Healthy Meal Plan Basics

What’s a Parent to Do – Collegiate Edition

As the parent of a college student, you probably have more than a few things keeping you up at night. Whether they’re new to campus or returning for another year, you probably have a long list of questions on your mind.

Are they doing well in their classes? Are they adjusting to living away from home? Are they meeting new friends and having fun (but not too much fun)? College life is a whole new chapter with lots of opportunities and more than a few challenges.

In phone calls with your student, one question high on your list is most likely: Are you eating healthy? Are you taking care of yourself? Are you finding foods you like and that are good for you? These are good questions for parents to ask because good food is the fuel they need to succeed.

If you went to school decades ago, you may remember college food as being pretty limited. Healthy food that also tasted good may have been hard to come by—and students with special dietary needs didn’t have many choices. But today’s college meal plans couldn’t be more different! Step inside a college dining hall these days and you’ll be surprised by how drastically they’ve changed.

Today’s meal plans offer students an exciting array of variety and choice. Dining halls are packed with fresh foods that can accommodate just about every palate and diet. What’s more, students have a range of helpful resources built into their meal plan—whether it’s personalized support from dining hall staff, nutrition information available online, signage that helps guide students to healthier choices, or health and wellness pop-up events and activities.

Detroit-based regional dietitian Alison Cooney, MS, RDN, CSSD, LD, often sees parents visit their student’s dining hall and leave pleasantly surprised by the diverse, unexpected menu offerings. “They say, ‘If I would have had this when I went to college, it would have been awesome,’” Alison says. “Back then, you really you didn’t get as much variety and choice as you do now.”

In this installment of our “What’s a Parent to Do – Collegiate Edition” blog series, Alison—who herself enjoys eating in a college dining hall when she is visiting her campuses—helps us understand healthy meal plan basics.

Q: My student is new to a meal plan. What can we expect when it comes to healthy food?

Parents can rest assured that, with a little creativity, students can find food that fits their life, no matter their definition of healthy. Students and parents should know that teams of chefs and dietitians purposefully design college meal plan menus with a science-backed approach that focuses on nutrition, Alison says.

For example, over a third of options on the meal plan menus at schools served by Aramark (where Alison works) are vegetarian or vegan, and more than a third are also what’s called Eat Well selections that have a full serving of nutritionally dense whole foods and are lower in saturated fat and sodium.

Aramark college meal plan menus also feature Coolfood meals, which are certified low carbon, climate-friendly options that are healthier for both people and the planet—something a lot of students are leaning towards, Alison says.

Most dining halls have four food stations at a minimum with plenty of nutritious options and students don’t have to stick to just one station. They can walk around the dining hall, then build a plate based on their own definition of healthy.

Alison calls this “hacking your meal plan.” That means thinking creatively and visiting multiple stations to piece together the variety of healthy foods that works just for them.

Since everyone’s definition of healthy is different, your student should think about what kind of healthy food they’re looking for, Alison suggests. Is it lean protein? Fruits and vegetables? Are they looking for whole grains and complex carbs? Once they know what they’re looking for, they can check out each station and create the perfect plate to fit their preferences.

Q: What types of food stations should they expect to see in the dining hall, and how can they go about mixing and matching?

Most schools have a homestyle station with traditional comfort meals—an entree meat, carbohydrate dish, and a veggie. They’ll also usually have a grill station with chicken breasts, patties, tenders, beef or turkey burgers, and at least one vegetarian option with the choice of whole wheat or white buns.

Many dining halls have a salad bar with a variety of dressing options, a soup station, deli counter, pasta bar, and pizza counter. There’s usually a made-to-order station, as well. Maybe it’s a build-your-own Mexican bowl, a ramen bar, or stir-fry station.

One of Alison’s favorite mix-and-match dining hall meals is a Buffalo chicken wrap. She’ll grab a wrap from the deli, chicken from the grill, and toppings like peppers and lettuce and a little ranch dressing from the salad bar.

Fresh cut fruit is a staple of today’s college meal plans, too, Alison says, and it’s always popular.

Q: What if my student needs a helping hand to navigate healthy dining on campus? 

That’s where dietitians and the dining team come in, Alison says. Dietitians are the on-campus nutrition experts and the go-to people to talk to for ideas on how to find nutritious and delicious options in the dining hall.

Chefs and dining staff can be a huge help, too, adds Alison. Sometimes students are hesitant to seek support. Parents can reassure their student that the on-campus dietitian, chef, or dining hall staff are eager to listen and ready to help in any way they can.

Alison says it’s important that students feel comfortable reaching out, speaking up, and leaning on these resources. “We all want students to have an excellent dining experience on campus,” Alison says. But if your student doesn’t feel comfortable engaging in person, they can answer a meal plan survey instead. Most dining halls have a QR code posted somewhere in the dining hall that links to an anonymous survey where they can submit their ideas or requests.

