Welcome!
With so many new faces around campus, it’s the perfect time to review the menu icons to assist you with your menu selections and ensure you can easily meet your dietary needs.
We have 8 menu icons that we use to help inform your selections. Many dishes we serve qualify to have multiple icons on them. To balance and not overload people with too much on our menu signs, we have a process to select why we choose to put an icon on some things and not others. Our dietitians review every recipe and every sourced ingredient to assess which icons are accurate and appropriate to put on the signs to help guide your choices.
No Dairy Ingredients
We provide many options that have no dairy as we use non-dairy based fats in cooking and even creamy sauces that use dairy alternative ingredients. Since anything Vegan is automatically No Dairy Ingredients, we only place the vegan icon on vegan items. So, if you are looking for items that contain No Dairy Ingredients, look for the No Dairy icon or the Vegan icon as you navigate the dining hall.
Vegetarian & Vegan
Our definition of Vegetarian items includes those that have no animal proteins, but may contain dairy, eggs, or other animal by-products, such as honey. Our definition of vegan excludes ALL animal products. Not all vegetarian items are vegan, but all vegan items are vegetarian. Therefore, if you are vegetarian, you can keep an eye out for Vegetarian or Vegan icons to find items to meet your dietary restriction.
Halal
We get in as many different certified halal meats as we can source consistently. We mark any dish that uses halal certified protein in it that also contains no haram ingredients with our Halal symbol. Sometimes we have a dish that uses halal certified chicken that has another ingredient in it that would not be considered suitable by some people following a halal diet, so we do not add an icon onto those meals. Any dishes that are labeled vegan would also be acceptable for halal dietary guidelines. Those items are only marked with the vegan icon. So, keep an eye out for both the Halal icon and the Vegan icon.
No Gluten Ingredients
There are many options available for no gluten dining. While our kitchen is not completely gluten free, we do have measures in place to accommodate. For example, there are no gluten bread products available and a dedicated toaster and condiments in each hall. We have gluten alternatives for pizzas, pastas, etc. Our staff go through training on cross contamination every year. Each dining hall has separate cutting boards, pans, etc. available when preparing customized items for those that need to minimize any cross-contamination risks.
Sustainable Seafood
As much of our seafood as possible is sustainably certified from a third-party source. This means that seafood is from sources that maintain or increase production without threatening ecosystems, populations, and respecting seafood workers and communities. Some examples of our sustainable seafood include haddock and salmon. We have Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified kitchens, processes and training to ensure we can trace our seafood products from the water all the way to your plate.
Locally Grown
This menu icon lets you know that the dish being served uses locally sourced ingredients. Our local ingredients are grown within 400km of the dining halls and come from community-based producers. Blueberries, carrots, turnips, apples, cucumbers, tomatoes, and mushrooms are just some of the local ingredients we bring into the dining hall.
Get the Good Stuff
These are healthier menu choices that are made with fewer calories, sodium, and loaded with vegetables, proteins and whole grains. If you’re looking for a simple healthy option on the menu – it’s an easy choice! If you are looking to make a healthier decision look for the Get the Good Stuff icon.
Identify yourself.
We want to know if you have dietary restrictions. This keeps your safety in the forefront of our minds. Build a relationship with the staff in your dining hall so that we can provide you with the best experience possible.
If you would like more information on navigating your dining hall, book an appointment with our on-campus dietitian to discuss any special dietary needs/nutrition concerns.
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