User:Emilielimoges/sandbox

College freshman transitioning from high school to university are sure to experience large changes in their schooling and lifestyles. These changes include different class times with the removal of school periods, the shift from commuting to school to now commuting to class and living in dorms, and also the removal of allocated lunch periods and an emphasis on being responsible for ones own meal times. This last change is one of the biggest for college freshman namely for their lack of off campus living amenities such as kitchens and a new task of fitting nutrition into a far busier day when compared to being in high school. There is now a greater emphasis on snacking as opposed to sitting down for meals. Five favorite snacks, each chosen by Pennsylvania State University freshman will be ranked upon their price, nutritional value, and cleanliness. These criteria were chosen college freshman for the following reasons. Firstly, price is an important factor for college freshman who primarily subsist on a finite meal plan. In addition, the majority of college freshman are unemployed. Nutritional value has its importance in the overall health and well-being of students as well as upon the basis of the popular term, the Freshman 15. Lastly, cleanliness keeps in mind, the classroom and homework environment in which students may want to fit in a snack while avoiding a mess while taking notes, completing assignments, and studying. The snacks will be rated on a numerical scale from 1 to 5. 1 being the lowest ranking possible while 5 is the highest. The rankings will be added up out of a total possible value of 15 to determine the best snacks for Penn State freshman to buy throughout the semester.

Popcorn: Popcorn is a snack that consists of small pieces of corn that have been heated up quickly to result in an airy, delicious treat. There are so many flavor profiles that popcorn can have. It can be savory by adding powdered cheese, salt, and/or butter as I mentioned above, but it can also be sweet by drizzling it with chocolate or caramel, or both sweet and savory at the same time like kettle corn. Both of these choices are delectable and popcorn is the perfect medium to which you can be creative with flavor choices to satisfy exactly what kind of snacking mood you are in. Not only is there a wide range of flavors but it’s also available at a reasonable price with a 4.4 oz. bag of SkinnyPop going for $3.29 and a 1 oz bag for $1.39. This price paired with the volume of popcorn in each bag gives popcorn a price ranking of 5 out of 5. On the topic of food volume, popcorn is on the lighter side in nutritional value when it comes to snack foods. When compared to potato chips or candy, popcorn can be consumed at a larger volume for less calories. A cup of air popped popcorn is approximately 30 calories and a cup of buttered popcorn is around 80. Popcorn is also technically considered a whole grain and is a source of B vitamins, Iron, copper, and zinc to name a few. Being a high-volume food for a low calorie count and a good source of fiber and vitamins, popcorn scores a nutrition ranking of 4 out of 5. With one point lost for its high sodium content depending on its flavor and brand though depending on how it is prepared, you can cut out all oil and butter by air popping the popcorn for an even lighter treat. In terms of the last criteria, cleanliness, popcorn is generally a neat snack. However, cheese flavored varieties can leave hands messy. In terms of smell, popcorn has a distinct and easily recognizable smell and while not generally perceived as a bad smell it is one that stands out, nonetheless. For this popcorn gets a 3.5 as it is not a very messy food but may cause the potential to stand out in a dense classroom or lecture environment. Overall popcorn scores a total of 12.5 out of 15.

Pop'ems: Pop'ems are the same thing as donut holes or munchkins but they come in a box from the store. There are multiple different flavors of these snacks as they come glazed, chocolate, party sprinkles, pumpkin, and even powdered. Each and every one of the flavors melt in your mouth.They taste just like Entenmann's donuts, as they are made by the same company but instead, are put in small, bite-sized form. Pop'ems are so simple, and all that is needed is to open up the box and start eating. We decided to rank Entenmann's Pop'ems in the following manner. 1 for nutrition because they are high in calories when compared to their volume being 220 calories per 4 mini donuts, carbohydrates, and fat content and low in protein or fiber making them an "empty calorie" snack. In the cleanliness category, Pop'ems receive a ranking of 3 because based on the flavor, they can either be very messy or only somewhat messy, leaving fingers with a sugary or powdery coating that can easily mess up papers or get stuck on devices such as laptops that may be used in class. The powdered sugar Pop'em tends to create more of a mess while eating compared to other flavors such as glazed. This snack has received a price rating of 5 because they are only $3.00 per 15oz box which yields about 8 servings. In conclusion, Pop'ems receive a score of 9 out of 15.

