The Dining Halls serve food in a buffet style format and leave their canned cold foods on ice. The foods also lack lids and proper storage of bread, tortillas and salad dressings and utensils are left in their condiments for all residents to use. Not to mention how hard it is to keep track of your diet if you're a regular in the dining hall without knowing what goes into your food.
A group of fourteen Nutrition132 students wondered how healthy these conditions and the actual food is. Lead by Dr. Diane Carson and student Jessie Seaman, the coalition organized a meeting with the Associate Director of Dining Services, Jenny Lew, to get to the bottom of what we're eating.
The students met up with Lew and raised a few concerns including having students be more involved in the process of choosing what goes on the menu. Groups like the "Diners Club" and surveying students in the dining hall make it seem like there is some student input, however few of the things that are discussed through these mediums are used. Instead, Lew plans the menus based on what was popular each summer.
"Dining Hall Management is primarily focused on fulfilling students dietary needs," said Seaman. "Its just a matter of students having the motivation and the opportunity to be heard."
The group also asked to know what a few of the dishes the dining hall serves are made of, Lew gave a generous description of the selected foods, including a list of ingredients, preparation methods and who provides the ingredients. These can be provided on demand in your dining hall.
She took the students on a tour of the Parkside kitchen and gave samples of Chipotle Black Bean Pattys for vegans. The students asked to have these ingredients and methods made available to everyone who visits the dining hall.
Lew said that due to "budgetary restrictions and standardized recipes taken from the web," trying to accommodate the 2500 people who eat in the dining hall is no easy task. The many demographics require options that please everyone.
"This campus and the people on it should be more aware of healthy food choices and options." said Dr. Diane Carson. "The food service should make a point to offer healthy options for those of us who care."
Slight changes such as vegan peanut butter and more vegan friendly foods have been noticed in the Dining Halls, progressing toward a healthier eatery for all.
-Leslie Campos
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