Your student’s input helps the dining team design menus and evolve dining options. To support healthy dining, menu items and ingredients are regularly rotated based on seasonal availability and student feedback. Staff take requests seriously, and if they can order a new item, they usually will.

Q: My student is a picky eater. Are they likely to find healthy food they like?

Alison has watched students who start college eating only chicken tenders and fries return home for break craving fruits and vegetables.

Options on a campus meal plan are so varied, students get exposed to many more foods than they would have, even at home. It can take a while for students to get used to all the choices and to get in the habit of trying new things.

Alison likes to remind students (and parents) that it takes about ten tries of a new food to know if your palate likes it or not.

And that doesn’t just apply to elementary-aged kids; it’s just as true for college students and adults, too.

Alison suggests that students looking for healthy options start by trying the same healthy food in a variety of ways. For example, a student may turn their nose up at steamed broccoli, but they learn that they like it when it’s roasted since the cooking technique alters the flavor. Your student may not like steamed spinach, but they discover they enjoy it in a salad with other greens and topped with dressing.

When Alison works with students individually, she often suggests a weekly food challenge, setting goals such as trying one new fruit or veggie, and then reporting back to family or friends to talk about their experience.

Q: Food is essential for my student athlete’s performance. What should I know about healthy eating for athletes in training?

It can be hard for college athletes in training to get enough calories and the right balance of the foods they need. Part of the reason is there’s no set mealtime like there was in high school. It’s also tricky because student athletes need a lot more calories than most other students, Alison says.

To help, athletes should make sure they’re working with their athletic trainer or strength coach, and better yet, with their trainer plus a campus dietitian, Alison adds.

Part of that work is meal planning—making sure meals are healthy and balanced with foods like lean protein, the right carbohydrates, and enough fresh produce. But it’s also about working out the logistics of eating in the dining hall around training and game times. Some schools have dedicated food programs for athletes, too, like Aramark’s Eat to Excel, which gives students the nutrition they need for peak performance.

Q: Do students learn about nutrition and health as part of their meal plan experience?

“Nutrition and wellness information are definitely part of the benefit of a meal plan,” says Alison. She often plays nutrition trivia games and runs food demonstrations and other wellness events to educate and engage students. Fun activities like smoothie bike pop-ups—where students blend their own smoothie by pedaling a bike—are popular.

Alison and the chefs she works with often hold cooking demos for dorm room breakfast recipes, which are popular with students who have an early class and prefer to eat breakfast in their room and use their meal plan for lunch and dinner.

Cooking demonstrations have included recipes like overnight oats, egg in a cup, and French toast in a mug. She has also partnered with chefs to demonstrate other recipes for students interested in healthy cooking.

Alison recommends students take a general nutrition class if they have a free elective. And she points out that at many colleges, students on a meal plan can book a one-on-one meeting with a campus dietitian. She notes that, with private insurance, a dietitian appointment could cost $200 an hour. So, if you can get it for free in college as part of your meal plan, it’s a great benefit!

Q: My student has special dietary needs. Are there people for them to turn to for help?

The manager on site and the campus dietitian are the first places to turn for students on a meal plan with special dietary needs.

Whether it’s an issue with a major food allergen, a lifestyle preference for vegetarian or vegan foods, or a cultural practice like kosher or halal, the team will help students walk through the choices. Most schools have allergy or special dietary needs forms students can fill out.

Filling that out is the best way to get the manager and campus dietitian informed and involved so they can help each student find food that fits their life, Alison says.

Students should also look out for food allergy information on station signage where available and on dining websites and apps. The manager or dietitian will walk your student through what’s available, for example, whether their school has a dedicated allergen friendly station or other solution that may fit their needs.

Q: Without “helicopter parenting,” how can I support my student’s healthy eating on their meal plan?

“Be proactive from the start,” Alison says.

When touring campuses, meet with the dietitian and dining manager. Have a meal with your student in the dining hall. After your student starts school, follow up during breaks.

Ask them how they like the dining hall, and what kinds of foods they are eating.

If you haven’t visited the dining hall yourself, you can see online what’s being served so you can better address any comments from your student.

You may find your student eats buttered noodles at dinner as a comfort food, but they also enjoy veggie stir-fry, turkey burgers and salads.

It’s all about eating a variety of foods, Alison says, and college meal plans are the perfect place to experiment and learn about balanced eating.

 

Alison Cooney, MS, RDN, CSSD, LD is a Registered Dietitian and part of Aramark’s network of Collegiate Hospitality nutrition leaders. Every day, Alison and Aramark dietitians across the country utilize their knowledge and experience to help create an environment supportive of health and wellbeing on campus–leading health and wellness programs and engaging with students to help fuel their success and feed their potential.

 

 

 

Note: Since everyone’s health history and nutritional needs are so different, please make sure that you talk with your doctor and a registered dietitian to get advice about the diet and exercise plan that‘s right for you.