Meal Plan Strategies

Why should I be on meal plan?
First-year students are required to participate in a meal plan for at least 2 semesters. However, approximately 3 out of 4 upper-class students choose to participate. In addition to taking away the food-related responsibilities of shopping, cooking and cleaning, there are many benefits to having a meal plan. Brown Dining Services (BDS) provides places for you to relax, meet your friends, catch up on the latest gossip, and study. You can choose from several different meal plans (7, 10, 14, or 20 meals per week), as well as Flex Plans which offer a block of meals and “points” to use at any time over the course of the semester. You are given the first three weeks of each semester to change your plan to the one that best fits your schedule.

Dining halls and snack bars are located all across campus and are open from 7am until 1am. The dietitian on staff is a resource to students who have special dietary concerns or nutrition questions.

Can I get nutritious meals by eating on meal plan?
Because of the wide variety of choices offered by BDS, there are many ways to put together meals and snacks that have the nutrients and energy you need.

It is important to remember that you don't have to try to have a perfectly balanced meal each time you eat. In fact taking the long view and aiming for a general balance for the whole day or week may help you relax a bit about your food choices, and not get overly anxious about whether or not you have selected choices that seem right or wrong, good or bad. For guidelines about what you need to include on a daily basis, and how to know what your nutrition needs are, check out our sections on The Dietary Guidelines and The Food Guide Pyramid.

What are my meal contract options?
Meal plans are in effect for the full academic year, although you can make a change to your plan during the first 3 weeks of each semester. The traditional 20 meal plan includes 20 meal credits per week, 200 FlexPlus Points, and 4 guest meal credits. You can also choose from the 14 meal plan (14 meal credits per week, 150 FlexPlus Points, and 4 guest meal credits); the 10 meal plan (10 meal credits per week, 100 FlexPlus points, and 4 guest meal credits); or the 7 meal plan (7 meal credits per week, 70 FlexPlus points, and 4 guest meal credits).

With FlexPlans

With Flex Plans 460 (500 Flex Points per year, plus 10 guest meals), 330 (350 Flex Points per year, plus 8 guest meals), and 240 (250 Flex Points, plus 6 guest meals), you get a block of meals and points – half for the fall semester, then half (plus the remainder from the fall) for the spring semester. Additional Flex meals and points may be added mid-semester by contacting Dining Services. In 2007, Brown Dining Services also introduced an Off-Campus 50 Plan (500 Flex Points, no guest meals), with enrollment limited to undergraduate students approved for off-campus status by the Office of Student Life, as well as graduate, medical, RUE, and commuter students.

Meal credits can be used at either of the all-you-care-to-eat dining halls. They can also be used at the a la carte snack bars – the Gate, the Ivy Room at night, or Josiah’s, where they are worth $5.75 during the 2008-2009 academic year. Up to 2 meal credits each day can be used at a campus retail venue. Students on the 14, 10, or 7 meal plans can use any 14, 10, or 7 meals during the week (up to 3 in 1 day). The "week" runs from Friday morning to Thursday night. Unused meal credits are not carried over from week to week. FlexPlus points can be used at any BDS location, any time of day. You can use them to grab a cup of coffee at the Blue Room, stock up on microwave popcorn at the Campus Market, or for a midnight snack at Joe's.

Kosher and Halal meal plans are offered at Sharpe Refectory (the Ratty). Sunday through Friday lunch, an approved Kosher caterer delivers meals to a designated area of the Ratty. This way, you can observe the Kosher dietary laws and still eat with your friends in the dining hall. Friday dinners, Saturday lunches, and holiday meals are served at the newly renovated Hillel House on campus. A certified Halal butcher supplies BDS chefs with ingredients to prepare daily lunches and dinners for students on the Halal meal plan. Kosher vegetarian entrees are available to both groups, and breakfast and brunch meals are from the regular meal plan menu.

Check out the Dining Services website for pricing information.

