March 16, 2005

Purdue dining halls give students more choice, nutrition

With today's college students expecting more options in their food choices, universities must expand menus to include a range of healthy options and variety, says Sarah C. Johnson, Purdue University's director of dining services for University Residences.

"Today's students have grown up eating in restaurants and expect to have choice," Johnson says. "They expect to be able to eat what they want, when they want it. Universities have a dual responsibility: to provide students a selection of nutritious foods and to provide a selection that customers want to eat."

To that end, Johnson suggests universities not only provide nutritious options in meals, but also incorporate those healthy foods throughout the menu. For example, Purdue offers vegetarian options, low-fat and non-fat milk, fresh fruits and vegetables at every meal, alongside newer, healthy options like quesadillas, noodle bowls and vegan dishes.

"College is the first opportunity that many students have to be responsible for their own nutritional well-being," Johnson says. "It provides an opportunity for proper nutrition or for poor nutrition and overeating. The choices students make in college are likely to develop into the eating habits that continue the rest of their lives."

March is National Nutrition Month and the federal government has recently issued a new series of nutrition guidelines, replacing the traditional food pyramid. Johnson says the food offerings universities provide for students can serve as a model for healthy eating in accordance with those guidelines.

"The types of nutritious foods we highlight in our students' meals – colorful fruits and vegetables, lean meats, whole grain, low-fat dairy products – are foods that all of us should include in our diets," she says. "With students, it is matter of incorporating those healthy items into the wide range of choices we have for food."

Source: Sarah C. Johnson, (765) 494-1000, scj@purdue.edu

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