November 18, 2014

Lori Helmer
Director of Dining Services
1201 S State Street
Big Rapids, MI 49307
Dear Lori Helmer:
As a current student of Ferris State University, Im analyzing the awareness and lack of
nutritional value and issues we face today with food waste at Ferris State University and its
Dining Services. Promoting healthy eating is a very important factor that should be implemented
at the school; however, there is a lack of encouragement that could be issued. From multiple
students and being overall behind from other universities in the nation, Ferris State is presenting
poor taste in what they are currently serving students on a daily basis.
In addition, the proposal goes into depth about healthy eating and why it is important and also,
what we can do to reduce the amount of food waste at the university. It suggests ways, such as
reducing the amount of processed foods being served and providing some kind of compost on
campus to better the environment that surrounds us. It is important to eat healthy on a daily basis
because it reduces many health issues that America as a whole is having problems with.
I appreciate your consideration in reviewing this proposal to enhance the overall dining
experience at Ferris State. I would be pleased to further discuss and meet with you in regards to
the current problem facing Ferris States dining halls today. Thank you.
Sincerely,

Blaire Judy
Ferris State Student
Attachment

FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITYS

DINING HALL ANALYSIS AND PLAN

Prepared for
Dining Services
Ferris State

Prepared by
Blaire Judy
Ferris State Student
Ferris State

November 18, 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1
INTRODUCTION 2
BACKGROUND.. 2
PROBLEM.. 3
BENEFITS.. 3
Reducing Food Waste. 3
On-Campus.. 3
Off-Campus. 4

Healthy Eating. 4

RECOMMENDATIONS 5
CONCLUSIONS. 5
BIBLIOGRAPHY 7
APPENDIX I.. 8

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Regarding this report is the importance of nutritional value and why it is becoming an
issue at Ferris State University. Students are paying thousands of dollars per semester or year for
food that is not even that healthy. By reviewing what goes on in these dining halls, we should
conclude ways that could overall benefit both the student body and university. Recommendations
will be given to Lori Helmer, director of dining services.
In the beginning, food was served to children that did not have any way of eating a full
meal at home. So to solve that issue, local farms gave their produce to schools in order for
students to have a meal. Today, most of the food is processed which leads to unhealthy eating. In
universities, it is common for students to gain a few pounds that would not have occurred if they
were still settled at home with their parents. As individuals, they could prevent this matters;
however, the school is not promoting very much healthy eating, which leads to the issue itself.
Served on campus in the dining halls, students are receiving food that is nowhere near
edible. Meat is either still raw or left at a temperature that allows dangerous bacteria. Fruits and
vegetables are out longer than they should be, according to the FDA. Students would like better
options and maintenance of the food overall. This would help students gain the satisfaction they
deserve, since they are already paying money for they education and food. Also, even if the
school were to change what they serve, there would still be somewhat of an issue of food waste.
To reduce waste, there are multiple options that the university could look into.
One option to reduce waste would be to put together a compost on campus. That way,
there would be a less amount of waste that would go towards a better environment. Another way
is to give the surplus of food that we do not use to our local community.
Reducing food waste has many benefits, as well as healthy eating itself. By maintaining
regular exercise and a healthy diet, it can effect an individuals mood in a positive way. It really
makes a difference because along with a better mood, comes with a higher self-esteem and better
self confidence. It also helps people think clearer, which is better for students since so much
stress is placed on them from their school work. As for long-term benefits, people can live longer
and prevent many different health issues that come along with eating poorly.
Promoting healthy eating is very beneficial in many ways. It benefits both the school and
its students because with the school, they could be saving more money in the end, and with the
students, they would feel much better about their personal decisions. We want to set an example
that could potentially change the way the nation is set up. We can begin the trend that overall
helps universities and the nation that they are in.

INTRODUCTION
This report regards the importance of nutritional value at Ferris State Universitys dining
halls and why it is becoming an issue. By reviewing the state of these dining halls, an improved
environment and need for fresher produce should be clear. Along with a change in what is served
to students, let us also acknowledge the amount of food waste the university experiences on a
daily basis and opportunities that could potentially arise if something was to be done about it.
For consideration of this issue, it will be given to Lori Helmer, Director of Dining Services.

