Nutrition

Eating Healthy

Providing you with healthy options is something your dining team proudly does every day. We help you select delicious, nutritious and satisfying meals, snacks and desserts by highlighting well-balanced menu choices and providing nutritional information and tips to help you make choices that fit your needs. We've made a commitment to use easy-to-understand nutritional labeling so you can make informed food choices, and if you ever have a question about food ingredients, preparation or cooking information, please don't hesitate to ask for assistance!

Meet Your Dietitian - Olivia Batryn

Follow Olivia on Instagram @campusdietitian_olivia for updates on all things nutrition, health, & wellness. To best prepare for your visit to the dining halls, Olivia recommends checking out our daily menus online which can be found here. Have questions or concerns about the menu? Please click here to book an appointment with Olivia or reach out to Viking Dining management.

Dining Menus and Allergen Labeling

Our menus provide contains statements specifically highlighting the big nine allergens (milk, eggs, shellfish, fish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, sesame) and gluten. Guests may check on the presence of allergens prior to planning their meals using the online menu or Everyday app. The information is also posted on menu boards in the dining center. The absence of an allergen listed on posted or electronic signage is not a guarantee that the product is free of that allergen as other recipes are prepared in the kitchen that do contain food allergens. The guest is responsible for communicating their allergy to a manager to ensure safety.

Food Allergies, Intolerance, and Medical Needs

We are here to help! We want to meet one-on-one with anyone who has individual dining needs to ensure that your dining experience is safe, delicious, and social. For students with medical conditions that impact their ability to dine well on campus, we strongly encourage a conversation with our Registered Dietitian, Executive Chef, and/or General Manager. In many instances, our dining team can easily assist with special needs.

Occasionally, Dining Services cannot meet a student’s medical needs within normal service. We may require additional medical documentation to enable us to develop a more specific meal plan accommodation. In this situation, please visit the Office of Disability Services (https://www.salemstate.edu/disability-services) for details and instructions on how to submit a meal plan accommodation request. To contact the Disability Services Office, email disability-services@salemstate.edu or call 978-542-6217. This process is for those with medically documented diagnosis/-es that need to request special dining accommodations or have medically prescribed diet plans for the treatment of a medical condition. Together, our departments work to serve our students with medical needs related to dining on campus.

Simple Zone at Salem State University

Simple Zone is our campus dining “pantry” where food items needed by students with Celiac disease or food allergies are housed with precautions against cross-contact. It is located at Marsh Dining Hall and gives students access to their own allergen-safe food items. There are a variety of items made without gluten, peanuts, tree-nuts, such as cereals, breads, bagels, and more each day. Simple Zone features a designated microwave, refrigerator, and freezer.

Mindful

Mindful (mindful.sodexo.com) is Sodexo's health & wellness approach that helps you make healthy choices second nature! We are committed to creating healthy environments for our customers. Central to this effort is providing healthy, nutritious foods. The result of this initiative is an approach that focuses on transparency of ingredients, delicious food, satisfying portions and clarity in message so that you can make Mindful choices!

Mindful offerings meet stringent nutritional criteria based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Each meal part is limited in calories, has fewer than 30% of calories as fat, fewer than 10 % of calories as saturated fat, and is restricted in sodium, and cholesterol. Look for the Mindful icon to indulge in the healthy and delicious items offered at each meal.