IMPROVING HEALTHY FOOD OPTIONS ON CAMPUS

Introduction

Recognizing that there was a general consensus among URI students that food provided by dining service needed increased variety, URI students, led by Liam Smith, decided to advocate for change.

Student advocates met with URI Dining Director Pierre St-Germain, and had a detailed open discussion about nutrition.  At the end of the meeting, Mr. Pierre St-Germain invited students to join his advisory group for URI dining services.  Both sides realized they had the same high quality nutrition goals and Mr. Pierre St-Germain was already taking comprehensive steps to change food services and incorporate several of the recommendations student advocates presented before the student advocacy begun.

Summary of the recommendations were as follows:

• • Provide students with easily accessible nutritional information in all dining facilities. Provide more nutritional information by adding a nutritional database accessible online, as well as through the dining app. By providing increasingly available nutrition facts, students will become more aware of the decisions they make regarding their health.
  • Late night dining options at all dining facilities must include healthy options that encourage students to consume low fat with healthy caloric values. College aged years are crucial in individuals forming lifelong eating habits. By encouraging healthy eating, URI graduates will better set up for post collegiate success.
  • All dining facilities should allow for combo swipes to be used on foods with low nutritional values, including salads. Because, salads have increased nutritional value than burgers in offering increased fiber, complex carbohydrates, similar levels of protein with added chicken or beans, and scoring higher on the glycemic index. Furthermore, a variety of salads can be produced at a similar or decreased cost than a hamburger and fries.
  • Students with religious or other dietary restrictions should accommodated. Financial stress will be reduced in students by providing more healthy options accessible via meal plans, alleviating potential of purchasing food through off campus facilities. This contributes to the overall wellbeing and success of URI students.
  • Improve late night dining by extending hours, as well as providing salad bar availability at Astros late night.

For more information regarding this advocacy contact:

Calli (nutrition expert) at: calli_coles@my.uri.edu
Camy at: camryn_mathews@my.uri.edu
Carly at: ccaldarella@my.uri.edu
Liam at: lsmt12@my.uri.edu

**THIS IS A SUMMARIZED VERSION OF STUDENTS’ PRESENTATION**