BACKGROUND
The reason why K-12 schools and universities started providing students with food in the
first place is because students were undernourished and farmers had extra crops to
sell (Cafeteria Food). Soon after, students were receiving what they considered mystery meat
and various other unknown substances. The mystery meat was actually real food provided by
the local farms. Most of this food was free of any artificial flavors and chemicals, which was
known for many health problems.
Today, both children and young adults in schools are being served food that contains
artificial chemicals. Compared to chemical-free food, processed food is much cheaper which
makes it easier on the schools budget. At universities, sometimes students have no choice but to
eat at the dining halls. If they choose to live on campus in the residence halls, then usually that
means they have to get a meal plan. The kitchens sometimes provided can be of use, but resident
hall rooms only hold so much. However, with the consistent eating between classes or during
study breaks, its easy for students to gain weight. They are no longer under the reins of their
parents, so sometimes they lose control. This is where the expression Freshmen 15 comes from
(Hartsoe). Even though weight gain and loss is under the control of the individual, processed
foods still play a role in students every day lives.
Even though it is up to the individual whether or not he/she want to live a healthy
lifestyle, it is still important for it to be encouraged across campus. But by the amount of
processed foods that is available to the students, it is difficult for that to happen. Students are still
consuming the food given to them, due to the meal plan they had purchased. Some, if not most,
is going to waste, which arises issues with food waste.
If the university changes what they serve to students on a daily basis, it may reduce some
food waste but overall, food waste would still continue. Because university finances are of a
concern brought by these issues, there are still ways the school can help by utilizing their food
waste.

PROBLEM
At Ferris State University, there are two on-campus dining halls in which do not meet
standards of students overall health and actual FDA (Food and Drug Administration)
requirements. As a student at Ferris State, personally I have heard complaints of chicken not
being cooked all the way through, foods being too bland, vegetables and fruit having sit out for
too long, etc. Also, the state of the dining halls themselves are uncleanly which makes the overall
food experience bad.
Kenyatta Peterson, a student currently enrolled at Ferris State, expressed her feelings
about Ferris State dining halls. She said that the dining halls had a lack of taste and a lack of
nutritional value (Peterson). She had also mentioned her concern for the cleanliness of the
cafeteria itself and the workers. Although she no longer eats at the dining halls, Kenyatta would
like to see more fresh produce and green vegetables which would benefit both the school and the
students.
Living a healthy lifestyle is an individuals own choice. There are many places in the
community available to its citizens that they may utilize to live that kind of lifestyle; however, it
is also up to the university and surrounding community to encourage a healthy lifestyle. In
todays society, the media puts pressure on people about being fit and looking better than the
average American. The pressure lowers peoples confidence and self-esteem, which can
sometimes lead to bad decisions. If Ferris State were to make changes to what they serve, it
could potentially increase studentss overall satisfaction with themselves and the school they
attend.
Considering that different food would be served, there would still be some kind of issue
with the amount of food that goes to waste. Students get plates full of food that they would
potentially eat, but most of it gets sent to the dish return, which all gets thrown away. Ferris State
does not have any kind of compost to throw any of the food to, which creates more problems as
well. Every week, thousands of pounds of food gets put to waste which looks bad for the
university itself. With simple arrangements, the school could be saving a lot of money and
energy in the end.

BENEFITS
Reducing Food Waste
On-Campus
All over the nation, there are complaints about food waste and how the amount we throw
away could go to better causes. There are also complaints about how damaging it is to our
economy. In schools, including Ferris State, most of the food that gets thrown away and is no

longer edible. That waste can be utilized in a compost, which could then be processed into
energy for school buildings or biodegradable goods, which would reduce the cost for purchasing
silverware, plates, or cups made from metal (Bell). Food scraps can also go towards fertilizer for
an on-campus farm or garden .
Off-Campus
Aside from the uses of food waste benefiting the school, it could also go towards to
surrounding community. Depending on the type of waste, some of it could go to the local food
banks or soup kitchens. This would overall help the environment because most of the time, food
waste goes to the landfills, which produces methane gas (Klein). The gases secreted from the
landfills contribute to our global warming issue. By sharing the surplus of our food and food
waste, it can help the community and environment and make a huge difference.

Healthy eating
It is already bad enough that America itself is known for high rates of obesity. An average
portion size of food is maybe double, or even triple the size it is supposed to be, which is a fist
sized portion. Fast food is so highly encouraged in our country that it is really hard to stick with
the healthy, green foods that can be found at a local grocery store. What makes it even harder is
the fact that the cheap food is the food that is really bad to consume. That cheap food is served at
universities, including Ferris State. If our university began serving healthier foods, many benefits
would come along with this change.
When healthy eating is encouraged, an overall healthy lifestyle is encouraged. This
includes exercising and improving health. When an individuals diet is changed from processed
foods to foods with nutritional value and they are exercising on a regular basis, there is a
noticeable difference in how they feel. It may not look like those five pounds were lost, but it is
about the feeling of just being healthy. When healthy differences are made to the body, they are
also made to the mind as well. It is stimulating to the brain and it reacts in a way that makes them
feel happy and in a better mood for the long run. It is an improved state of self-esteem and
confidence, which is sometimes hard to find nowadays due to media and the pressure it places on
how people should look. Another way healthy eating can improve mood is by decreasing the
amount of stress. College students stress over their everyday lives because of the pressure their
course loads place on them. However, they would be able to think more clear and have a better
idea of what they are doing.
For long-term benefits, healthy eating can help prevent the many diseases and health
problems that processed food causes. If the individual is on the right path to a healthy lifestyle,
their chance of getting heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. will decrease greatly.
Another long-term benefit would be an increase of their lifespan. The American Council on
Exercise did a study on a large group of people that compared those who walked an average 30

minutes a day to those who did not. The study showed that those who walked each day had a
reduced chance of dying at a young age (Healthline).

