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USF Improves Accommodation of Students’ Dietary Needs

USF students are noticing improvements in on-campus dining facilities as the university strives to aid the variety of dietary needs among its student population.

Article written by Kathleen Sedita
Edited by Jesse Chalupsky and Natalie Watson
Multimedia segment by Jesse Chalupsky and Natalie Watson
November 29, 2010

TAMPA– University of South Florida’s diverse student population has acknowledged an improvement in the university’s offerings for vegans, vegetarians, those who keep kosher and Halal, and those with dietary health restrictions such as diabetes.

Since 1998, USF has required all first-year students who live on campus to purchase a meal plan. Currently, there are 5,000 students on meal plans at USF; 3,400 of those students are required to purchase a plan.

Students using meal plans essentially live off of the food USF offers at its 23 on-campus dining facilities, rendering the quality and quantity of options very important. Students not on meal plans also frequent the dining halls.

Noel Rapp, a student at USF, is happy with the fare the university offers.

“I never have a problem finding anything to eat,” Rapp said, “There are so many options on campus I can practically eat something different every day.”

However, when a student has strict dietary needs because of religion, health or personal preference, finding and choosing something to eat can become an arduous task.

Brian Goff, a USF student who has Type 1 Diabetes, said: “The majority of the food was largely unhealthy and hard to predict how it would affect my blood sugar levels. I would like to see more nutrition labels, so we know how what we’re eating is going to affect our bodies.”

Nutritional information for USF’s dining establishments is available at usfdining.com. There is additional information at a nutritional kiosk inside Fresh Food Company located in Argos Center. Also, the dining halls employ a system called “Just4U” that posts small signs signifying whether a dish is vegetarian, vegan, less than 500 calories or less than 10 grams of fat.

As a member of the Jewish faith, USF senior Andrew Cohen keeps kosher.  He said that he understands the university will never offer kosher meat due to the high price, so he is content with vegetarian and vegan options when eating on campus.

Though Cohen speaks positively of the choices USF offers presently, he mentioned that up until the last 18 months it was difficult to find food to satisfy his dietary needs.

Exemplifying the recent improvement, USF placed fifth in Peta2’s Most Vegetarian-Friendly College Competition in 2009. To view the vegetarian and vegan options USF offers, visit usf.campusdish.com. The website provides links to brochures that list every vegetarian option at every dining establishment on campus.

Campusdish.com also provides thorough information and podcasts for students seeking to eat healthier, both on campus and off.

Khalid Hassouneh follows the dietary restrictions of Islam. He does not eat anything made with pork or alcohol. Like Cohen, he said that it was much harder in the past to find adequate meals to fit his diet. Now, Hassouneh is pleased with the offerings on campus.

“You’ll find whatever it is you’re looking for, you just have to know where to go,” Hassouneh said.

One of those places Hassouneh speaks of is Subway. The restaurant’s menu accommodates diners who do not consume pork products. Every type of lunchmeat they offer, including ham, is turkey-based and pork-free. Sbarro has also made concessions by offering only beef-based pepperoni on their pizza.

Hunter Moran, a USF student who has been a vegetarian for almost ten years, said that although he does have options when eating at school, he has to be careful to look at the ingredients to make sure nothing is meat-based. He pointed out that he would like to see more fruits and vegetables offered at the dining establishments.

Other students agree with Moran, also mentioning that they would like to see healthier options including more fresh fruits and vegetables.

“We are always open to feedback and suggestions,” Jenna Burns, USF Dining’s marketing manager said. “We receive feedback and suggestions on a regular basis and are always willing to accept any ideas that the USF community may have.”

The University of South Florida has come a long way in accommodating every student’s dining preferences, but there is always room for improvement. With a new dining hall opening near the Sun Dome in fall 2011 and a fresh dining award in its pocket, USF Dining Services welcomes change as well as student input.

Keywords: USF, Diet, Vegan, Vegatarian, Jewish, Kosher, Islam, Halal, Diabetic, Campus Dish, Aramark, Just4U, Peta2, Subway, Sbarro