Student Union

Last Thursday, the Campus Services Committee met with Connie Diekman, Wash U's dietitian. We had a great discussion about nutrition and what lies ahead for healthy eating on campus. Ms. Diekman assured us that Wash U reevaluates its recipes annually to improve the health of each meal, but that they always keep taste as their most important priority. She said that portion sizes may begin to change in accordance with their goal for healthier eating, but that student input is welcomed and encouraged before decisions are made. She stressed that student input is the most effective means of changing anything, and that we should not hesitate to do so. We also talked in depth about menu labeling. Because such labeling is often ambiguous and does not necessarily reflect the nutritional value of food (focusing only on calories), it is not the best way to promote healthy choices. Instead, we discussed a number of ways to direct students to nutrition.wustl.edu -- this website has detailed information about every meal on campus and should be used to make more nutritional choices. Watch for marketing to promote the use of this website -- it's the best tool we have for helping students stay healthy at Wash U.