Students hoping to healthily satisfy their sweet tooth this week can look to their dining halls.

‘Clean Your Plate,’ a program created by WSU Wellbeing with Dining Services, will offer new recipes involving local and seasonal fruit from Oct. 28-30. Students can try apple and pear dishes and take the recipes home, said Chelsey Woods, the registered dietitian for Dining Services.

“Our chefs do a wonderful job of creating healthy dishes that are flavorful,” she said. “These recipes will just highlight that and try even further to expand students’ options and how to use fruits and vegetables at home.”

The program is meant to help students focus on eating more whole foods such as lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, low-fat starches, and dairy rather than processed foods, Woods said.

“We all have a choice to make when it comes to the food we can eat. (‘Clean Your Plate’) is really a reminder that healthy food can taste good,” Woods said.

Brad Stewart, assistant director of Wellbeing, said the program is an effort to guide students toward making better choices.

“Students should find eating a healthy diet isn’t as complicated as it seems,” Stewart said.

Beyond the ‘Clean Your Plate’ program, Dining Services works year-round to ensure students have fresh and whole foods available to them. Woods said the ‘Eat Well’ program, also in conjunction with Wellbeing, sponsors vegetarian and vegan food selections as well as 500 Calorie Meals, which she calls “a great educational tool.”

Dining Services hosted a week in February filled with blueberry dishes – everything from desserts to meats. Woods said similar events have gone over very well, resulting in many of these healthier options being added to the regular menu.

Stewart stressed key points of the ‘Clean Your Plate’ program, including whole foods, green foods and good foods. By removing processed foods with little nutritional value, eating local, and only eating when hungry, he said students should enjoy and benefit from their meals more.