FARE Food Service Awards

The Best Campus Dining Award is where dining teams nominate their own schools by sharing what their campus is doing to ensure students feel safe (and comfortable) in their new home away from home!

For the Community Choice Award, community members nominate campuses across the U.S, recognizing the teams of people (i.e., Dining Services, Office of Disabilities, Residence Life, Student Health Center) who work together to assist students with accommodations related to food allergies.
 

Congratulations to our 2024 winners!

Best Campus Dining award winner is Northwestern University. 

On campus, there are three dining halls, each with a station dedicated to serve food without gluten and the top nine food allergens. The fourth dining hall (Foster Walker Plex East) is an entirely allergen-friendly Pure Eats dining commons that offers self-serve stations, including stir fry and pizza. Northwestern also has a group on campus is called College Advocates for Food Allergy Awareness & Education (CAFAE). The group has tabling events in the NU dining commons and student union with a goal to educate and support students who have food allergies and other food-related conditions. Recently, CAFAE held tabling events to show students how to administer epinephrine using test epinephrine auto-injectors. The NU dining team also speaks with Resident Advisors (RAs) on food allergies and how to act if a student has a reaction. We are also currently working with the admissions team to add in a survey question for newly admitted students to self-identify as having a food allergy so that NU Dining can be proactive in reaching out.

Honorable Mention for Best Campus Dining Award University of Nebraska-Lincoln

UNL features five dining centers – Abel Dining, Cather Dining, Harper Dining, and Selleck Food Court on City Campus, and East Dining Center on the East Campus. The Selleck Food Court is centrally located on campus with seven different restaurant concepts. In the food court, you will find Moxie’s Gluten-Free Café – an entirely gluten-free restaurant launched in the summer of 2022 and Harper Dining’s 8+ line is a standout feature. Initially introduced in 2018, it has evolved to become free of the top nine allergens and gluten.  On weekends, to maintain access, Harper Dining transitions to mobile ordering which includes the 8+ line. Both Moxie's Gluten-Free Café and Harper's 8+ line are in the process of being recognized as FARECheck Gold, having completed their audits and currently improving their processes.

Community Choice Award winner is University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

"With special meal accommodations, a chef manager prepares my meals in a small kitchen, and I have set dining times and text the chefs if times or plans change. It has been working smoothly! I appreciate how kind the chefs are at my designated mealtimes and how they make me feel like I am a normal student who is welcome in the environment.
It is remarkable and I have never been more grateful for the professionalism and kindness. I was also excited to learn about the Stress Less Cabinets and Freezers available to students during all meal periods. The Stress Less Cabinets in both Chase and Top of Lenoir are stocked with snack items, breads, bagels, and desserts that have no gluten, tree nuts, and peanut ingredients. I can take these items back to my dorm in case I need extra snacks."

Honorable Mention for Community Choice Award is Duke University

"Prior to application to Duke: met with the University nutritionist, dining director and disabilities director; had subsequent video meetings and later on-site including with the freshman dining hall chef; overviewed food preparation, meal options and housing accommodations and what the school offered, as well as the handling of special events that involved catering or off-site meals. The outreach and cooperation led to my son applying early decision because of Duke’s commitment to students with food allergies.

My son now eats at the main dining facility which is an open “food court” with private culinary business owners that offer foods from around the globe. Two of the restaurants (Italian and Mexican) have no nuts or seeds in their meal or food supply chain, making them available to eat at any time. Now, beginning this semester, a new restaurant has opened that prepared and serves food protected from the Top Nine allergens. This is a major plus for hundreds of students, faculty staff and visitors that have food allergies and food preferences."

The Best Campus Dining Award is where dining teams nominate their own schools by sharing what their campus is doing to ensure students feel safe (and comfortable) in their new home away from home!

For the Community Choice Award, community members nominate campuses across the U.S, recognizing the teams of people (i.e., Dining Services, Office of Disabilities, Residence Life, Student Health Center) who work together to assist students with accommodations related to food allergies.

Congratulations to our 2024 winners!