Where and when can I eat?
There are 2 all-you-care-to-eat dining halls-the Ratty located on Wriston Quad, and Verney-Woolley (the V-Dub) on the Pembroke campus-as well as 5 restaurants, 3 coffee cafés, and 2 convenience stores. Explore them all to find out which suit your tastes and schedule best. You can visit the Dining Services page to see the hours and menus for each of these eateries.

Sharpe Refectory (The Ratty)
Open everyday, The Ratty is the larger of the 2 dining halls and offers a huge variety. A noodle bowl bar, omelet bar, Italian night, and homemade breads and desserts from the in-house bakeshop are some of its signature items. To avoid the Ratty crowds, eat early! It's quiet between 7:30am and 9:00am, 11:00am -12 noon, and 2:00pm and 5:30pm. The Kosher and Halal meal plans are only offered in this dining hall.

Verney-Woolley (The V-Dub)
Open Monday-Friday, The V-Dub was renovated in 2001 to enable more display cooking, including stir fries, pasta sautés, and grilled items. Breakfast (7:30am-9:30am) usually isn't very crowded; avoid the lunch crowds between 11am and noon, and avoid dinner crowds between 4:30pm and 5:30pm. You can make your own specialties using the panini grills, Belgian waffle irons, and extensive salad bars.

Lactaid and soy milk are always available at the Ratty and the V-Dub. Both dining halls also offer lots of options for vegetarians, including vegans, at each meal. On weekends, grab your friends and check out the extensive brunch layout at the Ratty.

Josiah's
Open every evening, Joe's (on the Thayer Street Quad) is best known for hot and cold roll-up sandwiches, stir fry, broiled specials, and giant cookies and brownies. You can also find pre-packaged items including hummus, tabouli, yogurt, and sushi here.

The Gate
Open daily and serving great pizza, the Gate is located in lower Alumnae Hall. Made-to-order sandwiches and salads are also offered here, as well as ice cream, chips, and fresh fruit. The comfortable furniture make the dining room area a great place to hang out or study.

The Ivy Room
The Ivy Room is open for lunch on weekdays and for snacks on Sunday-Thursday, 8pm-midnight. Personalized pizzas, made-to-order sandwiches, and a hot entrée line are some of the lunch time specialties offered at this lower Ratty location. In the evening, offerings are exclusively vegetarian and range from a fruit smoothie bar to the very popular burrito bar as well as omelets, falafel and pizza.

The Blue Room
Open Wednesdays from 7am-4pm. At its central location in Faunce House, the Blue Room specializes in deli sandwiches, salads, gourmet Fair Trade coffee and baked goods including bagels and pastry.

Coffee Cafés
Coffee Cafes can be found in the Barus and Holley and the Rock Library. Offering coffee, snacks, fresh fruit and sandwiches, these cafés are the ultimate in convenience.

Friedman Café
Open every day, and located in the lobby of the SciLi at the center of the newly-designed, 24-hour study space, the Friedman Café serves coffee, snacks, salads, fresh fruit, and sandwiches.

Campus Market
Open everyday and located in lower Faunce House, the Campus Market carries a wide selection of beverages, snacks, packaged and frozen foods, including a variety of kosher products.

What are my options if I don't have time for a meal?
For your convenience, BDS offers the To-Go program as an alternative for those who don't have time for a meal. With To-Go, you are able to grab disposable containers on your way into the dining hall and pack them with your own selections. This program is offered only at the dining halls, and is not intended to replace the all-you-care-to-eat option.

How do I know if what's on my tray is a "balanced meal?"
One easy guideline for any meal is to think about dividing your plate in half. One half of the plate should be filled with vegetables and fruits. One quarter should be proteins (e.g., fish, beans/legumes, lean meat, poultry, tofu, tempeh, eggs, etc.), and the other quarter filled with complex carbohydrates (e.g., brown rice, baked potato, whole grain breads or cereals, pasta, etc.).