Haribo Goldbears: Haribo Gummy Bears, known officially as Haribo Gold-bears, are small fruit-flavored gummy candies in the shapes of bears. They come in five different flavors; Raspberry, orange, strawberry, pineapple, and lemon yellow which are red,orange,green,colorless, and yellow respectively. Haribo gummy bears are both sweet and sour while not being too sugary or rich which allows me to eat a lot a time without feeling sick. Beyond their light and not over indulgent flavor I think gummy bears are the best late night munchies snack to eat while watching a movie or playing a video game. They have the perfect gummy consistency that doesn't pull at or get stuck into your teeth as much as other candies of the same kind. The variety of flavors each taste good in their own way separate or if you just throw back a mixed handful into your mouth. Gold bears are also a relatively low calorie candy that are made up of simple sugars and not too many chemicals which provides some nice post or pre-lifting fuel or a "cheat" snack that isn't too dense, heavy and is easily burned off or used up in a workout. These bears can be picked up from virtually any convenience store for a reasonable 1-3 dollars and thus receive a score of 5 for the price category in the ranking system. This snack is also considered to be quite clean and get a score of 5 in the cleanliness section. This is because they don't have any crumbs to clean up if supposedly they were to spill, and they don't have a distinct smell, so they are virtually undetectable in a classroom setting. They also don't leave any residue on your hands or fingers after eating them. Haribo Gold-bears receive a 3 for nutritional value. They are only 100 calories per 13 gummy-bear serving and have zero grams of fat, but they have a high carbohydrate and added sugar content. Overall, Haribo Gold-bears receive a score of 13 out of 15.

Doritos: Sweet and spicy Doritos are a snack consisting of crispy corn tortilla chips, blasted with flavor that covers the chip like powder. When you first put it on your tongue you get a sweet undertone that is very pleasant. As soon as you start crunching the chip, the spice kicks in and gives you the slightest euphoria due to the chili peppers in the seasoning. This is my favorite snack food because I can indulge in it without feeling guilty about a high sugar content, and its taste is unbeatable by other chips and snacks. When I have to get work done a dorito break sparks creativity, thoughtfulness, and refreshes the body to be able to continue working hard. If I am a little hungry but do not have the time or resources to prepare a small meal, doritos always have my back. Doritos do not have a large amount of sugar, but the sodium content is high, so the snack receives a score of 3 for nutritional value. However, in terms of cleanliness, Doritos are perhaps one of the dirtiest snacks ever. They leave a notable amount of cheesy residue on your fingers and can leave behind many crumbs, therefore, receiving a ranking of 1 for cleanliness. But, Doritos are not that expensive and receive a 4 for price. Overall, Doritos receive a score of 9 out of 15.

Chocolate covered craisins: Milk Chocolate Craisins are essentially cranberries that have been dried such as raisins and then covered with chocolate. It begins with the milk chocolaty taste that is then consumed by sweetness of the cranberry. I used to find myself eating this way too often in college because it was very easily accessible to me, and a small bag can be found for under 5 dollars. It in a way became like a stress eat favorite. This particular snack is my favorite because I already had a love for chocolate and I also liked craisins so when I initially seen it I thought why not, and turns out I really liked the combination of the two. It also helped that I then started to lie to myself claiming that it was not completely unhealthy because of the craisin dynamic. In present times I do not find myself eating it often because it apparently is really hard to find, but in college I found myself eating it during late nights of studying or even doing homework. Made with real fruit and with no artificial flavors or preservatives, when eaten in moderation this snack does not have to sacrifice health for taste. Sugar content is the main concern, as the milk chocolate contains added sugar. Due to this, this snack was ranked a 3 for nutritional value. As long as you are in a cool environment, chocolate will not cause a mess. These craisins were given a 3.5 for cleanliness due to its need to be in a cool environment. Compared to other popular snacks, this snack uses more expensive ingredients such as the fruit themselves. This causes the price to go up, so this snack was ranked a 2 for the price. All together milk chocolate covered craisins received a score of 8.5 out of 15.