Best Campus Dining award winner is Southern Methodist University.  

In their submission, SMU shared that both dining halls, Arnold Dining Commons and Umphrey Lee Dining Center, accommodate students with allergies at specific, designated stations. Plus, the on-campus convenience store has options for students with food allergies!

SMU goes the extra mile to accommodate students at outdoor campus events, such as “Spring Fest,” where SMU Hospitality had a dedicated allergen-friendly tent to ensure students with allergies were able to participate.

Honorable Mention for Best Campus Dining Award is Duke Dining

Duke University’s ASK ME Allergen Awareness Program stemmed from the recognition of the growing number of college students on campus with food allergies. Representatives from Duke Dining shared details about this program during a college-focused session at the Food Service Summit. The program was designed to increase staff education and training around food allergies and foster a dining culture where guests feel comfortable inquiring about food allergens at Duke Dining locations on campus.

Community Choice Award winner is Auburn University

Auburn University | Tiger Dining was nominated by Riley, who is a sophomore at the university.  

Riley shared her initial experience on campus…"As a student with many dietary restrictions (vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free), I thought finding food on campus would be a constant struggle. Thanks to Tiger Dining, I can happily say that this worry vanished as I entered the dining halls.”

She also says, “I no longer have to worry about missing out on social outings to the dining hall that encompass a good part of the 'college experience', because I know I can always find something I can eat thanks to Tiger Dining. They are always open to new ideas to improve the student experience. Last semester, Tiger Dining partnered with a plant-based organization on campus to provide a fully vegan meal at one of the grill stations. The line for the meal was so long and was composed of vegan and non-vegan students. Even if a student does not have an allergen, they too enjoy these options.” 

Best Campus Dining Award - Tufts University

An expert panel of judges scored the nominations and the votes are in! The 2021 winner of the Best Campus Dining Award is ... Tufts University!

In 2019, Tufts University opened All9Free, a station free from the top 9 allergens, at one of their two residential dining halls. Their other dining hall is completely gluten, peanut and tree tree nut free, with an eye toward creating flavorful meals that focus on fresh, minimally processed ingredients cooked from scratch. Their focus on scratch cooking supports their ability to provide complete menu transparency and full ingredient information online.

In addition to these options available to every student, students with dietary restrictions can also use the Alternative Meal Program to custom order meals free from their allergens directly from chefs and produced on separate lines.

One Tufts student noted that these additions have led to increased flexibility and convenience for students with food allergies.

Honorable Mention for Best Campus Dining Award is Moravian University

Moravian University prides themselves in providing a safe and welcoming space for students managing food allergies, celiac disease and other dietary restrictions. Moravian recently renovated their main dining hall, The Star Campus Restaurant, with an eye toward serving this student population. They have added a Simple Servings station, which is free of 7 of the top 8 allergens, a MyZone area, which is a pantry offering a variety of gluten-free options, and a full online menu that is filterable by ingredients. This array of options helps students better navigate the dining hall and ensure they have plenty of menu options.

Moravian University is also the very first FARECheck Gold Certified university! Their commitment to their students with dietary restrictions shines through in everything they do.

Community Choice Award - BGSU

This year's Community Choice Award went to Bowling Green State University (BGSU). Not only does BGSU have a top 8 free station "Elimin8," they are known for the warm and welcoming environment they offer their students. Nominated by senior student Elena, she notes that BGSU culinary staff greet her by name and always with a smile.

“Once a quiet walk to get my food, soon became greetings of “hello” and the repetitive call of my name being passed on to staff members down through the kitchen like a line of dominoes- each person ready to help me get my meal, and letting everyone else know I was there. It was the best thing I could have asked for. When you go to college with food restrictions, you inherently have to put trust in the people who are making your food. Their greetings and smiles not only instilled trust in me, but made me feel like family.”

Elena also said that BGSU doesn’t just get food allergies, they go above and beyond to accommodate and make those with food allergies feel included. They are the epitome of a community.

Honorable Mention for Community Choice Award - James Madison University

Honorable Mention goes to James Madison University, which was nominated by Maureen, whose son attends.

