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Nutrition

Two students looking at fresh fruit cup in grab and gobble display

Dining Services is dedicated to supplying the university community with daily menus that constantly change, adding new and interesting items and specials. At all times, Dining Services is committed to offering nutrition information, full ingredient listings, and allergens for the food items served in the dining centers.

Similarly, Virginia Tech is aware of special diets and food allergies that students, faculty, staff, and visitors may have, and offers a variety of foods in order to meet those needs. There is also an interactive allergen filter on the online menu that helps guests pick out what they can and can't eat on campus before even going to a dining center.

Online Menu Tutorial

Is the nutrition labeling in the dining centers and on the web page accurate?

In an effort to help students and guests understand what they are eating, Dining Services strives to provide the most comprehensive and up-to-date nutritional information. To provide this information, we locate nutrient information on hundreds of products via manufacturers, the USDA database, and package labels for foods served in our dining facilities. Using this information, we are able to create a database with nutrition information, ingredient lists, and allergens on the hundreds of food items that are served daily on campus. All nutrition information is generated by our computer system to analyze each recipe on our menus. This enables us to give you the most accurate information possible. Sometimes recipes change due to changes in products or feedback from our customers. When these changes take place, the nutrition information, ingredients, and allergens are updated on the computer system, which immediately updates the web page. Sometimes business demands require a last-minute substitution. In the event a recipe needs to change without advanced notice, a sign will be placed at point of service and the online menu webpage will be updated as quickly as possible. For questions regarding nutrition, ingredients or allergen information on any item, please ask a staff member in that particular unit.

How do I download the Hokie Dining app?

The Hokie Dining App is free to download on Apple and Android platforms. This app is a mirror image of the Dining Services interactive webpage and displays all the same ingredient, nutrition, and allergen information. You can also utilize the allergen/ingredient filter as well as check the hours of operation.

I have a food allergy/special dietary need, how do I find foods to meet my needs?

The online interactive menu webpage as well as the Hokie Dining app will be your best resource. Through the interactive menu webpage, you can find nutrition facts, ingredient lists, as well as allergen statements. There is also an allergen/ingredient filter where you can filter out menu items that contain the top 9 allergens, gluten, and up to 3 ingredients of your choice. This filter can assist you with identifying foods that specifically meet your needs. It is also important for guests with food allergies or dietary restrictions to advocate for their needs by alerting a staff member during the ordering process. This allows the staff to take all the necessary and possible steps to ensure the guests meal is made with caution. You may indicate your allergy or dietary needs while placing an online order through Grubhub as well. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please ask to speak to a manager or chef in the dining center or contact the Registered Dietitians office at yes@vt.edu.

How can I identify foods that are vegan and/or vegetarian?

Next to each menu item on the interactive menu webpage, you will see designations for vegan and vegetarian items when applicable. You can also filter for vegan and vegetarian menu items using the allergen/ingredient filter. If you are ever unsure about a menu item please as staff member for further assistance.

If you don't find the answer you need, contact Dining Services' Registered Dietitians, at yes@vt.edu.

Nutrition facts and ingredient listings are available on our interactive nutrition page. After choosing a dining location, clicking on any menu item will give you nutrition facts and ingredient listings for that product. On the right hand side, you can select the “Set allergen/ingredient filter”. This filter will allow you to filter by any of the top 9 allergens, gluten, and/or any 3 ingredients of your choice. This interactive menu webpage is also available in a free downloadable app called Hokie Dining. Visit the Google Play store or App Store, search “Hokie Dining."

Ingredient, nutrition, allergen, and gluten information is obtained directly from statements made by the products' manufacturers. If no allergen or gluten statement is given by the manufacturer, the following criteria were used when creating the database of allergens:

  • FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) is used as a reference for potential allergen sources for the top nine allergens (milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, sesame, and soybeans).
  • Products containing an oil of one of the top nine allergens (such as soy or peanut oil) are listed as containing that allergen.
  • Coconut and coconut oils are listed as tree nut allergens.
  • If the manufacturer provided a statement about the item being produced on shared equipment or in a facility that also processes other allergens, those allergens are tagged and will show as containing that allergen when using the interactive menu page. Guests should review the full ingredient list in conjunction with the allergen filter to make choices based on individual needs. Please note that many desserts and bread items are made in in our on-campus bakery where items containing most of the top 9 allergens and gluten are also produced.
  • The gluten free serving area in D2 is the only venue that has dedicated preparation and serving equipment free from gluten.  Items not tagged as containing gluten are made without gluten-containing ingredients and care is taken campus-wide to minimize or reduce cross-contact with gluten containing foods, but our kitchens are not certified gluten free.
  • FARECheck provided by FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) is an “enhanced training and review program in food handling and safety practices to help keep food-allergic individuals safe”. We utilize this training to provide advanced knowledge and resources to our staff in order to better serve guests with special dietary needs.

If you have a specific nutrition concern or are allergic to any foods and need help finding appropriate foods, you can make an appointment with the registered dietitian for individualized assistance. If you find you have questions while in the dining center, please ask to speak to the chef or manager; they will be able to answer your questions about specific ingredients. For questions, comments, and suggestions regarding nutrition or food-based allergens contact Dining Services Registered Dietitians at yes@vt.edu.

Check out the list below to find reliable information on various nutrition topics.

General Information

  • Center for Nutrition Policy: Click on the MyPlate to receive valuable feedback on your dietary intake and physical activity levels.
  • Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: An informative site with good information on nutrition, exercise, and general health. If you are interested in becoming a nutrition professional, this site is for you!
  • Nutrition.gov: This government website has basic nutrition information that everyone can understand.
  • Schiffert Health Center: You may also visit Virginia Tech’s health center for any questions and problems you may have.
  • Nutrition Services: This is the place to find information about health education programs, health counseling services, wellness services and public health events at Virginia Tech.

Vegetarianism

Special Dietary Needs

Eating Disorders

Sports Nutrition

For questions, comments, and suggestions regarding the YES program contact Dining Services' Registered Dietitians, at yes@vt.edu.