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Brown University

Eat Well

Eat Well – For You

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Do you care about whether your food was grown locally or raised humanely? Are you interested in eating healthy foods?
Whatever your priorities, Brown Dining is here for you. For nearly a decade we’ve been dedicated to improving the local food system through sustainability initiatives which work to support local farmers, reduce our waste output, and assist in the purchasing of fairly traded and environmentally friendly foods.
We’re here to help you by providing the information you need to choose wisely. Visit our “Eat Well” page for information about our from-scratch cooking, nutritional approach and local sourcing, and other tips and resources for students managing allergies or special diets.

For The Love Of Food

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Check out our brand new Wellness blog!
Written by our very own team of Campus Dietitians, Jessie Curran and Tiffany George.

We’ll post bi-weekly so make sure you stop back to see what is new!

For The Love Of Food

 

MyMeal

MyMeal is an online tool designed to help students make educated food choices in Brown’s dining halls.  Students can view specific ingredients used in dishes, whether you are managing allergies or focusing on selecting more healthy options.

Log on today!

Questions? Contact Brown Dining’s Dietitian, Jessie Curran.

Ask the Dietitian

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Aromatic spices.

Medical Dietary Accommodations

Meal Accommodation Examples and Instructions

  • Medically Restricted Diets
  • Food Allergies
  • Dietary Intolerances

If you are an academic year, meal plan participant and require a meal plan accommodation, click here for a list of next steps.

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Meal Options for Isolated Students

Brown Dining offers two meal options for every isolated student with flu-like symptoms. Student with flu-like symptoms must register on fluweb. You can then choose one of these two meal options available from Brown Dining via pickup:

  1. Pickup of Individual Meals at Dining Halls by Flu Buddy: Flu Buddies may pick up one takeout meal during each meal period (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner) at either the Refectory or the Verney-Woolley dining hall. Flu Buddies are required to sign in at the cashier’s station. Sharpe Refectory: Monday – Saturday 7:30 am – 7:30 pm •  Sunday 10:30 am – 7:30 pm / Verney Woolley: Weekdays, Breakfast 7:30 am – 11:00 am, Lunch 11:00 am – 2 pm,  Dinner 4:30 pm – 7:30 pm
  2. Pickup of “Food Kit” by Flu Buddy: Food Kits may be picked up at the Receiving area of the Sharpe Refectory (corner of George and Thayer Streets, loading dock entrance; ring doorbell for assistance if door is locked). A Food Kit is a 5-day supply of food. One kit is available per student. Pickup Hours of Operation: Monday – Saturday 8:00 am – 7:00 pm • Sunday 11:00 am – 3:00 pm

Notice to Our Guests

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Food Allergies

Brown Dining Services understands the needs of food allergic students. Dining Services staff is able to safely and reasonably guide and accommodate students.

Kitchen Areas & Dining Hall Serveries

Peanut and tree nut allergies are among the most common allergies reported among students. Brown Dining is NOT a peanut or tree nut free environment. While we do not use peanuts or tree nuts in the majority of our recipes, we do process nuts in our bakeshop, which creates the potential for cross-contact and contamination. We also serve peanut butter from bulk containers: peanut butter is offered in both dining halls in designated areas throughout the year and summer. In addition, there is always the potential for food manufacturers to change their ingredients. Many food manufacturers also label for: “may contain (particular) allergen”. We do not control for or carry over labeling of products by manufacturers.

Read more about Student Responsibility and our Food Allergy Disclaimer.

Join us for a Pop-Up Supper Club

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You’re invited to a family-style dinner hosted by Brown Dining Services.

The goal of the Supper Club is to bring diners together to help build a “food community” in which we discuss topics around dining including sourcing, ingredients, line concepts and more. We start with a behind-the-scenes look at Brown Dining followed by dinner and discussion, in which we collect valuable feedback from guests. We want our guests to have a full experience and learn more about Brown Dining’s efforts while mingling and having fun.

Learn more

After the Harvest

The After the Harvest (AtH) initiative, part of the Community Harvest initiative, began during Hunger and Homelessness week in 2005.  BDS has successfully coordinated efforts to both reduce food waste and reroute overproduced food appropriate for donation to local hunger relief programs through our relationship with We Share Hope and the Food Recovery Network.  Since 2005, BDS has donated over 158,000 pounds of food to local organizations including The Rhode Island Community Food Bank, Providence Rescue Mission, McCauley House, City Year, and Camp Street Ministries.

