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By
Katie Fitzgerald
Photography by Landon Nordeman
Shrimp creole and ratatouille over rice
have bumped mystery meat off dining hall menus, and that's just
a taste of how much campus grub has grown up in recent years.
Romaine lettuce tossed
with fresh carrots, cucumber, green pepper, sunflower seeds, Healthy
Choice ham, low-fat American cheese and zesty ranch dressing.
Steamed rice stir-fried with baby shrimp, red pepper, peas and bamboo
shoots, covered in a rich teriyaki sauce.
Hot fudge drizzled over ice cream scooped out of a huge tub and
topped with M&M candies.
You’d probably never
guess this appetizing lineup comes from the same campus kitchens
that just a few decades ago served up the institutional grub most
of us associate with school dining — often some unsavory medley
of mystery meat and canned veggies.
Ohio University Food Service has revolutionized the traditional
concept of cafeteria food in recent years by offering a smorgasbord
of meal choices for students’ more sophisticated palates, satisfying
vegetarian and omnivore alike, and making dining more accessible
and convenient.
“It’s been quite an evolution to get where we are today,”
says Housing and Food Service Director Randy Shelton of the program
that caters to the campus’ 7,044 residence hall dwellers. “We’ve
tried to create a food service program responsive and flexible enough
to change fairly quickly with student needs.”
Having grown up on a variety of ethnic foods, today’s students
expect diversity in their college dining halls. To satisfy their
demand for more global flavors and a desire to personalize what
goes on their plates, the University has added specialty food bars
to the campus’ four dining halls.
Students literally create their own dishes by dipping into the pasta
and salad bars located in all the dining halls as well as a wok
bar in Jefferson and Boyd halls, Asian and omelet bars in Nelson
Hall, a potato bar in Boyd Hall and a sundae bar in Shively Hall.
At some stations, such as the wok bar, they can even cook their
own food, stir-frying veggies, rice and meat of their choice in
a sizzling wok.
“I like the different specialty bars offered because you can
find something to eat if you don’t want what is on the main
menu,” says senior Michelle Duncan.
Standing in line for main menu items is one cafeteria tradition
that’s endured through the years. But instead of gulping down
the standard meat or vegetable of the day, students choose from
a variety of hot entrees, from eggplant Parmesan to Cajun flounder,
or pick up ever-popular fast food items such as hamburgers, pizza
and french fries.
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| Students
(from left) Meredith Moriarty, Lauren Hargis and Colby Gillette
dig into the sundae bar at Shively Dining Hall. |
The dining halls also
cater to the growing number of health-conscious students. Cooks
use low-fat oils, steam most foods, provide healthy snacks such
as soft-serve yogurt and offer vegetarian dishes, including spinach
lasagna and meatless stuffed peppers. Nutritional information is
available for all food items.
“Students are more focused on eating right today,” says
Greg Hopkins, director of dining services. “We have an obligation
from an institutional point of view to provide healthy, nutritious
meals that meet a wide variety of diets.”
Because many students
aren’t accustomed to eating at traditional mealtimes, Food
Service employees have expanded breakfast, lunch and dinner hours
and developed some innovative alternatives for students who don’t
have time to chow down in the dining halls.
A new Grab-and-Go service allows students to pack up to five items
from a buffet line of hot entrees, the fast food menu, the deli
and the soup and salad bar. Students can head back to their residence
hall room or find a quiet spot on campus to eat.
“If they know they are going to be tied up through the normal
lunch period, then they can come over, get something, pack it up,
swipe their meal card and go,” Shelton says.
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