BabyHTP likes to give Operation Beautiful presentations.  She/he started to kick up a storm right before I walked up on stage (okay, this is probably due to the effects of my adrenaline, not an unborn love of public speaking).

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Today’s events at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater went really well!  I spoke to over 500 students between two presentations, and everyone seemed engaged and interested in Operation Beautiful.

 

The school was massively supportive.  Thanks for making me feel welcome, Whitewater.

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So, obviously, today was a very exciting day, but do you want to know what got me the most worked up? The college’s dining hall.  Look, when I lived on campus as a freshman (nearly a decade ago – groan!), our dining options were less than stellar.  So I have a little bias against eating on-campus during events.  But Whitewater – oh, Whitewater! – you have forever changed my view of dining halls.

 

First of all, there was a stir-fry station with brown rice, fresh veggies, meat, and tofu (!!).  I grabbed a skillet, filled it up with goodies, selected a sauce, and put it on the grill.  Five minutes later, instant stir-fry, just like I would make at home. 

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I told the Husband about the stir-fry station, and he claims University of Miami had such a buffet when he was a student.  I’m jealous. 

 

Secondly, in addition to a wide range of other healthy options, the dining hall offered a gluten-free section with bread, rolls, and cookies.  There were also other ‘alternative’ foods available, too, like soy milk and soy cheese.

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I’m beyond impressed.  Those college kids eat like kings and queens (and yes, there is a frozen yogurt machine, too, so they really do have everything).  I would never move off campus!

 

If you have/had access to amazingly healthy cafeteria food in college, I’d love to hear about it.  Or if your experience was closer to mine (hamburgers and pizza galore!), let’s talk about that, too.  As long as you don’t complain about the self-serve froyo machine, of course.  After all, those machines are the best part of college dining.  Smile

{ 97 comments }

 

  • Christine @ BookishlyB February 28, 2012, 11:20 pm

    I went to UCLA, which is a huge campus that houses thousands of kids from all areas of the world, so our dining options were incredibly diverse. I was very lucky and could have tried so much! Unfortunately I did a lot of froyo, pizza, and cereal.

    • Julie (A Case of the Runs) February 29, 2012, 11:55 am

      Me too… I miss the dining halls a lot. They weren’t amazing but still pretty varied. When I was vegan during the time, it was REALLY hard to find stuff besides salad, though! But from the looks of it, they have more choices now.

  • Alex @ Raw Recovery February 28, 2012, 11:27 pm

    I go to Bryn Mawr which gets ranked within the top ten for food pretty much every year. We have a wide range of vegetarian and vegan foods, huge salad bars, stir fry every day, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, but then there’s also the typical pizza, fries, ice cream deal. I don’t live on campus anymore but one of our dining halls would have theme nights. Mexican night on mondays were the best. Vegetarian burger crumbles made it great!

  • April February 28, 2012, 11:36 pm

    I went to University of Wisconsin-Stout. We had a stir-fry station certain days of the week (it rotated between stir fry, pasta, and something else). Also, there was always a vegetarian and a vegan choice for each meal. We also had a kick-butt salad bar. There was not a salad I could not create. Brekkie was awesome too – build your own omlets…

  • Kerry February 28, 2012, 11:45 pm

    My freshman year at Virginia Tech we had the best cafeteria in the nation. I would get London broil and lobster bisque, they had AMAZING salad bars…goodness everything was just so good. The thing I miss most about that school is definitely the food. I ate so much better then than I do now.

    • Meghan March 1, 2012, 11:36 pm

      Ahh, Kerry, you must be talking about West End – Best. Food. Ever. I lived off campus and was always psyched at the end of the year when my friends had money left on their meal plans to spend on lunch for me 🙂

  • Laura @ Backstage Balance February 28, 2012, 11:46 pm

    Wow, that sounds like an awesome dining hall arrangement! My college didn’t have many vegetarian-friendly options, and really not any vegan options. The best we could do was to pick what kind of cheese to put in our grilled cheese…

  • Lisa (bakebikeblog) February 28, 2012, 11:48 pm

    wow – great dining hall indeed!

