The UA has work to do before becoming one of the “”Top 25 Fittest Universities in America.””

According to a 2006 survey conducted by the Princeton Review for Men’s Fitness magazine, Dickinson College in Pennsylvania ranked as the fittest college in America, and the UA didn’t make the list.

The survey ranked universities based on criteria including food options, exercise facilities and overall academic excellence at the university.

According to the Princeton Review, the UA scored 70 out of 99 in the academic portion of the survey. Juliette Moore, director of the Student Recreation Center, said she believes that when its expansion is completed, the Rec Center will rank among the top 50 college workout facilities in the country.

With solid academics and a revamped recreation facility, the UA’s absence from the list could be the result of the last criteria: food options on campus. The UA is the only Pacific 10 Conference school that does not offer a cafeteria for students.

David Galbraith, director of campus food services, said that in surveys conducted as recently as last year, students expressed they do not want a cafeteria because an expensive meal plan would come along with it.

ASU has one meal plan that costs $2,000, the cheapest in the Pac-10, Galbraith said.

Surveys conducted over the past few years asking students to select their top choices for dining options in the Student Union Memorial Center have returned results dominated by fast-food establishments: McDonald’s, Panda Express, Papa John’s and Chick-Fil-A, all of which are mainstays at the Union.

But there are some healthier alternatives to fast-food, including Cactus Grill, On Deck Deli, IQ, CafǸ Sonora, Redington

Restaurant and 3 Cheeses & a Noodle, and a new vegetarian restaurant is in the works.

Cactus Grill is the most popular place to dine on campus,

as Galbraith said it has the highest volume of sales among all campus restaurants.

While no nutritional information is posted at the Union restaurants, nutritional information can be found online.

The SUMC is the only place on campus that provides student residents with food options

during the weekend, although Galbraith said Union restaurants are not required to be open. Cactus Grill, 3 Cheeses & a Noodle, CafǸ Sonora and Redington Restaurant close during the weekends.

Kelly McIlwaine, a biosystems engineering freshman who lives in Yuma Residence Hall, said she rarely eats off campus.

“”I eat about 95 percent of my meals at the Union,”” McIlwaine said. “”I don’t really worry about how much it costs, because I’ll just put it all on my CatCard.””

Nicole Downey, an undeclared freshman who lives at home, said she works two jobs on top of her class load and struggles to eat healthy.

After getting off work late at night from the Hoagie House or Voyager RV, she often does not have time to eat dinner at all, let alone a healthy, home-cooked meal.

“”I eat at home with my family about once a week, if I’m lucky,”” Downey said. “”Usually, I just eat Subway or McDonald’s or something like that.””

Students who don’t live on campus and don’t work tend to have more flexibility in their dinner plans.

Andy Hyatt, a German studies sophomore, cooks dinner for himself four to five nights a week.

“”I cook lots of Italian food, but nothing too fancy,”” Hyatt said. “”I don’t worry a whole lot about price, though.””

Scott Welker, a second-year law student, cooks many of his own meals as well.

“”I cook about 50 to 60 percent of my meals at home,”” Welker said. “”I’m always trying to save money. Price plays a big factor in what I eat for dinner.””

There were no Pac-10 schools among the Top 25 Fittest Universities in America. Some West Coast schools that made the cut included the University of California at Santa Cruz at No. 13, Santa Clara University in California at No. 16, the California Institute of Technology at No. 20 and Gonzaga University in Washington at No. 25.