Nutrition and Allergen

Talk to Us about Your Food Allergies and Diet Needs!

We here at Bentley University Dining Services strive to ensure all students have a safe and enjoyable experience while away from home. All dining managers are trained and certified in Allergen Awareness.

Students with special dietary needs are expected to communicate their dietary restrictions and requirements to the Bentley Dining Team. We take pride in serving you wholesome ingredients, preparing recipes accurately, and providing nutritional analysis and ingredient statements through our online menus. From our general manager to our front line servers, we work carefully to address food allergies, intolerances, and other special dietary needs. To help students with allergies or special dietary needs, we have the following options.

We want to meet one-on-one with you if you have individual dining needs to ensure that your dining experience is safe, delicious, and social. If you have a food allergy/special dietary concern, please contact our Registered Dietitian, Morgan Gosselin, or send us a note using the feedback form.

*The Health Center and all Campus Police have epi-pens available for emergency situations.

Simple Servings, our award-winning resident dining option, provides safe and appetizing food choices for our customers with food allergies, gluten intolerance, and those who prefer simple food. Simple Servings proactively address most of the ingredients that account for 90% of all food-allergy reactions: milk, eggs, wheat, soy, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, gluten, and sesame. Fin fish is served at the station. However it is only ever included in ‘obvious’ fish dishes- whole pieces of fish. No fish sauce etc. is ever allowed at Simple Servings.

Simple Servings also recognizes the current skyrocketing demand for gluten-free foods, which certain students may require out of medical necessity (celiac disease) or simply by choice. Simple Servings is a gluten-free station. Simple Servings staff members are carefully trained to avoid cross-contact with food allergens and thus food is prepared on separate equipment to limit possibility of cross contact.

My Zone is a safe customizable pantry style station where students with food allergies or celiac disease, can select items free of gluten, tree nuts, and peanuts to augment their meal.Options include cereals, bakery items, milk, yogurt, breads, buns, bagels, tortilla, condiments, and other items. This is a card access only room. This is to ensure students with food allergies will have precautions against cross-contact. This special area gives students the ability to be involved in their own allergy safe meal preparation as this room contains a microwave, refrigerator, toaster, and waffle maker. Documentation will be needed to gain card access through Bentley University. Please email Morgan Gosselin to start this process.

Caffeine

It’s no secret that caffeine, a natural stimulant, is a staple ingredient for many college students. While consuming large amounts of caffeine can be dangerous, enjoying it in moderation can help us feel alert and energized. But what is moderation when it comes to caffeine?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently states that up to 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine per day is generally considered safe for healthy adults. However, caffeine can affect everyone differently, so it’s important to know your individual limits. Medications, body composition, time of day of consumption, and also food intake are just a few factors that can influence how your body reacts to caffeine.

How much caffeine is in…?

• 1 cup of coffee = 100mg
• 1 cup of green = 30mg
• 1 cup of black tea = 50mg
• 1- 12oz. can of diet Coke = 50mg
• 1 teaspoon matcha powder = 70mg
• 1- 12oz. can of Red Bull = 115mg
• 1- 12 oz. can of Celsius = 200mg

Absorption of Caffeine

Caffeine is absorbed quickly in the gut, causing blood levels of caffeine to peak. Drinking caffeinated beverages with food can help slow how quickly the peak occurs, leaving you feeling less jittery. Caffeine can stay in the bloodstream from 1.5-9.5 hours. Choose tea over coffee if you are looking for a longer-lasting energy boost without the potential crash. There is an amino acid in tea, called L-theanine, that slows the absorption of caffeine.

https://www.heart.org/en/news/2022/08/08/is-caffeine-a-friend-or-foe

Spring Mix Salad

Ingredients

• Salad Mix Lettuce (purchase at natural!)
• Avocado (purchase at natural!)
• Strawberries (purchase at natural!)
• Walnuts (purchase at Falcon Mart)
• Roasted Chickpeas (purchase at Falcon Mart)
• Dressing: Lemon, Lime (purchase at natural!)
• Optional: Goat Cheese

Directions

1. Slice some avocado and strawberries, then add walnuts for crunch and roasted chickpeas for protein
2. Squeeze some lemon and lime and enjoy!