  • Stephanie @ Legally Blinde February 28, 2012, 11:48 pm

    I was really fortunate with the dining hall at my undergrad, American University. We were actually voted the most vegetarian-friendly and most-vegan friendly college by PETA when I was there in 2008. But of course, I didn’t realize how good I had it until I graduated and started having to prepare my own healthy meals! I did appreciate all of the vegetarian options, though, as well as the “farm-to-fork” and sustainable philosophies of Bon Appetit, who was in charge of the food services at AU. They tried to source local food for us, and labeled where certain things came from. But we still had all the typical college food, too – burgers, fries, ice cream, waffles made-to-order… 🙂

  • Lea February 28, 2012, 11:50 pm

    I go to Appalachian and our food is kind of mediocre, but getting way better every year by year. I’ve seen some gluten free options popping up lately and the vegetarian options are constantly improving (finally!). They also started a local food initiative which is awesome! Our student union just got some frozen yogurt machines this semester which were a HUGE deal, I’ve seen people eating froyo while it’s snowing outside. And we some how manage to have our own sushi chef, and the sushi is actually pretty good, but kinda pricey. I definitely can’t complain too much about it.

  • Caitlin February 28, 2012, 11:52 pm

    The caf at my college is the bane of my existence. I mean, it’s BAD. I feel guilty complaining about stuff like that but it’s just so the opposite of anything healthy…the worst part is, our common book freshman year was “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”. So I’d read about how messed up and unhealthy the food industry can be, and then have to eat at the caf where the meat honestly didn’t even look or taste like meat. I pretty much lived off of hummus, carrot sticks and celery, and peanut butter sandwiches when I had to eat in the caf. Now, I am thankful for a kitchen 🙂

    • Katie March 30, 2012, 1:05 pm

      Hi Caitlin!

      What college do you go to? We have an internship program that’s centered around raising awareness of the need for more healthy food and gluten free options on campus. E-mail me at collegeambassadors@udisglutenfree.com if you’re interested in learning more!

  • Kelley February 28, 2012, 11:54 pm

    My college (Emerson) had its share of pizza/pasta/waffle fries, but I actually lost weight while on campus because they had an awesome soup selection and salad bar too. I miss those days. =)

    • Emily February 29, 2012, 9:07 am

      I went to Emerson too! I gained probably 20lbs the first year but then lost it sophomore year -both thanks to the dining hall options. I loved the LB.

      • Margaret February 29, 2012, 8:02 pm

        I went to Emerson too! I love that they always had vegetarian “chicken” nuggets at lunch. They always had amazing vegetarian options in the dining hall and the Max Munich campus center!

  • AmandaonMaui February 29, 2012, 12:08 am

    The cafeteria at our little college is run by the culinary school students. While nothing is gluten free friendly, the food is actually quite healthful in general. Even the soups are made from real stock (sometimes with a little bouillon added in).

    • Katie March 30, 2012, 1:06 pm

      Hi Amanda!

      We have an internship centered on campaigning for more healthy and gluten free options on college campuses! E-mail me at collegeambassadors@udisglutenfree.com if you’re interested!

  • Khushboo Thadani February 29, 2012, 12:11 am

    Whaaat! I need to go back to college! Our canteen was pathetic- I don’t think I ate there even once! I love that they even sell Nanas cookies- those are delicious!

  • Sarahf February 29, 2012, 12:19 am

    We didn’t have a cafeteria at uni, it was all self-catering, so my Dad taught me some healthy basics before I went. I’ve never seen a stir-fry station before, what a great idea!

  • Shelley February 29, 2012, 12:39 am

    My experience was similar to yours. But during my senior year they were making plans to renovate one of the dining halls to include more choices like that. I think eventually they renovated all of the dining halls. I was a few years too early! We did have a nice salad bar but I admit I didn’t take advantage of it as much as I should have!

  • Dental Consultant February 29, 2012, 12:56 am

    This is an interesting post! You really enjoy your experience there right? We also done this when I was a college and I really enjoy it!:-) What is “Operation Beautiful” all about?

