Need a quick, healthy snack after a good workout? It might be closer than you think.
The SUNY Purchase Yoga Health Academy Juice Bar is up and running, offering affordable and healthy drinks to promote nutritional health for Purchase students.
Julie Brogan, a yoga instructor for Purchase College, said that she began the Juice Bar three years ago for her students.
“Many of my students can’t afford nutritional foods,” said Broglin. She elaborated that while places on campus like Terra Ve may have smoothies, the Juice Bar offers healthy vegetable juices with more natural composition.
The Juice Bar operates between 12:15 p.m. and 1:45 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The Bar is located in Room 2007 in the Physical Education building, across from the main gym. While Broglin provides guidance and information, students volunteer their time to operate the stand.
The Juice Bar serves a specialty drink designed by Broglin and her student-volunteers to incorporate some healthy choices, including green vegetables, carrots, apple, beets, cilantro, and ginger. Pineapple is occasionally added as a bonus when the budget allows for it. The ingredients mostly come from local farms, such as Apple Farm and the Purchase Farmers’ Market, to ensure freshness.
Keenan Humphrey, one of the volunteers at the Juice Bar, said that working at the Bar is an excellent learning experience.
“We’re entirely volunteer. We have very casual training for new volunteers. A lot of training is just watching and learning on the job.” The Juice Bar also has a handy nutritional chart nearby to show new volunteers the benefits of each ingredient at their disposal.
Humphrey and Broglin both said that the Juice Bar plans to make itself known on Purchase campus to help students navigate their nutritional needs. The Bar has partnered with the campus Sustainability Group and the Student Garden in the past, and Humphrey says that the Bar will begin to attend the Planning Committee (CoCOaS) meetings every first Monday of the month to coordinate more partnerships and encourage more students to take a closer look at their nutrition.
“A lot of our volunteers have the self-initiative to go out and look for new ideas for the Bar,” said Humphrey, describing the enthusiasm of the 20 volunteers at the Bar.
All the Juice Bar’s proceeds go directly to restocking its ingredient stores. Anyone looking for information about the Juice Bar or nutrition in general should visit the SUNY Purchase Yoga Health Academy’s Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/SUNY-Purchase-Yoga-Health-Academy/200629626630906 .