Iced Matcha Latte

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk of choice
• 1 teaspoon matcha powder
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 cup ice
• 2 tablespoons hot water

Directions

1. In a tall glass, whisk the matcha powder with the hot water until all clumps are gone
2. Add milk and maple syrup
3. Whisk until evenly combined
4. Add ice
5. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from: cookingwithjanica.com

Mindful is our health & wellness approach that helps you make healthy choices second nature! We are committed to creating healthy environments for our customers. Central to this effort is providing healthy, nutritious foods. The result of this initiative is an approach that focuses on transparency of ingredients, delicious food, satisfying portions and clarity in message so that you can make Mindful choices!

Mindful offerings meet stringent nutritional criteria based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Each meal part is limited in calories, has fewer than 30% of calories as fat, fewer than 10 % of calories as saturated fat, and is restricted in sodium, and cholesterol. Look for the Mindful icon to indulge in the healthy and delicious items offered at each meal.

All Halal items will have the Halal logo next it to help identify them. At The 921 Halal chicken will be offered daily at the salad bar, in the chicken salad at the deli as well as the chicken at the pasta station. Halal chicken and beef will also be offered at Simple Servings and the Serrano station on a rotating basis. We also have Halal hamburgers available upon request at the Grilled station. At The LaCava Café we will have Halal chicken at the deli and pasta station every day.

We understand there are important steps into making sure these items are prepared the correct way. Our employees have been participating in allergen trainings and have been specifically trained on how to prepare Halal food. Our employees use separate pots and pans when preparing items made with Halal food.

Menu items with the vegetarian icon contain no meat, fish or poultry, or any meat products such as soup base. Our vegetarian offerings meet the needs of lacto-ovo vegetarians and may include eggs and/or dairy products.

Utilization of our website and filtering to your preference is the best way to get an idea of the meals that will be available to you. Some other options are:

• You can customize your meal at stations like the pasta, grill and omelet station inside the 921 as well as at Harry's, Currito, and Einstein Bros. Bagels.
• Two salad bars on campus that have a wide variety of options for items as well as dressings.
• Fruit and parfait bar every morning at the 921 dining hall.

Vegan offerings contain no meat, fish, eggs, milk or other animal-derived products such as honey.

Utilization of our website and filtering to your preference is the best way to get an idea of the meals that will be available to you. Some other options are:

• Vegan station at the 921 dining hall offers breakfast, lunch and dinner vegan items. A rotation of Vegan desserts are served at this station.
• You can customize your meal at stations like the pasta, grill station, and Be Fresh inside the 921 as well as at Harry's, Currito, and Einstein Bros. Bagels.
• Two salad bars on campus that have a wide variety of options for items as well as dressings.
• Fruit and parfait bar every morning at the 921 dining hall.

Kosher offerings are those that comply with a strict policy of kosher food laws, including cleanliness, purity, and quality. The Kosher Corner at 921 is located inside the servery by the pizza station 7 days a week. Here you will have the option of selected pre-packaged meals for lunch and dinner that are currently being provided from Catering by Andrew. Catering by Andrew is supervised by KVH Rabbinical Council of New England.

Utilizing Simple Servings station at The 921 dining hall is the safest way for a student to ensure there is no cross contact with any potential allergens. For students that do not have severe allergies or are working on a special dietary program, we do offer the following gluten free options on campus and have safety measures in place to try to keep these specialty safe from cross contact as possible. Some of the steps we take are:

Safety Measures

• Hourly employees are trained on how to properly handle gluten free items

• Items are built on separate deli paper to help reduce cross contact

• Specialty color coded knifes and equipment is utilized to reduce cross contact

• A full time dietitian that can assist with any questions

• Please know, we may not be able to toast or warm up items based on cross contact, ask a manager for assistance if this is desired

Available items

• My Zone items

• Gluten-free ingredients bread at all delis

• Gluten-free ingredients rolls at all grills

• Gluten-free ingredients pasta at all pasta stations

• Pre-packaged retail items at LaCava Café

• Gluten free brownies and cookies in My Zone