  • Amanda February 29, 2012, 1:02 am

    I go to Bryn Mawr College, and I have to say, I am really fortunate that my two dining halls offer such awesome options. (our college is ranked #4 in the nation for best food!) We’ve got: delicious vegan/veg options (including the best pb chocolate oatmeal cookies that are VEGAN), meals from recipes of Food Network hosts’ cookbooks, stir fry and omelette stations, fro-yo machines (one for each dining hall), ice cream, gluten free bread, a legit orange juice machine that cuts and squeezes oranges and transforms into juice before your very eyes (seriously: the best OJ I have ever had, at the tune of $10,000!), amazing themed dinners (Carribean is coming up), and get this: 2010 end of term dinner before Christmas was Harry Potter themed: It was in our great hall (in a building that looks like a castle!) with long tables and benches. Everyone dressed up according to houses and we sat with our houses; food was HP themed (treacle tart, butter beer, the works!). Such a fantastic dinner, and so much fun. We were all over the news the next day, too! Bryn Mawr Dining Services always does the best job. I am truly fortunate to go to a college that feeds its students well!

  • Allie February 29, 2012, 1:07 am

    My first year at Pitt was the first year they updated the dining hall. Gluten free, vegetarian, soy milk options, you name it and they had it! It was really nice. I have nothing bad to compare it to, but I’ve heard the dining hall horror stories of Pitt from the years before.

  • Sarah February 29, 2012, 2:50 am

    You made it into one of Australia’s major social network/news websites today!!!!

    http://www.mamamia.com.au/social/open-post-of-the-week-29-feb/

    Check it out! I was thrilled for you!!!!!!

    • CaitlinHTP February 29, 2012, 5:31 pm

      OMG! How cool! Thanks for passing this along.

  • Kristin point February 29, 2012, 3:10 am

    Umass Amherst had great food! Awesome salad bar, lots of local foods, vegetarian, vegan and various other options. They also had good special dinners with guest chefs or other special foods. I miss the food up in western mass… So many fresh options!

  • Katy February 29, 2012, 3:27 am

    At my school, UC Santa Cruz, most of the vegetables and fruits served in the dining halls come straight from the 25 acre UCSC farm. Of course, with a university residing in Santa Cruz, the dining hall is filled with vegan options. Each Monday is called Meatless Mondays so expect to find tempeh, tofu, and seitan.

  • Simone February 29, 2012, 4:29 am

    Ha! I love the term froyo! Very cool. Perhaps I can start a froyo revolution in Aus 😀

  • Cindy February 29, 2012, 4:55 am

    Dang, I started my undergrad years 19 years ago. OMG. (And I am still in school!)

    My dining hall sucked. The only good thing was the fro yo machine, like you said. I am a really picky eater; I haven’t eaten red meat since I was 11, I only eat chicken if I have seen it cooked, and I was very paranoid (and still am) about food poisoning. They had a salad bar, but I had no idea that they could ruin that- the veggies were either icky or frozen. I pretty much lived off cheerios and plain pasta. I didn’t eat pizza as I didn’t eat sauce at the time b/c I had stomach issues. I was SO glad to get off the food plan, even if it did mean I still lived on plain pasta.

  • Dana February 29, 2012, 6:20 am

    Hi Caitlin!

    I think you have to come back and visit PITT! I just graduated in April, but they did update the dining hall when I was an incoming freshman. They have a stir fry station (which was my favorite), a make you own sandwich station and a salad bar now. It’s actually pretty good now.

    I have heard how awful the old one was…

    • CaitlinHTP February 29, 2012, 5:30 pm

      Yay 🙂 So glad to hear that PITT has improved!

  • Brittnie (A Joy Renewed) February 29, 2012, 6:29 am

    We had lots of different options/food stations in my dining hall but they were less than stellar. I remember eating a lot of turkey sandwiches and honestly the meat was pretty nasty – think cheap slimy turkey. Yum. We did have a frozen yogurt station and a decent salad bar so I guess that made up for the grease ball turkey.

