Cleaner Plate

Being away at college can be a tricky transition for those who have allergy restrictions, have never cooked before, or who follow any type of special diet.

This is why LVC’s dining facilities are working to create meals that are suitable to a wide range of diet plans to cater to anyone and everyone no matter their preference, appetite, or allergy. Timothy Hartleib, the operations manager of Metz Culinary Services, which runs food services at LVC, described the many new changes that began in the spring.

“We added better systems to keep food hot by implementing new station setups,” Hartleib said. “We added vegetable protein alternatives to a lot of stations, implemented a gluten-friendly area for staple foods, and created a gluten-friendly roadmap to get students through the lines so they can find gluten-friendly options more quickly. We’ve also started a three-part allergen check to ensure accuracy of the labels with the food from the recipe.”

Similarly, Metz is working harder to care for students with more severe allergies, such as peanuts and treenuts.

“All nut products have been pulled from the Lehr and Phillips Dining Hall except individual sealed servings of peanut butter,” Hartleib said. “We had all our team members and managers certified in allergen training.”

Metz plans to make even more changes during the 2018–2019 academic year. Students can expect more accurate labeling and nutritional information, additional gluten-friendly and vegan options in the Lehr and Phillips Dining Hall and Dutchmen Den, in addition to a new concept in the Jeanne and Edward H. Arnold Health Professions Building, which opened in August. So far the changes have received good student feedback.

“We noticed that more students are utilizing our other stations, instead of waiting in the grille line before looking at other areas,” Hartleib said.

The changes, however, have not just been felt by students. Metz, as a culinary establishment, has been positively affected by the changes. “We take feedback seriously and constantly look for ways to enhance the dining experience,” Hartleib said. “The students and their safety is our top priority.”

By catering to a more diverse set of needs, these changes will make it easier for students with dietary restrictions to eat on campus, and help fulfill some of LVC’s missions, such as inclusive excellence and sustainability. It will also make the college dining experience more fun.

“Our focus on sustainability and being good stewards of the earth’s resources is important to us and we work closely with the College’s Sustainability Advisory Committee to help LVC reach its sustainability goals,” Hartleib said.

The combination of these changes and other campus programs, such as Mom’s Clean Plate Club and Dr. Robert Valgenti’s E.A.T. Research Group, help LVC and Metz take big steps toward accommodating to students and guests, and creating a more sustainable community.

Visit www.lvc.edu/metz to learn more about these improvements and programs.

 

-- By Raeann Walquist ’20 for ENG 430 Feature Writing