Tonight: Good Food = Healthy Food

Among the entrees being served in the dining halls at tonight’s Sargent Choice Night is the ever-popular mac and cheese. Photo by Cydney Scott

Last semester, the big winner at Sargent Choice Night was mac and cheese. Tonight, the nutritionists behind the healthful Sargent Choice recipes served in BU dining halls will test the appeal of beef gyros with chickpea salad, black bean burgers, sage roasted turkey, chicken quesadillas, and shrimp scampi. And yes, the mac and cheese will be back, with an improved recipe. For dessert, students can indulge in chocolate fondue with fruit.

Eating healthily can be difficult, but Sargent Choice, a dining program created by nutritionists at Sargent College, works hard to put food choices that are good for people in every BU dining hall. Tonight is Sargent Choice Night, a once-a-semester event that takes over all dining halls for a delicious food fest, sponsored by the Sargent Choice Nutrition Center (SCNC), which advocates for healthy eating on campus. Sargent Choice nutritionists and dietitians will be on hand to talk about healthy eating and encourage students to make good use of Sargent Choice food options every day.

“We hope students realize that Sargent Choice options are not your typical health food, without taste, flavor, or appeal,” says Sarah Butler (SAR’06,’08, GSM’15), a registered dietitian at SCNC.

“For some students, it’s an opportunity to try it for the first time,” says Jennifer Culbert (SAR’09), another SCNC registered dietitian. “There may be some freshmen who don’t even realize that they have the opportunity to make these choices in the dining hall. It’s a chance to educate people.”

Students can identify Sargent Choice foods easily by the Sargent Choice logo on the label. Despite the labeling, Sargent Choice nutritionists have found that many students have little idea of the program’s variety of meals.

“A lot of students are blown away by the diversity of the program,” says Scott Rosario, Dining Services marketing director.

SCNC registered dietitian Laura Judd (SAR’07) says the program creators try to find healthful recipes for all of the staples that most college students like to eat. All of the recipes were created in collaboration with SCNC dietitians and Dining Services executive chef Adam Pagan.

SCNC tries hard to tailor the meals based on feedback from students at previous dinners. This semester, the center is encouraging students to tweet their opinions of the meals on Twitter using the hashtag #SCNight. Students can also give feedback in the dining halls, where Sargent Choice Ambassadors will conduct surveys.

“We want to join in conversations with students and have them tell us what Sargent Choice means to them,” says Butler.

Sargent Choice Night is Tuesday, October 4, from to 5 to 9 p.m. in the Fresh Food Company and the Warren Towers dining hall, and from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Towers, Shelton Hall, and Myles Standish dining halls. On Twitter? Tweet what you eat during the event using the hashtag #SCNight.

“Like” Sargent Choice on Facebook to keep up-to-date on what the team is up to, read blog postings featuring recipes and tips for healthy eating, and give feedback on what you would like to see more of on the Sargent Choice menu and on the Sargent Choice blog.

Allison Thomasseau can be reached at althoma@bu.edu.