“James Madison University connected him [my son] with the dietitian and the dining staff and accommodates him with chef-prepared meals on his schedule. JMU made it possible for my son to live on campus, eat safely and focus on his classes. The friendly dining staff has eliminated the worry that comes with eating out with multiple food allergies.”

Best Campus Dining Award - Michigan State University

An expert panel of judges scored over 20 nominations and the votes are in. The 2020 winner of the Best Campus Dining Award is ... Michigan State University!

Not only does Michigan State University (MSU) offer an array of allergy-friendly options in their retail and residential dining halls across campus, but MSU is home to a certified free from dining hall, Thrive, which restricts the Top 8 allergens plus gluten. For those allergic to foods beyond the Top 8, they offer full ingredient lists online to allow students to review menu items and assess ingredients. Taking this a step beyond the dining halls, MSU Concessions developed a venue called Lower Bowl, which provides options without the Top 8 allergens plus gluten in their football stadium, featuring customizable rice bowls on game day!  

Honorable Mention for Best Campus Dining Award- North Carolina State University

North Carolina State University prides itself on menu transparency and inclusivity, and it shows. They label for the Top 8, plus sesame and gluten in all dining locations, and offer full ingredient information through their robust website and app. Their Worry Free Stations in each dining hall provide allergy-friendly options and dedicated gluten-free toasters to mitigate cross contact. Dining staff is trained each semester in food allergy safety and their Registered Dietitian is always available for individual consultations.

They want to stand above the crowd and offer “Get Well Kits” for students who are feeling under the weather, and they have developed gluten-free, nut free, vegan and wired jaw options.  They also have a student group called Safe Eats that brings students with dietary restrictions together for support and inclusivity. The dining team even hosts allergy-friendly events for the group throughout the year.

Honorable Mention for Best Campus Dining Award- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Our reviewers loved that University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers a 100% voluntary meal plan, but goes the extra mile to ensure all students who want to participate in the meal plan can do so safely. Their dietitian, Kelli Wood, has shown a dedication to students with food allergies, and offers an open door to students who need help navigating the dining halls.  Along with the executive chef, Kelli provides allergen safety training to employees.

UNC Chapel Hill offers an allergy-friendly station called Simply Prepared, which omits of 7 of the Top 8 allergens (fin fish is served occasionally) plus gluten. Kelli uses nutrition software to analyze ingredients and recipes to offer full ingredient lists accessible through their website. Changes to a menu or recipe can be updated instantly and are audited regularly to ensure accuracy. Across campus, there are digital menu boards at point of service that call out the Top 8 allergens to make the ordering process easy for students.

Community Choice Award - Baylor University

Decided by an impressive 30,000 community votes, the Community Choice Award went to Baylor University for its highly collaborative work between dining, disability, and housing services. The school also offers a Worry-Free Station, which is a dedicated kitchen free from peanuts, tree nuts, gluten, and shellfish.

“I have worried about my son his entire life. I became a stay at home mom just to volunteer at the schools,” said a Baylor University student’s parent. “Baylor has done such an amazing job, I feel comfortable sending him 900 miles away.”

Their nomination noted that food is well-labeled and staff at the dining hall are not only knowledgeable, they take the time to get to know the students. Not to mention, students are not forgotten about at special events, where there is always staff available to help students navigate the food options.

Honorable Mention for Community Choice Award - Babson College

“Over my time at Babson, I saw the staff do their best to build out better options, constantly seeking feedback and working with different recipe ideas to be inclusive. Their dietitian Shavaun Cloran, was the biggest advocate and supporter for people like myself.”

Their nominations noted that they offer allergy-friendly stations and have worked to expand options over time based on student feedback. Students are not restricted to the allergy-friendly station. They have the option to have custom meals prepared from a variety of meals in the dining hall. While Babson College is a small school with only about 2,300 undergraduate students, they garnered over 10,000 community votes. It’s also worth noting that their dietitian, Shavaun, was mentioned by name in multiple nominations as an amazing advocate and resource for students with food allergies.