 

Community Harvest

The Community Harvest program began in September 2002 as an initiative to increase Brown’s support of food producers in the Rhode Island region.  The program, now in its 15th year, focuses on sustainable purchasing at the local level. Community Harvest supports local growers, food producers, processors, and practices artisanal craftsmanship through food.  Additionally, the program contributes to strengthening the local food system through educational programs as well as by providing a large-scale, steady purchaser for local farms.

Green Dining Ethos

Brown Dining Services is committed to improving the local food system through sustainable initiatives by supporting local farmers, reducing waste output, and purchasing fairly-traded, sustainably-sourced and environmentally-friendly foods. We look to integrate sustainable principles in every aspect of our operation. Our goal is to meet the needs of our customers today without compromising the needs of future generations.

 

Environmental Impact Initiatives

Green Certifications

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Brown University is the first organization to become Green Restaurant Association Certified in Rhode Island!  The Sharpe Refectory, Verney-Woolley and Josiah’s have earned 3-Star Certified Green Restaurant® status.  Blue Room is now 2-Star Certified Green Restaurant® and Andrews Commons is a Level 1 Certified Green Restaurant®.  These locations have been recognized for implementing sustainable practices in food, water, waste, energy, chemicals, disposables, and building materials. Read more.

Real Food

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As Wendell Berry says, "Eating is a political act." At Brown, we are committed to buying foods that are local, ecologically sound, fair, and humane. In all of our dining locations, we are constantly partnering with students, staff, farms, and businesses to support local business and serve Real Food. The mission of the Real Food Challenge is to have 20% of annual purchases meet the following areas: local, ecologically sound, fair, and humane; by 2020. Brown University exceeds that expectation with 22%. Read more.

Composting

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Composting is an essential part of Brown’s commitment to sustainability. Brown Dining Services has partnered with the Office of Energy & Environmental Initiatives and Custodial Services to launch composting at its five eateries. The university has partnered with The Compost Plant to divert food scraps and post consumer compostables to Earth Care Farms, a local facility about 33 miles away from campus. Rather than ending up in the landfill, the food scraps and compostables become compost, which can then be used at local farms and gardens. Read more.

Get Involved on Campus

Food Recovery Network

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A nationally recognized student group, the Food Recovery Network at Brown is a network of Brown students who volunteer to recover surplus food from campus dining halls and events and donate it to Hungry Rhode Islanders. Learn more

SCRAP

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An initiative of emPOWER, SCRAP is Brown’s student composting group geared towards increasing composting education, awareness, and practice throughout the Brown and Rhode Island communities. Learn more

Green Event

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Green Event is a student-driven initiative to promote and facilitate sustainable event planning at Brown University. Green Event is supported by the Office of Energy & Environmental Initiatives in the Department of Facilities Management. Learn more

Ongoing Initiatives

Beyond the Bottle

Beyond the Bottle (BtB) is an initiative started by students in February 2008 with the goal of reducing the supply and demand of bottled water at Brown.   As a result of the campaign, bottled water purchases by Dining Services have been reduced by 99.96 percent since the inception of the initiative, exceeding the FY 2012 goal of 80 percent and meeting the aspirational goals for FY 2013 one year early.  This effort continues and the reduction of bottled water purchases by 99.96 percent is maintained today.  

Trayless Dining

In October 2008, Brown Dining committed to trayless dining in its Verney-Woolley (VW) dining hall by eliminating trays at that location.  VW customer counts range from 250 to over 1,000 per meal.  Trayless dining conserves one-third to a half gallon of heated water per person by eliminating the need to wash those trays.  Trayless dining conserves half of a gallon of heated water per tray.  A savings of over 4,800 gallons of water per week and 155,000 gallons per school year has been achieved.  Trayless dining also reduces the energy that would otherwise be used to heat the water and detergents used to wash trays.  Studies suggest that the elimination of trays may also reduce food waste because people take fewer items without them.

 

Eco-To-Go

In the spring of 2010, BDS implemented Eco To-Go, a reusable takeout container program. Besides offering the container, BDS also worked to educate students about landfill waste and the benefits of re-use.  A YouTube video was produced by a BDS intern and made available through the Dining Services web page.

Awards & Certifications

Leading by Example

Brown Dining Sustainability Awards and Designations:

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