WSU Dining Services christened September the “Month of Nutrition” and will offer several new cafeteria experiences for students to take part in.

Starting last week students are now able to find healthier alternative food options alongside old favorites like pizza and hamburgers, as well as a new station in Southside Cafe called Natural. Natural will serve vegan and allergen-friendly meals made from local farmer’s produce, with an optional helping of meat for the more carnivorous, said Corey King, associate director of WSU Culinary Operations. Hillside Cafe will see its own version of Natural opening within a couple weeks, King said.

“We care about the health of our students,” said Chelsey Woods, dietitian for Dining Services, who was one of the main people behind getting “Month of Nutrition” up and running.

One of the goals with “Month of Nutrition” was to dispel the myth that cafeteria food is necessarily unhealthy, Woods said.

The team wants to encourage students to roam around the dining halls instead of just settling on the food they’re most familiar with, King said.

“We’re in the process of changing the culture,” he said.

To help students explore all the new food choices available to them, Dining Services will host nutrition-oriented events at each of the dining halls later in September.

“We do have healthy options, just a matter of educating the students where it is,” said Adam Koerner, the executive chef at Southside Cafe.

Dining Services employees will showcase the new meal options available to students at lunchtime on Sept. 23 at Hillside Café, Sept. 24 at Northside Cafe, and Sept. 25 at Southside Café. Woods will also be around at each dining hall to answer any questions students may have regarding their nutrition and health.

Besides the special-event lunches, there are many more ways for students to educate themselves about the food they take in. Woods is available throughout the year to talk to for free about nutrition in her office at the Rogers Hall Dining Suites. Additionally, NetNutrition online is another tool students can use to plan their meals before they go to the cafeteria, check out the menu’s nutritional information and more.

Many of the new plates students will see and taste were crafted by Dining Services chefs, who King encouraged to try new things.

“We got some talented people here, and we want to showcase what they can do,” he said.

The Dining Services crew is excited to hear students’ thoughts on the various new recipes and dining platforms, Koerner said.

“I really do like feedback,” he said. “It helps makes us better.”

Dining Services events and menus can be found at dining.wsu.edu.