RECOMMENDATIONS
Promoting healthy eating habits is both beneficial to the school itself and its students. Not
only would a change in what Ferris State serves to its students in their dining halls help them live
a healthy lifestyle, but it would also make an overall change in the nation we live in today. As a
university, we must set an example for others to make the same changes. Health issues are on the
rise and to consider this type of change would set standards for other schools as well. We no
longer want to live like this; however, it is hard because there is no encouragement. Instead, the
media is planting into individuals heads what we should look like, but not how to get there.
People are making bad choices and not going about it in a healthy manner. As a school, we
should come together as the community that we are and make steps towards healthy eating.
In order to meet everyones needs, partnering with local farms and receiving fresh
produce would be ultimately one of the best goals to strive for and reach. Or instead of
partnering with farms, Ferris State could have an on-campus garden with a variety of vegetables
and fruits that they could serve. Also, an entire compost program could be created which could
open up a lot of opportunities. Not only would it reduce our food waste, but it would also help
the environment. The food waste could also go to our local food banks which would set another
good example to universities alike.
These decisions do not have to affect the budget the school follows. For example, the
City University of New York (CUNY) faced similar problems; however, in order to transform
themselves into one of the healthiest universities, they reduced the amount of processed foods
around their campus (Massa). By cutting out some of the processed foods served in dining halls
and snacks found in various vending machines, it left room for more fresh, healthier foods. It
didnt affect their budget. So by doing that, the university was able to promote healthier eating,
and it was easier for students to prioritize their eating habits since the school was doing the same.
This is the type of example we should follow and achieve to be.
Prioritizing healthy eating habits and lifestyles will benefit both the students and the
school itself. Collectively, the dining services and students that embody Ferris State can
altogether help reach these goals. The key to this achievement is by determination and
motivation.

CONCLUSIONS
By analyzing the steps to healthy eating and how to go about that change, as well as ways
that the university can reduce its food waste and still save money, it leads to the following
conclusion.

It is up to the individual student to implement a healthy lifestyle for themselves.

However, the university is not promoting a lot of healthy eating. In the dining halls, they only
have small areas that contribute to healthy eating. The food served is not of appealing looks or
taste. To change this issue, we as students and as a university can make a difference and do
something about the lack of healthy food and habits that are currently being presented. There is a
variety of options available, such as: reducing amount of processed food currently being serve on
campus, having available gardens or farms in which we can receive fresh produce from, and
reducing the amount of waste by either donating to the community or dumping it into a local
compost site. Implementing some of these goals and suggestions will further improve Ferris
State as a whole, as well as the surrounding community.

APPENDIX I

CAFETERIA FOOD FACTSHEET

This factsheet gives insight of what goes on in university dining halls. Resources are listed for
any further information.

WHATS WRONG WITH CAFETERIA FOOD?

Very frequently, there are complaints about the school cafeteria food. The reason why so many
people are complaining is because either its not cooked all the way, the food has been sitting out
for way longer than it should be, the cafeteria in general isnt clean, etc. All of which are true.
Kitchens must follow a serious protocol when serving food so people dont get sick. For
example, hamburgers must be kept at 140 degrees, otherwise anything below will allow
dangerous bacteria. Employees must also have easy access to sinks so they can effectively wash
their hands after handling a bunch of food. Unfortunately, the protocol isnt being followed very
well which concludes why cafeteria food is really bad sometimes.

WHY DO PEOPLE EAT AT SCHOOL CAFETERIAS?

When living on a college campus, a meal plan usually comes with a housing contract. Dorms
provide kitchens but it would just be easier to eat at the nearby cafeteria on campus. It doesnt
save money but its the only choice some people have sometimes.

WHAT IS THE FRESHMEN 15?

The Freshmen 15 is an expression commonly used at universities that implies the weight gain
students go through when they first go to college. With dining halls open at convenient hours of
the day, its easy for students to stop by and grab something to eat before their next class, or even
a study break from the library. Its very easy to overeat which leads to weight gain, which is
where the expression comes from. However, it doesnt always happen due to every student being
affected differently.

