Dining Hall Hacks
At the end of last semester, I created a student guide to eating well on campus. The “Dining Hall Hacks” guide includes tips and tricks to reduce waste, budget-friendly meal ideas for off-campus students, and more. While the guide is specific to UVM, there is a lot of information that can be translated to other campuses or even for people who just want a few new meal ideas.
A couple side-notes for students reading this (who don’t go to UVM) the school I attend has a wide range of vegetarian and vegan options which I realize may not be as available at other universities. UVM has a “straw-upon request” policy, meaning plastic straws are banned on campus and only available when specifically asked for. If you want a quick way to reduce your waste, say no to the straw and save a sea turtle. Reusable straws come in many forms such as metal, wood, and even compostable paper. They’re easy to use and clean, so switch to help save the environment! Also, bringing a reusable bottle or mug can greatly reduce plastic waste while making sure you hydrate.
Another tip to reduce food waste is save your leftovers if you go out somewhere to eat. Most restaurants are totally fine with you bringing a container from home and asking to use that instead of more plastic or Styrofoam.
If you cook for yourself more often, buying food in bulk (especially non-perishable goods) can often be cheaper and you can bring your own containers to bulk-food stores like Whole Foods. Stores like Sam’s Club also offer bulk foods, normally packaged but less so than single-use containers. Also, Sam’s Club doesn’t have any plastic bags, which is another great way to reduce plastic. I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but bringing your own reusable bag when grocery shopping is a thumbs up from planet earth. If you have the option, brown paper bags are slightly better than plastic, but neither is an ideal option. If you have no choice but to get a plastic bag, try to re-use that bag for future shopping or as a trash bag somewhere in your house where you have a smaller bin. That way at least you’re not wasting extra plastic garbage bags to take out your trash.
If you’re one to make New Year’s Resolutions I hope at least one of them is to help the environment in some way. Plastic waste is one of the hot topics, but food waste is also important, especially since the majority of the US does not compost, which means food items like carrots are just sitting in a pit looking the same for ten years straight whereas in a compost facility they would turn to healthy dirt in just ten days and be used to help nourish future generations. Food deserts (locations with little to no grocery stores) and food swamps (locations where the only food is unhealthy or processed, think lots of McDonalds) run wild across the country and according to the USDA, almost 1 in 10 people have experienced food insecurity. To help combat this, some businesses have started donating leftover foods to shelters. For example, Panera’s gives their end of the day bread away to those who need it.
You can help with reducing food waste simply by eating more mindfully at each meal. Taking smaller servings, saving leftovers and reusing/eating them, and composting if you can are some suggestions. Without further ado, please enjoy the dining hall hacks guide which can hopefully give you some tips to eat well and reduce food waste.
