Nutrition
Penn State Campus Dining offers a variety of well-balanced choices at each of our dining locations across the commonwealth.
Offerings include a variety of meatless and vegan options with lean proteins, whole grains and cooked and raw vegetables. Salad and fruit bars are available at many locations. Nutritional information for menu items can be found through the online menu.
Education plays a big role in making wise food selections. To help guests navigate the various meal options, the Registered Dietitians and Student Nutrition Assistants offer educational programs across campus and through a blog site.
Registered Dietitian Tips For Healthy Eating On Campus
- Build a plate to look like "My Plate"
- Half of the plate is vegetables and fruits
- One-quarter of the plate is lean protein
- One-quarter is whole grains (i.e. whole wheat bread, quinoa, and brown rice)
- Build the meal around vegetables and grains. Then, add a protein as a “side”. Fruit is a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals to round out the plate. Complement the meal with low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt, or high calcium dairy alternatives such as almond milk.
- Go with lean protein: beans, lentils, fish, chicken (without the skin), turkey, and lean cuts of pork.
- Limit fried foods. Foods cooked in a fryer have more added fat than foods cooked by other methods such as baking, sautéing, or grilling.
Our Markets offer a variety of food and beverage items. Our Pawsitive Choice program helps students and guests navigate the variety to easily find the better, healthier, “Pawstitive” choice. Shoppers should look for the Pawsitive Choice icon on shelves and can easily find our featured products in the Pawsitive Choice sections.
At University Park, look for Pawsitive Choice items in five convenient locations: Market East, Market Pollock, Market West, Market North, and Louie’s Market in South.
At our commonwealth campuses, Pawsitive Choice items can be found at The Blue Apple Café at Brandywine, The Galley at Behrend campus, Common Grounds at Altoona, Provisions at Harrisburg, and the Creekside Market at Berks. Additionally, Pawsitive Choice items can be found at the Brodhead Bistro at Beaver, the Mill Café at Mont Alto, High Acres Café at Hazleton, and Café Metro at Greater Allegheny.
Check back often as our features and themes change regularly! Questions? Eathealthy@psu.edu.