Students and parents are faced with many decisions that will influence their experience at Saint Martin’s University. When it comes to dining, we partner with Bon Appétit Management Company to offer healthful, flavorful and sustainable meals on campus. Saint Martin’s University cares about student well being and supporting the local community. We believe that choosing the right student meal plan will bring value to our students’ daily dining experience in many ways.
Value Health
All meals served at Saint Martin’s University are cooked from scratch using fresh, seasonal ingredients. Healthful choices, such as whole grains, deep color vegetables and fresh fruits, are mainstream offerings. Students can easily identify healthful meals using Bon Appétit’s Circle of Responsibility menu icons, which indicate, for example, items that are In Balance or Low Fat. We also offer a wide variety of tasty vegetarian and vegan options every day, every meal.
If special dietary accommodations are required, rest assured that we can meet those needs. Because there’s a professional executive chef who cooks from scratch every day, he or she can easily adapt menus, whether for a food intolerance, allergy or health condition. Students who have other nutrition and health questions can also explore the online resource, www.CircleofResponsibility.com, and contact Bon Appétit’s registered dietitian through the website.
Value Sustainability
The food at Saint Martin’s University has been purchased in a socially responsible manner. Through Bon Appétit’s Farm to Fork program, at least 20% of the food students enjoy is from local farmers and artisans within 150 miles of our campus. All of the seafood served is sustainably raised or caught, inline with the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch guidelines. We proudly serve Certified Humane, cage-free shell eggs. Bon Appétit is also working to reduce the use of antibiotics and rBGH in animal husbandry. Simply by dining at Saint Martin’s University, students can make sustainable food choices that will positively impact the environment and community.
Value Peace of Mind
Choosing to invest in a meal plan can bring you peace of mind, knowing that your son or daughter will be eating well throughout their time on campus. This is a reliable way to ensure there won’t be unexpected financial surprises at the end of the school year. For students who have flexible spending dollars as part of their meal plan, we provide guidance to help them manage their funds appropriately.
Value Community
Breaking bread together creates a sense of community. Our dining rooms are central gathering places where students can not only enjoy a healthful meal, but also build friendships and share ideas and information. Eating on campus fosters camaraderie amongst peers and is an important component of the social experiences at Saint Martin’s University.
Value Education
At Saint Martin’s University, educating students is our main priority. We make sure to create learning opportunities beyond the four walls of the classroom, and our dining program truly reflects this commitment. In addition to daily messages about how to eat well, students will learn about different nutrition topics each month. We also host exciting annual events like Low Carbon Diet Day (highlighting food choices to reduce climate change) and Eat Local Challenge (emphasizing the importance of buying locally) to raise students’ awareness about the larger impact of their food choices. For those who are interested in learning more about their food, we have extensive online resources like the Circle of Responsibility website (www.CircleofResponsibility.com) and Low Carbon Diet Calculator (eatlowcarbon.org).
A student’s time in college is one of the most informative, transformational and memorable periods of his or her life. That’s why Saint Martin’s University and Bon Appétit partner together to provide dining services that not only help our students eat well for their personal health, but also for the community and environment.