OSU Dining Services to celebrate National Eating Healthy Day

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Today is National Eating Healthy Day, and Oklahoma State University Dining will celebrate with events on campus.

This week, OSU Dining Services will have a whole grains promotion encouraging students to introduce more whole grains into their diets. Tables will be set up at the Student Union, Edmon Low and 20 Something, where students can sample University Dining’s new whole grain cookies. The tables will also feature recipe ideas for students to take home.

Terry Baker, director of University Dining Services, wants to emphasize the role of whole grains in a healthy diet.

“We do a whole grains promotion every year because grains are such an important part of our diet,” Baker said. “We’ve provided more whole grain options, and students have really embraced it. We want to encourage that even more, so we try to find fun options, like whole grain cookies, because we want to sell something that students will want to eat.”

Patty Anson, a dietician with University Dining Services, will also be hosting cooking classes in residence halls. She wants to help residents learn how to cook healthy meals using only ingredients found on campus.

“Students will help prepare the meal,” Anson said. “So instead of just showing them, they’ll have the chance to be hands-on, and then get to taste what they make. They’ll learn cooking habits and techniques and hopefully be introduced to something new.”

But OSU wants students to be healthy year-round, and University Dining has created initiatives to make that possible.  The Choose Orange labels let students easily identify healthy options. The Dining Services website has the net nutritional information for on campus dining, allowing students to plan ahead or find options that fit dietary restrictions.

Baker ultimately wants to make healthy dining as approachable and appealing to students as possible.

“My philosophy is to make healthy food exciting and enticing,” Baker said. “Let’s provide the healthiest food that they’ll want to choose. Why not choose fresh, delicious and exciting options for the students? Food is fuel for the body, so let’s give our bodies good fuel.”

For more information on National Healthy Eating Day or University Dining Services, visit dining.okstate.edu or find UDS on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.

Story by Catherine Wilson