FACT OR FICTION: DO THEY REALLY PUT LAXATIVES IN FOOD AT COLLEGE

DINING HALLS?
Universities do not, in fact, lace foods with laxatives. It would actually be very illegal if schools
were to do that. But if they dont put laxatives in the food, then why do students bathroom habits
change? If students live on campus, its a completely different environment from where they
grew up or lived. Students no longer have to abide by the rules of their parents, which could lead
to overeating a little more than theyre used to. And everyones schedules are different which
could potentially heavily effect sleeping schedules as well. So with this change of pace and
lifestyle, its easy for eating habits to change. Also, school cafeteria food is completely different

from home cooked meals because it isnt processed. Those are the reasons why it may feel like
university food is laced with laxatives.

WHAT MAKES FOOD WASTE SUCH A BIG DEAL?

Universities collect thousands of pounds of food each day. Usually students fill up their entire
tray or they keep going back for more to get the most out of their meal plan, since it costs so
much. Some universities have gotten rid of food trays altogether to reduce the amount of food
waste, along with conserving energy and water since those trays would need to be washed.
Another way some universities save energy is by having composting programs. That way, theyre
saving energy and food waste isnt much of a problem anymore. Food waste is such a big deal
because the more there is, the more it costs schools to take care of.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO RECEIVE FRESH PRODUCE ON A DAILY BASIS?

Some universities partner up with local farms to utilize their fresh foods. That way, the university
it saving money and the students are more content with the food theyre receiving. Overall, it
would positively impact the economy and community around them.

HOW CAN YOU MAKE A CAFETERIA MEAL HEALTHY?

Although its tempting to go for the macaroni and cheese pizza that day, it would be a better
choice to stick with a well balanced diet. A well balanced diet consists of whole grains,
vegetables, fruit, lean meats, and low-fat or nonfat dairy products. Students should also keep to
smaller portions, since bigger portions allow you to eat more consistently. It can be difficult at
times to maintain a diet like that, but if some students are worried about the Freshmen 15 or
whatnot, dining halls do provide some healthy choices.

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES

"Beating the Freshmen 15." KidsHealth. N.p., Jan. 2014. Web. 12 Nov. 2014. <http://
kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/college/freshman_15.html#>.
"Fact or Fiction: Are There Laxatives in the College Dining Hall Food?." College Connecting.
N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2014. <http://www.college-connecting.com/blog/fact-or-fictionare-there-laxatives-in-the-college-dining-hall-food/>.
"Food for Thought." Kenyon College. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2014. <http://
www.kenyon.avifoodweb.com/food_for_thought.html>.
Hansen, Chris. "How safe is school cafeteria food?." Dateline NBC. N.p., 8 Nov. 2004. Web. 12
Nov. 2014. <http://www.nbcnews.com/id/6430258/ns/dateline_nbc/t/how-safe-schoolcafeteria-food/#.VGQEXNbFR6B>.

"Healthy Dining Hall Eating." TeensHealth. N.p., Oct. 2013. Web. 12 Nov. 2014. <http://
kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/college/dining_hall.html#>.
"School." End Food Waste Now. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2014. <http://
www.endfoodwastenow.org/index.php/issues/issues-schools>.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bell, Randy. "Reducing food waste has economic, environmental and social benefits." Michigan
State University. N.p., 27 Mar. 2012. Web. 18 Nov. 2014. <http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/
reducing_food_waste_has_economic_environmental_and_social_benefits>.
Cafeteria Food. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Nov. 2014. <http://caffoodmsueats.weebly.com/index.html>.
FDA U.S. Food and Drug Administration. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014. <http://www.fda.gov/
default.htm>.
Hartsoe, Steve. "Freshmen's toughest course: endless college cafeteria food." U-T San Diego.
N.p., 21 Aug. 2006. Web. 9 Nov. 2014. <http://www.utsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060821/
news_1n21diet.html>.
Klein, Jeffrey D. "Food Banking: A Humanitarian Solution to the Problems of Hunger and Food
Waste." World Food Day. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014. <http://
www.worldfooddayusa.org/
food_banking_a_humanitarian_solution_to_the_problems_of_hunger_and_food_waste>.
Massa, Annie. "Food for thought: The challenge of healthy eating on campus." USA Today. N.p.,
13 July 2012. Web. 9 Nov. 2014. <http://caffoodmsueats.weebly.com/issues-problems.html>.
Peterson, Kenyatta M. Personal interview. 9 Nov. 2014.
"Reducing Food Waste Costs in Colleges: 5 Tips." FOR Solutions. N.p., 29 July 2014. Web. 9
Nov. 2014. <http://forsolutionsllc.com/reducing-food-waste-costs/>.
"5 Benefits of Healthy Habits." Healthline. N.p., 1 Apr. 2013. Web. 18 Nov. 2014. <http://
www.healthline.com/health/5-benefits-healthy-habits#1>.

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