Tufts University
OP-7: Low Impact Dining

We assign a Cost Category for all food items we purchase, and we are therefore able to obtain reports on the amount of purchases by product type. We have categories for animal products such as beef/lamb/veal, poultry, dairy, and fish/seafood.

All of our residential dining facilities feature complete-protein vegan options on their menus, with many of our retail locations featuring them as well. The most abundant vegan offerings can be found in our two residential dining centers. Each residential dining center has its own vegetarian station where vegan and vegetarian items are featured for lunch and dinner. Each vegetarian station offers 3 entrees with a minimum of one being vegan. Typically, two of the three choices are vegan. In addition to the entrees, on the lunch menu there is always a vegan veggie burger offered along with an organic whole grain and organic legume and vegetables. This pattern is repeated at dinner with the exception of the vegan veggie burger. A vegan pizza is always available at lunch and at dinner at our pizza station, and our bountiful salad bars include an array of vegetables, greens, and regular as well as an Asian flavored tofu. We also feature alternative dairy milks that are vegan including rice, almond, and chocolate and vanilla soy milk. Two vegan desserts are featured on our menus including a vegan chocolate brownie or a vegan craisin nut bar.

Eating lower on the food chain is encouraged and promoted annually during our Harvest Food Festival Week in September, the Sustainability Dinner featured in November, and at our Earth Day Dinner. The Eco-Reps also encourage students to eat meatless during "Meatless Meals" which happens weekly on Mondays throughout the academic year.

In addition to increasing the percentage of vegan entrées served in our dining facilities, we have been mindful of the portion sizes for meat, poultry, and fish, limiting them to 4 ounces. We also have tried to incorporate vegetables whenever possible to minimize the amount of meat that is utilized in our entrees. Over the past year, we have removed meat and poultry from our salad bars.

Tufts Dining offers a variety of vegan dining options in both of its residential dining centers. A separate service area is devoted to vegetarians, and there is always a minimum of one complete-protein entrée in addition to a vegan organic legume and organic vegan whole grain.

Tufts Dining distinguishes vegan food through labeling at the point-of-service. Tufts posts food fact cards for all foods at the point of service. Vegan foods are labeled VG, whereas vegetarian foods utilize VM to designate that the item includes dairy/and or eggs. In addition to the food fact cards, Tufts posts the menu at each station, and the vegetarian station utilizes the VG and VM designation to better identify between vegan and vegetarian offerings.

The Tufts community is welcome to eat in any of the dining facilities on campus, many of which have complete protein vegan options available.

Additional information about the vegan dining program can be found here:
http://dining.tufts.edu/wp-content/uploads/VegetarianTuftsWeb2011.pdf
http://dining.tufts.edu/sustainability/vegetarian-options-abound/