  • Cathy February 29, 2012, 6:32 am

    I went to Purdue University and we had AMAZING dining halls. Well stocked salad bars, stir fry stations, make your own sandwich options, build a personalized pizza or pasta dish. It was so awesome I even bought a meal plan for the dining halls after I left the dorms so I could still go there when I wanted a delicious meal. Ooo and self-serve frozen yogurt too!

  • Tamicka February 29, 2012, 6:46 am

    I went to SUNY.Brockport and we had a massive salad bar with bread bowls and taco bowls, we had a grill station where you could get burger’s and chicken, we always had.a pasta station invite own.room that had spaghetti, penned, meat balls and breadsticks, but the best part.was on Saturday and Sunday. On those days these.was a special line so you could get made to order omlettes and a Belgium waffle machine. I still long for those.waffled.on a Sunday morning.

  • Katie @ Katie Without Restrictions February 29, 2012, 6:52 am

    I don’t know if I would go so far as to call it amazing, but our dining hall at UW Green Bay is pretty good in my opinion. I usually pack up my own food, since I live a half hour away anyway, but on the occasions I do have to eat the school food they have a LOT of different, and healthy, options. Along with the pizza, of course 😉

  • Tricia February 29, 2012, 6:56 am

    I went to Elizabethtown College in PA for a year and our cafeteria was AWESOME! I indulged there haha but there were a ton of healthy options.

  • Hillary February 29, 2012, 6:56 am

    At the University of Rhode Island, it just depended on the dining hall you went to: some were absolutely terrible, but some were fantastic—huge salad and sandwich bars, stir fry stations, etc. They tore down one of the older dining halls right after I graduated and put up a HUGE, brand-spankin’ new one in its place. I’m so jealous that those new kids get such a nice dining hall!

  • Krissy February 29, 2012, 7:10 am

    Allegheny College has fantastic food (now that they switched dining companies). There was never any line at the vegan station (where they had the BEST stirfry made by a woman named Tess.) They had tons of healthy options AND all those delicious college foods that get you through late night study jams like pizza and cheese sticks!

  • NIcolette February 29, 2012, 7:14 am

    I go to university in Ontario and I’m in my fourth year here. My best friend goes to Guelph University and they have the BEST for selection, it really is beyond comparison. I visited her once and got a vegetarian panini and it was out of this world, and I know they offer a ton of “alternative” options. I go to the University of Western Ontario, and though our residence dining halls were decent, our on campus eateries are seriously limited. I’m lactose intolerant, and really try and eat animal-product free as much as possible, and I feel like there are no options available to me. Everything has a slice of cheese in eat, a bit of bacon, whatever. And there is very limited gluten-free options. One thing I am really hoping for is my school works to change this in the future in response to their students.

  • Elizabeth February 29, 2012, 7:25 am

    I go to Ohio State and Our dinning all at the Union is AMAZING!! It has 3 sit down restaurants and a very large open space with different stations, kinda like a food court but much more healthier , they have stir fry stations, sandwich stations, pizza stations it is really great food! And in the middle they have healthy sides you can choose from, which is basically any food you could imagine! Such a great place to eat!

  • Emily February 29, 2012, 7:28 am

    I went to Rutgers, and we had a pretty good dining hall, too. We had a stir fry station as well, and at least 3 other vegetarian entrees; a pizza station; a well stocked salad bar; 3-4 meat entrees; cereal bar; and, of course, the froyo station (my faaave!).

  • Emily February 29, 2012, 7:28 am

    Oh, and the pasta station too! How could I have forgotten that? White and whole wheat pasta, along with fresh vegetables, meats, and a variety of sauces.

  • Linz @ Itz Linz February 29, 2012, 7:29 am

    Jonny always boasts about Miami’s food also! I went to Miami of Ohio for my first year and their dining was REALLY good… it was ALL fresh; they didn’t ship anything in. Then I transferred to Mizzou and it was fine, but certainly didn’t compare. 🙂

  • Janene February 29, 2012, 7:49 am

    I did my undergrad at Ohio State, and the dining halls there were kind of the typical dining halls. I’m a buffet lover, so I didn’t mind too much! I’d be curious to see how they’ve changed since then… it’s been almost 10 years for me too – EEK!

