white bean burger, said he enjoys the different meals offered in The Hungry Cat.
“I think it’s better than the food that was in Boyd Dining Hall,” said Irons, who lives in James Hall on West Green. “I didn’t like Boyd at all. I thought it was nasty. (The Hungry Cat) is fast, (has) good food and (is) easy.”
Cassidy Pecuszok, a freshman studying communication sciences and disorders, knew that Boyd Dining Hall was closing when she moved onto West Green at the beginning of this year. She decided to save up her Flex points, and now eats at West 82, which accepts Flex points, Bobcat Cash and regular cash, several times a week.
“I think (Culinary Services) did a lot that they could have done, so I think it turned out well,” said Pecuszok, who lives in Boyd.
Some students don’t have this option due to their meal plans not including Flex Points.
Sophomore Sarah Showalter, who moved from Pickering on South Green to Ryors on West Green second semester, said she also only has a small amount of Bobcat Cash that funds her laundry trips. Showalter utilizes the Boyd Mini Grab and Go which offers limited salad toppings.
“At the Boyd Mini Grab and Go, the salad bar sucks. They don’t even have normal vegetables; they have lettuce, but that’s about it,” said Showalter, who is studying nursing. “When eating on West Green, it’s either unhealthy or popcorn for dinner.”
There aren’t fresh fruit options in Boyd Market, which is open despite construction on the building. Fresh fruits are available in Nelson Market on South Green.
Neumann said the lack of fruit options in Boyd Market is due to lack of space and that, when offered in the past, fruit didn’t sell.
Gwen D'Amico, a freshman studying music therapy who lives in Ryors, said that she takes the 10-minute walk to Shively Dining Hall several times a week. D’Amico is a vegan, and although the Hungry Cat offers two vegetarian options, both still contain milk, which is not consistent with a vegan diet.
“We need more fruits and vegetables at every market. I think that a lot of students would be happier with that,” D’Amico said.
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