5 Things: The 50 healthiest foods, students sneak into dining halls

Each Friday I compile a list that highlights five things you probably missed in the news that week and why you should care about them.

Here’s your list for the week of March 2:

1.    The 50 healthiest foods of all time
With the help of a dietitian, Time magazine recently released its list of the 50 healthiest foods. Not surprisingly, fruits and veggies dominated the list. Whole grains, healthy oils and spices also made the cut. Go through the entire list to No. 50, trust me, you’ll thank me.

Read more: The 50 Healthiest Foods of All Time (With Recipes)

2.    Students get crafty when sneaking into dining halls
College students are notorious for taking a little something extra from the dining halls, from forks and knives to an extra banana. Most students don’t view this as stealing, but rather as something they’ve already paid for with their meal plans.

But dining services employees say Michigan State University students are particularly crafty when it comes to trying to sneak fellow students into the dining halls. One employee said one in every 10 students tried to sneak in. This article outlines six ways Sparty students try to get a little extra for free.  

Read more: Common ways students sneak into cafeterias

3.    Salt is good for you?
There’s been a lot of sodium talk this week, especially as it pertains to school meals, and a recent study could add just a bit more fuel to the fire. New research out of Germany has found that sodium is one of the ways the body fights off an infection.

Read more: The Weird Benefit of Eating Salty Food

4.    Students advocate for dining services staff
Students at the University of North Carolina are using napkins to do a little advocating. Students are posting napkins with messages requesting higher wages for dining services employees onto the department’s feedback board. One student, who along with her friends, started writing, “We heart CDS workers. Please pay them fairer wages,” told the Daily Tar Heel, that “Every experience I’ve had with workers has been really positive.”

Read more: Napkins Talk Back

5.    Would you like some waffles with your mail?
I’ve got to hand it to them, Waffle House is definitely going out on a limb. The restaurant is looking to lure drivers, through the use of an app called Roadie, into dropping off packages at Waffle House locations. For their trouble, the driver will get a free waffle. The packages can then be picked up at the restaurants, and I’ll venture Waffle House is hoping the package’s owner will then also purchase a meal. It seems a bit far-fetched to me but I guess if you have to wait for a package to be delivered you might as well do so with a stack of hot waffles.  

Read more: How Waffle House could replace your post office

Bonus: Get a jump-start on your summer grilling plans with this Watermelon Barbecue Sauce. It’s finger-licking good.