    I did my graduate degree at Ohio University, and I have to say, some of their dining halls are pretty stellar – there’s a great local, whole food movement going on in Athens, and that’s definitely reflected. Great salad bar, veggie options, and all the typical dining hall fare as well. They also have a great composting system on campus and use compostable utensils, so much less goes to waste!

  • Katie February 29, 2012, 7:53 am

    The college I attended (Gustavus Adolphus) didn’t have a self serve wok, but we did have a lot of healthy options, so you could eat as many pizzas and burgers as you wanted, but you could also make better choices. I miss the caf so much!

  • Margaret February 29, 2012, 7:54 am

    Virginia Tech consistently ranks in the top 5 for college dining. I love it! Last night for dinner I had steamed haricot vertes, squash, and a really nice piece of Mahi Mahi.

  • Stephanie February 29, 2012, 8:01 am

    Caitlin- You should come speak at UConn! I’d absolutely love to attend an Operation Beautiful event, and I’m sure you would gain lots of support and enthusiasm from the student body as well!

  • Sarah W. February 29, 2012, 8:07 am

    I went to St. Mary’s College of Maryland, located in Southern MD off Rt. 5 in St. Mary’s City, MD. Our college had a pretty decent dining hall – I don’t remember a ton of “alternative” food options for gluten free/vegan/ or what have you, but I’m pretty sure it was there, plus we also were able to leave comments, and the cafeteria workers always listened to our comments. Our dining hall was also voted best in MD a few years in a row if I’m remembering correctly. It was a small school with a small hall.

    However, when I went to visit my cousin at James Madison University, I was IN LOVE with their dining hall – they had TONS of healthy options with huge selection of stuff, vegetarian, etc etc. That place was AWESOME. E Hall specifically 🙂

  • Lee February 29, 2012, 8:17 am

    I was a freshman in college uhhh…more than 10 years ago but I remember my school having a lot of veggie options. It probably helped that it was somewhat of a hippie school.

  • Maureen February 29, 2012, 8:21 am

    When I was in college in NH (2001-2005) my school offered lots of healthy options as well. There was a stir fry line with whole wheat & white pata, brown & white rice, chicken, shrimp, tofu and TONS of veggies. Plus there was an entire vegan section where a soup, side, main dish and sandwich were prepared fresh daily. I was not a vegetarian at the time and can tell you that the vegan area introduced me to so many new and unique items I had never tried before. It was phenomenal to say the least!

  • Shannon February 29, 2012, 8:29 am

    When I was a student at Macalester College in St. Paul MN, we had fantastic dining (and it’s truly incredible, now–I’ve visited!). And this was 18-20 years ago! (See, you don’t get to groan about being only 10 years out of college. 😉 ) There was a vegetarian entree option at every meal (good stuff too, made with tempeh and beans and miso and all sort of stuff), and there was always tofu in the salad bar area and hummus at the sandwich area. Granted, Macalester was/is famous for its progressive, hip, liberal vibe, but this was still pretty amazing for the early ’90s.

  • Carolina John February 29, 2012, 8:29 am

    Wow, that’s really neat! I absolutely adore Wisconsin. have a fun and safe trip!

  • laura hache February 29, 2012, 8:29 am

    Favorite book of all time: Booky, its a children’s novel that I read and re-read all through elementary school about a girl growing up in the depression. It led to my life-long obsession with the 1930s!

    Also, congrats on your next book!

  • Amber @ Busy, Bold, Blessed February 29, 2012, 8:42 am

    Penn State had a ton of options, although I wasn’t as educated about the benefits of whole foods or eating less meat then… so I’m not really sure how the options would’ve looked to a vegetarian or vegan. There was so much to choose from though and I did love the huge salad bar. We won’t talk about the warm cookies topped with ice cream from the Creamery… hehe.

  • Katie @ Peace Love and Oats February 29, 2012, 8:46 am

    I graduated only 2 years ago and my cafeteria food was awful! That is one lucky school! Especially with the gluten free options!

