Looking for something healthy to eat on campus? Dining Services offers many options for those watching their diets or those with dietary restrictions.
Those watching their weight want to avoid the fast food temptations of pizza, subs and take-out Chinese at the Union’s Falcon Nest. But if something quick is what you need, grab-and-go sushi, veggie and fruit cups and salads are available.
If you have time to spare, the Black Swamp Pub & Bistro touts a sesame roasted chicken salad and a Mediterranean fish stew, which could be perfect for weight watchers, if they ask for the dressing on the side and skip the piece of grilled sourdough.
After strolling through all of campus’ eateries, hands-down the best places to find healthy choices that can appeal to vegetarians, vegans and those living without gluten are the dining halls, such as the Kreischer Sundial or The Oaks.
To see a daily menu for each dining hall, visit the BGSU Dining website (http://www.dineoncampus.com/bgsu), and check out the new legend denoting vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes.
(There are nutrition charts and a nutrition journal on the website, too, for those keeping close tabs on their diets.)
Meatless Mondays at the Kreischer Sundial are quite a field day for all veggie lovers. The Asian vegetable wrap during Monday’s lunch as well as the tofu Jambalaya at dinner are creative culinary alternatives to vegetarian salads. Also, compound salads, such as lentils and rice, are a great way to get the protein and fiber the body needs. Daily at Kreischer, too, there is a vegetarian salad bar with some vegan options.
Kathrin Weishuhn, a freshman, really enjoys the vegetarian dishes Dining Services offers.
“I never have a hard time finding something good to eat at Kreishcher as a vegetarian,” Weishuhn said. “If anything, it’s hard to choose.”
Even more choices can be found at The Oaks, particularly gluten-free ones, such as jamaican jerk chicken rotisserie style and maple-glazed ham. The plethora of sides, such as roasted squash, steamed or sautéed vegetables, rice and lentils, are mostly gluten-free, and great selections for anyone trying to eat a more balanced diet.
“There’s no doubt Dining Services offers healthy options,” said freshman Brooke Blankenship. “But they could offer more vegetables, we know. I don’t really like squash or vegetables I don’t recognize. But at least The Oaks has variety. The Carillon Place has the same things everyday, which is really boring.”
Even though some of the choices available in the dining halls might be intimidating or seem a little too culinary for some, it’s fair to say that Dining Services is making an effort to accommodate specific dietary needs.
“We have always consistently invited dietary-need students to work directly with our chefs and Daria Blachowski Dreyer, our dietician, to help steer these needs to applicable dining venues and work directly with our chefs to help them with menus,” said senior executive chef Pat Hannan.
Those with lactose, egg and other allergies should definitely contact the Dining Service chefs for accommodations.
Maybe squash isn’t your thing, but there’s no shortage of healthy food choices on campus. Look beyond the burgers and pizza, and you’ll find something good to eat—no matter your diet.
