Health & Wellness
Our dining program makes it easy to eat well, so you can focus on everything else our campus has to offer.
Meet Your Visiting Dietitian
Melissa is a Registered Dietitian and visits the campus a few times each month. With a BS in Kinesiology at Dalhousie University, 2011, and a BS in Applied Human Nutrition at Mount Saint Vincent University, 2016, Melissa recognizes the constant weight loss pressures and diet misinformation. Melissa is committed to a weight-neutral approach to care with a focus on improving health and performance by helping students make realistic and achievable goals while supporting behavior changes. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Contact Melissa if you are looking for assistance with navigating the dining program or guidance on a healthy approach to eating. Melissa supports the school with tabling events, student counseling, menu evaluations, and general health and wellness activities.
How We Support You
We are committed to nourishing all guests by providing nutritious options that fit each need, no matter where they dine on campus. We support students with food allergies and special diets for medical, religious or personal reasons by providing the knowledge and resources necessary for students to make informed food choices in our dining locations.
Where to Start
Notify the dining team of your allergies and/or special dietary needs. Schedule a meeting with our supporting Dietitian, Melissa Quirk, RDN, LDN, quirk-melissa@aramark.com. We’ll work with you to develop a plan to help navigate the dining locations and find the best solution regarding your meal plan. Keep in touch. If we do not hear from you, we believe that you are successfully navigating the dining locations.
Communication is Key
If you are unsure about a particular product or its ingredients, please ask for a manager, chef, or dietitian. If they are unable to answer your question, they will find someone who can help you. Or email us at: dining@andover.edu.
Food Allergies or Dietary Restrictions
It is our goal to ensure all students have a safe and enjoyable dining experience on campus. We label our food selections daily for the top allergens (wheat/gluten, soy, dairy, egg, fish, shellfish, sesame) along with whether they are vegetarian or vegan. We also label soy when an item contains soybean oil. Because of allergy concerns, we have removed tree nuts and peanuts from our menu. We do work in an open-air kitchen system, and use some Ready-To-Use products; we can never fully guarantee that cross-contact will not occur. Some products we use have a precautionary disclaimer that we will post with the item.
Special Diets
It is our goal to ensure all students have a safe and enjoyable dining experience on campus. We take into account your personal dietary needs and will make every effort to help you find food that fits your life. Reach out to us to discuss alternative options when the daily menu offerings do not meet your needs. dining@andover.edu
Celiac Disease & Gluten
We have a separate area that has individually wrapped items that do not contain gluten and a designated toaster. For lunch and dinner, there is plain chicken or tofu, pasta made without gluten, rice, and vegetables available on request. Please ask for assistance and we will show you where these items are. We use tamari soy sauce and gluten-free flour for many of our recipes to increase options.
Dairy Alternatives
We have dispensers for soy milk, oat milk, coconut yogurt, and Lactaid milk. We also prepare some dishes with vegan Daiya® cheese and many of our vegetable dishes use olive oil instead of butter.
Tools to Manage Your Nutrition
Dining Tips - Always read the menu, ingredients, and nutrition information for foods you wish to eat to ensure you are properly avoiding the appropriate foods. When in doubt regarding ingredients in a particular food, direct your questions to our manager on duty. Due to the self-serve nature of the residential dining halls, if you have been prescribed an epinephrine autoinjector, carry it with you at all times. Items at self-service stations may be prepared individually for you in our kitchens, just ask a chef or manager for assistance. Take caution with deep-fried foods, as frying oil is reused before being changed and may lead to cross-contact.
Online Nutrition Information
Easily navigate dining options and view nutrition information on your computer, tablet, or smartphone. Look for nutrition icons that make it easy to find your choices, online or on-site.
Personalized Meal Calculator
Plan your meals with confidence using our meal calculator. Track your nutrition or click on the heart to save your favorite menu items. Personalize your choices to fit your goals.
Nutrition Insights & Advice
Have questions about healthy eating and nutrition? Our chefs and dietitians share their expertise on-site and online to help make sure you have the information you need.
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*Although we take great lengths to accommodate students with food allergies, we prepare food in open kitchens where cross contact with foods containing allergens may occur and we rely on our suppliers ingredient listings and may not be aware of ingredients contained in the food, but not listed on the container or packaging. As such, we cannot guarantee a completely allergen-free environment