  • Alison February 29, 2012, 9:01 am

    My college in Iowa was a really good mix of glutton and health. There were options like the stirfry you showed along with omelets made to order and an amazing salad bar and froyo….but also a full bakery, pizza station, waffle makers and a ‘comfort food’ area for casseroles with lots of ‘cream of whatever soup’ as a main ingredient. 🙂

  • Chelsea Jones February 29, 2012, 9:06 am

    We had the stir fry station in our main underclassmen dorm dining hall, too, but what was pretty cool was we had a second (of three) dining facility that was entirely vegetarian. A lot of the food still wasn’t all that great (I remember lousy pizza in particular) but they had a quesadilla (spell check just does not want to help me with that word) station with all sorts of cheese and veggies that was so incredible.

    I bet more and more colleges are adding gluten free options as it becomes trendier, though, so that makes sense.

  • Laura February 29, 2012, 9:12 am

    I went to Sarah Lawrence College in NY (01-05) & we had a lot of vegetarian options. There were always veggie options in the main dining hall and there was also the “health food bar” where it was all vegetarian with a vegan option daily + a fresh sandwich bar with really yummy options. I miss that sandwich bar! I actually never had hummus until I went to college, so I tried a lot of new foods & even went vegetarian for 2+ years while I was there.

  • Katy @ HaveYouHurd February 29, 2012, 9:27 am

    Ha! I played UW-W in a basketball tournament when I was in college! Even though they beat us 🙁 I still think it’s great you had such a good time at their school!

  • Janelle February 29, 2012, 9:45 am

    My university won awards for their food and it was definitely tasty. However, I don’t remember it being particularly healthy. Either that or I just didn’t partake in the healthy options back then. Such a fool!

  • clare @ fittingitallin February 29, 2012, 9:50 am

    Notre Dame’s dining halls are incredible and always rated some of the highest in the country.
    We had tofu, stir fry station, hummus, veggie burgers, whole wheat pizza crust, a HUGE salad bar, fish and steamed veggies every day….and then of course the froyo and desserts and massive amounts of cereal. It was amazing! I hated when people complained.

  • Tami February 29, 2012, 10:02 am

    My husband d works at a local university and does a lot of computer stuff for the cafe there. There are a few things to note,mid you ate in any cafe day after day things would get old fast but visiting every now and then is amazing! The cafe has a whole area of gluten free including its own toaster!

  • Sara February 29, 2012, 10:09 am

    Our dining hall had options like the stir-fry station as did my husband’s. I lived at home and commuted in so I mainly only had the opportunity to eat the quick stuff (like pizza). If you didn’t have a meal plan, it was really expensive to eat in the dining hall, so I only did it once! I don’t remember if they had tofu, etc. Virginia Tech has a lot of options at their dining facilities (where my husband went.) A lot of schools are turning to locally grown products too; which is exciting!

  • Cait @ Cait Strides February 29, 2012, 10:13 am

    I went to James Madison University and we have been consistently ranked in the top 10 for collegiate dining facilities. The options were incredible and we had just about 10 different dining halls on campus (all specialized in different cuisine). I didn’t realize how great I had it until I left, and now I miss it SO SO much!

    • carri z. March 1, 2012, 2:08 am

      ahh! EYE went to
      jmu too,
      graduated
      like 10 years
      ago and we
      STILLLLL talk
      about/crave D-HALL!

      what i wouldn’t give
      for ONE MORE PUNCH!

      go dukes. ; )

  • Rebecca February 29, 2012, 10:21 am

    Food here is pretty good, though I don’t eat in the dining center much. There’s a salad bar, pizza, pasta, sometimes sushi, and a couple of other things. Really nice to have a variety! And right next door to the dining center is the grill where you can get soup and paninis and stuff. Yum! I’ve only eaten there once so far, but it was good!
    And of course we have the dessert line, with cookies and bars and ice cream. 🙂

  • Gina @ Running to the Kitchen February 29, 2012, 10:39 am

    My college was ranked #7 in best food on college campuses (the only piece of info I retained from my admission tour) and I’d be lying if I say that didn’t play a small part in my decision to go there. The best part was that it was in house staff, not outsourced to one of the major dining service companies like Sodexho or Aramark. Very cool 🙂

  • Katie @ Healthy Heddleston February 29, 2012, 10:51 am

    Yupp our college had a stir fry station too! There was also a similar make your own pasta station — that was only certain nights though. Sometimes that station was gourmet pizza.

