Dining Services has recently boosted its offerings of healthy foods at the Gate and Josiah's and is planning more significant menu additions for the next academic year.
There is a need for healthy food at the late-night eateries, said Jacques Larue, director of retail dining operations. The layout of the Gate and Jo's will change over the summer to accommodate healthier dining options, he said.
A salad bar is planned but will not be self-service - "you pick and choose what you want," and "we toss it for you," he said. A fried and grilled "fish option" will be added to the menu at the grill at Jo's, Larue added.
The Gate may soon feature a soup station, but the Gate is limited by its small size, Larue said. Planning for a renovation is underway, but the exact details are still being worked out.
Kevin Bayer, assistant manager of retail operations for Dining Services, said the renovated Gate will have "an emphasis on healthier eating."
Healthier foods have already been added, and students now "have more options," Bayer said. Dining Services has introduced items including salads, POM beverages, hummus, fruit salads, soups, pita chips, Kind bars and sliced apples, all of which are "very popular," Bayer said.
Nick Bell '09 said he has changed his dining habits because the new options allow him to get his food more quickly and eat healthier. He now regularly orders "pita chips, apples and soup."
"I probably would have bought pizza before," Bell said.
Gate pizza, though rich in calcium and protein, has "significant" levels of fat and sodium and should eaten infrequently, said Bridget Visconti, administrative dietitian of Dining Services.
But Dining Services does not plan to remove any of its less healthy options - "We're not going to fix it if it's not broken," Visconti said.
