Nutrition and Food Allergies
Notre Dame Food Services provides healthful dining opportunities for the University community and guest. Be sure to look for our featured nutritional items.
Our healthy option. The items with this marking are heathier than you think they might be. They are prepared using healthy techniques. They contain less fat or calories than you may think and more vitamins, nutrients, and positive health influences. Include these as part of your balanced diet.
Look for the V to find vegetarian choices of entrees and soups. These items do not contain meat or fish. Vegetarian diets are one opportunity to benefit in both good health and social responsibility. Vegetables require much less natural resources to grow than animal products. If you are looking for Vegan choices, please visit the vegan page of our web site.
Look for the L to find lower fat, lower calorie, lower sodium choices. These choices contain the following or lower levels of fat, calories, and sodium:
Entrees – 500 cal or less, 15g of fat or less, 1000mg sodium or less
Sides – 100 cal or less, 5g of fat or less
Desserts – 300 cal or less, 5 g fat or less, 500 mg sodium or less
Snacks – 200 cal or less, 5 g fat or less, 300 mg sodium or less
Food Allergies, Celiac Disease, and Special Dietary Needs
We take great care to provide students who have special dietary needs which stem from food allergies or intolerances, with important food safety services. Depending on the severity, this service may range from providing a list of recipe ingredients to individualized meal preparation and specialty shopping. If you have a food allergy, celiac disease, or other special health condition, please contact the nutritionist, at ndfood. or 631-7254.
Symbolizes items prepared with gluten free ingredients. These items may have come into contact with gluten through the regular production process. We are not responsible for cross contamination or product substitution. For specially prepared meals, please contact ndfood. View a list of many of the gluten free ingredient prepared items.
Sodium Update
New York City has spearheaded an effort called the “National Sodium Reduction Initiative” in which cities, states, and national health organizations have all joined forces with a single goal of reducing the salt levels in packaged and restaurant foods by 25% over five years. Additionally, the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans report (December 2010) has recommended that one try and limit their daily sodium intake to 1500 mg. This is equivalent to roughly two-thirds of a teaspoon of salt. The sodium in salt is a major contributor to high blood pressure, heart attack, and strokes. One of the biggest problems is that the salt one eats does not come from the salt shaker, but nearly 80% is added to foods before they are sold or served. The idea is that a consumer can always add more salt to their food, but once it is already there, it can’t be taken out.
Notre Dame Food Services has already been working on similar goals in conjunction with campus wellness initiatives. We have developed icons to help our customers make healthier choices in the dining halls and our restaurants. One of these icons, the “L” specifically addresses sodium. Additionally, we have been reformulating our soups to cut the sodium levels by an average of 25% per serving. Our philosophy is similar in that we want our customers to decide for themselves how much salt their food should have. We are also glad to note that 3 of the companies that have partnered with the NSRI are prominent within our operations: Starbucks, Subway, and Red Gold (our supplier of canned and processed tomato products).
Our efforts are ongoing, and we will continuously work towards education and improvements in our customers’ diets and overall health.
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For weekly nutrition tips and information, visit our Notre Dame Nutrition Plan on Facebook.