  • Lily Rose February 29, 2012, 11:02 am

    My college’s dining options are great! I have celiac disease, and there is an entire station in the dining hall designated “allergen-free” so it is all nut, soy, wheat, and egg free… in case people have allergies severe enough they have to worry about contact. There’s also a delicious salad bar, and they always feature fresh, local, and organic produce.

    There are also several smaller dining halls throughout campus, including a really adorable and delicious vegetarian/vegan one (conveniently located in my dorm!).

    Oh, and of course there’s the typical pizza, fries, chips stuff… which I’d be lying if I said I didn’t indulge in on occasion ;).

  • Samantha February 29, 2012, 11:48 am

    I went to Whitewater and yes it is amazing 🙂

    • Ann Wick February 29, 2012, 6:19 pm

      Thanks Samantha! When did you graduate?

  • Sarah February 29, 2012, 12:02 pm

    I don’t know if they still have it, but when my parents were in college at Texas A&M (which is an ag school)all of the dairy products came from the student creamery on campus. So they got to have fresh milk and cream and homemade ice cream and shakes whenever they wanted.

    • CaitlinHTP February 29, 2012, 5:27 pm

      That is amaaaaaaaaaaaaazingly cool.

  • Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin February 29, 2012, 12:08 pm

    My cafeteria in residence was pretty decent! We had a stir fry station like that, except the cafeteria workers made the stir fries for us. Also we had a fresh fruit bar, a salad bar, and a sandwich station. But the absolute best part was the Japanese couple who came in once a week to make fresh sushi! It cost an arm and a leg, but it was so worth it! 😀

  • Kate G. February 29, 2012, 12:36 pm

    Oh, man: the days of the dining hall. I went to Knox College, which had plenty of unhealthy options (I’m looking at you, CANDY CAKE/pizza bar), but also had a lot of healthy options: a salad bar, a stir-fry station, a made-to-order omelet station, etc.

    I still miss the fro-yo machines and the cereal bar. Le sigh.

    • Alisha February 29, 2012, 1:57 pm

      hey! I went to knox college too! Graduated in 07 – small world 🙂

      I completely forgot about that candy cake. yum.

  • Brigid February 29, 2012, 1:35 pm

    I went to an all-women’s college (Scripps represent!), and we had an amazing dining hall. There were tons of healthy options and plenty of vegan and vegetarian choices, in addition to the usual pizza and burgers. Plus, the food was *delicious*.

  • Angie @ Pint of Goals February 29, 2012, 2:02 pm

    As a Wisconsin resident, I am THRILLED you have had such a good time in this state. Wisconsin does not get enough credit – it is a wonderful place with great people. If you can come back in the warmer months, head to UW-Madison’s campus and relax on the Terrace.
    I wish I could’ve come to see you speak – I teach at a high school only 45 minutes away from Whitewater (so I obviously had classes to run).

    • Jamie February 29, 2012, 2:54 pm

      Another Wisconsin lover!! I am in the South for a year project and miss Wisconsin soooo much. Cannot wait to move back North. I visited Madison, Milwaukee, Appleton and Green Bay over Xmas break and fell back in love with the state.

      I am SO glad to hear this! I am applying for a position at UW-Whitewater for the fall and was wondering about their dining options- I am a vegan and this sounds very enticing. When I pulled up their website on Friday to get a feel for the school, your face was plastered on the homepage and I laughed- like, I read her blog, I (kinda?) know her!
      You’ve made my day, Caitlin!

      • Jamie February 29, 2012, 2:55 pm

        Oh, and the college I work at? We have fried chicken Wednesdays, with a line out the door. My usual vegan options are peas or rolls.. yippeeeee…

      • CaitlinHTP February 29, 2012, 5:26 pm

        Hahah oh this is so embarrassing! I didn’t know I was on the website. LOL 🙂 Thanks for reading.

