5 things: Northwestern’s reservation policy for entering dining halls frustrates students

Each Friday Food Management compiles a list that highlights five things you probably missed in the onsite foodservice news that week and why you should care about them.

Here’s your list for the week of February 22:

A study conducted at the University of Illinois has found that a simple shift from round to oval plates with a smaller surface area can significantly reduce food waste in college dining halls. The study included more than 1200 observations, with the researchers finding significant reductions in food selection, consumption and waste when diners used the oval plates. Overall, food waste went down from 15.8% of food selected for round plates to 11.8% for oval plates.

Read more: Smaller plates help reduce food waste in campus dining halls

New social distancing rules at Northwestern University that limit seating in several campus dining halls and require online reservations for entry even if it’s just to pick up a to-go meal have some students frustrated and even skipping meals. Reservation time slots are spread out by 15 minutes and each has a cap of 40 to 50 students, depending on the location.

Related:5 coronavirus things: Takeout-only leads to more non-food waste at William & Mary

Read more: New dining hall policies reduce seating and hours, station staff to enforce distancing

The new Food For Life Market at University Hospital Portage Medical Center in Ohio dispenses fresh produce, canned goods, protein and dairy to food-insecure patients who get referrals from general practitioners. They can then come to the market once a month for up to six months to get a week’s worth of groceries for a family of up to four while receiving nutritional guidance from a dietitian.

Read more: University Hospital's Food for Life Market provides healthy food and guidance

Indiana University (IU) is on track to open a major new dining complex this fall featuring 10 different micro restaurants and seating for 850 once COVID-related seating restrictions are lifted. The addition, located adjacent to the existing McNutt Central dining facility, is part of a larger project in IU’s McNutt Quad neighborhood that will also include new student residences.

Read more: IU's 'enormous' dining hall, new housing complex on track for fall

A decision by the mayor of the French city of Lyon to temporarily take meat off school menus during the coronavirus pandemic has sparked a major political controversy, with government ministers and the country’s powerful farm lobby accusing Mayor Grégory Doucet of “ideological” and “elitist” behavior. The city council has said the decision to provide the same meatless four-course lunch was necessitated by physical distancing rules that make offering some 29,000 children a choice of meat and vegetarian menus over a two-hour period impractical.

Related:5 coronavirus things: No evidence food and food packaging spread COVID, U.S. health officials say

Read more: Meatless school menu sparks political row in France

Bonus: One On One: How one district is celebrating Black History Month and exposing kids to locally grown produce in school lunches

Contact Mike Buzalka at [email protected]