Why Northwestern Dining removed calorie counts from its menu boards

For two years, the dining team at Northwestern University discussed and researched the merits of removing calorie counts from the menu boards in its undergraduate dining hall.  

The Evanston, Ill., university had received several requests from students asking for the calorie counts to be removed, but the team did not take the decision lightly.

“We didn’t just base it on student feedback—we also had some research, we spoke with faculty, we had a lot of other dietitians help us with that,” said Stacy Lynn Brown, Northwestern’s director of dining. “We really tried to be as thoughtful and thorough as possible so that we weren’t just making a spur-of-the-moment decision.”

For students who struggle with disordered eating, seeing the calorie counts every day can be very triggering, said Madeline McDonough, Northwestern’s campus dietitian.

“The broad feedback that we were receiving is, students that were trying to prioritize their recovery found that the large displays of calories were a real active barrier in terms of placing more pressure on their food decision-making, as well as placing some potential triggers that they really couldn’t opt out of,” said McDonough. “Basically, every time they were going to eat, this was something they had to confront, and so, that can actively impede their recovery and potential for relapse as well.”

They also aimed to create a sense of “home away from home” with this change, which McDonough believes has merits for the whole campus community, not just for students who deal with disordered eating.

“I think it, more broadly, creates an inclusive dining experience for everybody. I think we often neglect to think that, yes, this is a dining hall. But for all intents and purposes this is their home. And so, you know, when you’re going for a home-cooked meal, obviously you don’t look at the nutrition facts or calories from something that somebody’s cooking in the kitchen at home,” she said. “While again, it definitely impacts the eating disorder population, I think globally supports just a more inclusive experience for everyone.”

Providing as much support as possible

Northwestern removed calorie counts from the point of service in February, and McDonough said the initiative has been well received so far. Several students reached out thanking the dining team for the decision, according to Brown.

“I think the only push back that I have heard is, everybody is in a different phase of their recovery or may not necessarily have experience with an eating disorder, and so, this information is not either a solution or creates an additional barrier for people that do want to see the calories,” said McDonough.

Full nutrition information, including calorie counts, are still available online or via Northwestern Dining’s mobile app.

McDonough noted that while professional treatment is needed when recovering from an eating disorder, some students may not have access to the resources they need. As a result, the dining team feels it should provide as much support as possible, and McDonough believes that removing the calorie counts was an important step in doing that.

Lisa Eberhart, a registered dietitian and director of nutrition services at Menu Analytics, a foodservice consulting company, agrees that professional help like counseling is often valuable for those with eating disorders.

“Part of the support of people with disordered eating is to make sure they have good counseling. And they have good dietitians that work with them on how to plan their meals and navigate that foodservice that’s in their college and university, navigate it positively,” said Eberhart.

There are other ways college dining programs can show support to students who struggle with disordered eating. One idea Eberhart posed is family-style meals, a concept she tried when she worked at North Carolina State University.

“I love the idea of family-style meals where they have supportive people there, where there’s not actually someone serving their food,” said Eberhart. “And some people feel like that’s very supportive of people who have disordering eating. Because it’s family-style, it emulates that home atmosphere.”

Eberhart, who is a proponent of menu transparency, believes that removing calorie counts from menu boards is fine, as long as that information is accessible elsewhere. One way dining programs can make this information accessible to diners who want it is through QR codes that lead to the nutrition facts online. Eberhart noted that it’s very important that all students, regardless of eating disorders or allergens, feel comfortable eating in their dining halls.

“The bottom line to me is that students who need to know what’s in their food get to know, and students who are triggered by that have some sort of way, workaround, so they don’t have to have that every single day, every single meal,” she said.