In the absence of a variety of meal options, students often resort to cheap, unhealthy fast-food choices. Conversely, on-campus options that present exciting and diverse dining experiences can help draw and retain students, while helping the institution stand out.
Colleges and Universities can’t underestimate the importance of offering healthy dining experiences and menus that students want and need by delivering excellence in college and university dining across four integrated touchpoints:
Provide a variety of healthy meals
Ensure that students have the best dining options that are rich in nutritional variety, value, and convenience available to them right on campus.
Deliver student favorites and options that drive engagement for a diverse student body
Offer dining options that include ethnic choices, religious and ethical considerations, and nutritional concerns such as vegan, vegetarian and plant-based meals, as well as providing favorites such as Starbucks®, Asian flavors and flatbreads, popular comfort foods, etc.
Create fun dining events
Work with college and university foodservice teams to create unique dining events that parallel with the school calendar, such as high-energy meals during exam weeks or fun, theme meals during holidays.
Address special dietary needs
It is important for multiple reasons to identify special student dining needs and then develop menus and programs that consistently accommodate those needs throughout the year.
Tasty, convenient, and healthy meal options make it easier for students to make good dining decisions that will impact their health and well-being while in school and for a lifetime thereafter while helping colleges and universities retain and attract happy, healthy, and successful students.