Grab-n-go Nutrition on Campus

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Grab-n-go Nutrition on Campus

Outtakes convenience store in the student union

Most people know that a banana is better for you than a bag of chips. But do people know what the best nutritional option is when they’re on the run?

 The Union Outtakes Store is a convenience store located on the first floor of the Union Building. It offers many grab-n-go items such as salads, sandwiches and desserts. The drinks are kept in a large glass door refrigerator with easy access to juices, flavored water and iced coffee. There are stands with bags of chips, energy bars and crackers. The bar along the far wall has different pastries ranging from muffins to croissants and there are bowls of fresh fruit and small boxes of cereal placed between the pastry displays. The menu is displayed on the University of Utah Dining Services website with everything Outtakes offers as well as pricing, but there is no nutritional information anywhere on the website. There are standard nutrition labels on the packaged food but not on the free-standing food such as the pastries or the whole fruit.

 There is an initiative for a campus wide program called Balanced U which is a system of labels and logos designed to help students quickly and easily choose the foods they want. Balanced U was created by Chartwells, the company that operates the dining services at the University of Utah. According to Eleana Fielding, Dining Services chef and director of grab-n-go production, the options have always been available, it will just be much easier now for students to find exactly what they’re looking for.  It is a part of the grab-n-go options in Outtakes and will soon extend to the food court and Crimson View restaurant. The Peterson Heritage Center also uses the Balanced U labels with a few additions such as no sugar, and heart healthy oils.

The Peterson Heritage Center is where most students residing in the dorms eat their meals, although anyone can pay to eat there. The menu for the HC that is posted online has a different set of labels. There are labels denoting balanced portion size and nutrients, vegetarian, vegan, and products containing local, sustainable produce. A logo has been made so students will be able to easily identify the healthiest choices offered. There are also links to outside sources to use when dining off-campus such as healthy recipes and guides on what to choose when eating out.

The University of Utah and Dining Services also offers an online nutrition and food tracking journal that is able to track what you eat. It has all the core recipes from Chartwells as well as nutritional information from the United StatesDepartment of Agriculture (USDA). This journal helps count calories as well as tracking basic nutrition information from what you are eating.

The U is working to better inform students of the food choices they have both in grab-n-go cafes as well as the Peterson Heritage Center and working to expand to other eateries around campus.