There is value in every food and all food is good — in moderation.

That is the message of “Taste of TCU,” a free food sampling event hosted by SGA and The Crew.

The event was part of Feed Your Body and Soul Week, aimed at promoting positive body image, stress management and healthy living on campus.

In 2008, the Division of Student Affairs, faculty and staff, student organizations and local businesses collaborated to create Feed Your Body and Soul Week.

“Taste of TCU” was one of the many events hosted during the week. Others included a breakfast and an activities fair.

Eric Wood, assistant director of the TCU Counseling Center, helped coordinate the event and said there was one thing he wanted every student to take from it.

“We really want people to know that no matter what, there’s some value in every food,” he said. “Some people get so restrictive with certain foods, and they get too restrictive, which is actually counterproductive. So we do this event to just kinda promote that all food is good, just in moderation.”

Sophomore psychology major Amy Fowler said she was lucky to have time to make something healthy instead of eating fast food.

“I usually get about two to three hours between my classes, so that gives me enough time to grab something healthy to eat and relax and enjoy myself before heading to my next class,” she said.

Sophomore education major Jordan Rhyne said he usually ate food that was convenient and that he enjoyed getting free food at the Taste of TCU event.

“I generally just go to the BLUU when I want food,” he said. “I actually didn’t know this was going on, so it’s cool to run into it.”

Rhyne said he had about five to six classes on some days of the week with an hour break in the middle of the day, so he said he tried to eat so he would not get hungry instead of watching his portion size.

Taste of TCU invited local restaurants to come to campus to display a table with samples of their food.

Students got to sample food from Yo!, Buffalo Bros Pizza, Dippin Dots and Sweet Tomatoes, among others.

The foods provided ranged from healthy foods to foods with more calories and sugars. There were salads and sandwiches but also barbecue sandwiches, brownies and ice cream.

According to a study in the May/June 2005 issue of The Journal of American College Health, 70 percent of students gained a significant amount of weight during the start of college and the end of their sophomore year.

The study’s research team reported bad eating habits and lack of exercise were the main contributors to weight gain.

Wood said he wanted students to remember there was a way to eat healthy wherever they were.

“Pretty much any place you go you can find a way to eat healthy, but again, it’s all about moderation,” he said. “You don’t have to completely avoid any kind of food, you just have to have a balance of it.”

Feed Your Body and Soul Week began March 1 and coincided with National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, which ran from Feb. 26 to March 3.