  • Amber K February 29, 2012, 2:27 pm

    I went to a community college and the only things available were pizza, sandwiches and a different hot meal of the day. Burgers, taco salads, nachos, stuff like that. I think there might have been fries too, and definitely chips and candy. Not the best options!

  • Lauren February 29, 2012, 3:35 pm

    I go to University in Canada and our food is ridiculously amazing! We have a 100% vegetarian restaurant on campus. All other places offer tons of vegetarian options. One restaurant has a entire raw, vegan portion in their menu. All places offer gluten free alternatives for pizza dough and pasta. It’s amazing! For ex, dinner last night I got quinoa salad made with veggies and topped with goat cheese and grilled wild Alaskan salmon. My school is amazing! BUT…no fro-yo. I guess it makes up for it though 😉

    • Ashley February 29, 2012, 4:15 pm

      Lauren, I’m so jealous! I would have loved to attend a college that had all of those healthy options! Oh, you’re so lucky!!!

      • CaitlinHTP February 29, 2012, 5:21 pm

        That is awesome!

  • Aja February 29, 2012, 4:08 pm

    I wish I would have known you were going to be in Whitewater, I live 20 minutes from there and previously attended. It would have been fabulous to meet you and see your presentation. I’m glad you had a good experience in Wisconsin.

    P.S.
    Did you check out Eskeer…its a buffet type place but super yummy food!

    • Ann Wick February 29, 2012, 6:20 pm

      Thanks Aja! That’s where they were!

  • Crystal February 29, 2012, 8:22 pm

    I went to Agnes Scott College in Atlanta, and we had a pretty awesome cafeteria. Sadly, I don’t think I appreciated it as much then as I do now. There were many stations – home cooking, sandwiches, pizza, international, vegetarian, grill, a HUGE salad bar, desserts, and frozen yogurt. Once you have to cook for yourself everynight is when you realize how great college was!

  • Jess @ arunningtally.com February 29, 2012, 8:38 pm

    I went to Virginia Tech (go Hokies!) and I think we were in the top #10 nationwide for cafeteria services. The food was amazing. At one place, you could get artisan deli sandwiches, at another, steak and lobster, and there were huge salad buffets everywhere. My go-to lunch was the soups and stews they had with these awesome wheat rolls. Great selection.

  • Mina February 29, 2012, 9:07 pm

    Hi Caitlin,
    I’d love to tell you about my experience with the dining commons at my school. I am currently a Senior at UC Berkeley, but I lived in the dorms freshman year and ate at the dining commons every day.

    Our on campus dining has always been great. Every dining common has tons of vegan and gluten free options, and everything is very clearly labeled. The dining commons also have a lot of variety, and there is ALWAYS a salad bar and fresh fruit. The food is pretty good, and each night there is always tons of variety. Cafe 3, one of our smallest dining commons, always has a salad bar, an American food station (usually with 3-4 dishes), and ethnic food station (usually with 2 dishes), and a pizza or pasta bar. They also have a fro-yo machine with at least two flavors, and a dessert/pastry case that always has vegan and gluten free options. Oh and they also have cereal, coffee, and tea 24/7.

    All of the other dining commons are even better than Cafe 3 and the food is pretty tasty and healthy for dining common food. You can even look up the menu for that day online beforehand, and the school’s dining website has the nutritional information for ALL of the food they serve.

    I feel truly lucky to have gone to a school with such great dining facilities!

  • Brianna March 1, 2012, 9:52 am

    Went to UW-La Crosse. We had all of the same things Whitewater has. That’s pretty standard for WI universities.

  • bob March 1, 2012, 1:19 pm

    false

  • fred March 1, 2012, 1:26 pm

    I am a student at UW-Whitewater, Esker has ruined my life. They have the worst food I have ever tasted. Eating there causes me daily pain and much more required time in the bathroom. If Esker was the only place on campus to eat I would transfer colleges. Half of the time I don’t know what im eating and cry myself to sleep at night. Esker is a disgrace to the college dinning experience.

  • Meghan March 1, 2012, 11:41 pm

    I see a few Hokies have beat me to it – Virginia Tech has some of the best campus food!

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