In addition, you should include a low-fat dairy product (yogurt, low fat cheese, milk or calcium-fortified soy milk) about 3 times a day. Your diet also needs to have sources of healthy fats or oils 2 or 3 times a day. Examples of these would be nuts and seeds, peanut butter, salmon, olives, olive oil, and other vegetable oils.

Try to select foods that represent at least 3 different food groups at each meal, and to vary those foods from day to day. This gives you a good shot at increasing the quality of your diet, without having to closely track individual nutrients, which can sometimes lead to an unhealthy relationship with eating and food.

Aim for as much variety as you can in your meals and snacks, as this will help ensure that you are giving yourself a wider range of nutrients. A single food, no matter how nutritious, cannot provide the entire spectrum of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that your body needs on a regular basis.

Where can I find nutrition and/or ingredient information
about my food?
Since 90% of the dishes prepared at the dining halls are made from scratch, nutrition and ingredient information are available for just about every item. Information is posted in labeled binders kep on the fruit table (The Sharpe Refectory), or shelved (The Verney Wooley). Ask any BDS staff member for access. The dietitian can provide ingredient or nutrition information for any item served in any BDS location and can be contacted by email.

Where can I get some ideas for some meals to put together at BDS?
Here are some ideas that Brown students have contributed to the Recipe Repository on The Daily Jolt's web site. These recipes are all made from commonly available foods and ingredients at Brown's dining halls. After some experimentation, you can add your own recipes to this link.

Here are a few other suggestions for meals at BDS facilities. Note that each meal uses foods from at least 3 different food groups, to maximize nutrient intake. See how many variations you can spin off of these ideas.

Breakfast

• 1 cup of oatmeal with ¼ cup of raisins stirred in; 1 cup of low-fat milk
• 2 slices whole grain toast with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter; banana
• 2 scrambled eggs; 1 slice whole grain toast; 8 ounces of low-fat milk
• Smoothie: 8 oz. low fat yogurt; 1 whole piece fruit or 8 oz. fruit juice; English muffin w/ jam
• Kashi cereal with sunflower seeds, raisins, and skim milk
• Egg white omelet with veggies and whole wheat toast

Lunch

• Main dish salad: add pieces of chicken or tuna or ½ cup of beans to a large plate of colorful raw vegetables. Include some type of grain, like a pita bread, muffin, or noodle soup.
• Vegan rice and beans makes a "complete protein" (combining essential amino acids, normally found in an animal source protein). This dish is high in fiber, low in fat, and will keep you satisfied all afternoon.
• Ratty Pizza: place pita on a plate. Add tomato sauce or fresh tomatoes from the salad bar. Sprinkle mozzarella on top. Add desired toppings from salad bar or pieces of chopped meat from the lines. Microwave and enjoy.
• Vegetarian chili (high in protein and fiber); piece of fresh fruit; 8 oz. yogurt
• Turkey roll-up with lettuce, tomato, and cranberry mayo (combine cranberry sauce with mayonnaise)
• Black bean veggie burger topped with salsa (from salad bar) on whole wheat bun with a side of cold vegetable salad.

Dinner

• V-Dub Wrap: fill a wrap with cheese, veggies, and lean meat or tuna. Go to the sandwich griller and you will have a hot pocket in no time.
• Baked potato meal: using a baked potato as your base, fill in with some of your favorites from the salad bar or the hot line (broccoli bits and other raw or steamed veggies, shredded cheese, beans, tofu or tempeh squares, plain yogurt, chili). Take to the microwave and you'll have a full course meal that's delicious and nutritious.
• Grilled chicken breast, topped with spaghetti sauce, brown rice from the vegan bar, and a bowl of salad with 1 tsp. oil (high in omega-3 fatty acids, important for heart health and many other benefits).
• Soup-based meal: start with a minestrone or vegetable soup that already has some beans in it (providing protein and fiber). To boost your protein even more (it takes ½ cup of beans to make a protein serving), add more chickpeas or other beans from the salad bar. Heat in the microwave and sprinkle some parmesan or grated cheddar cheese on top. A hearty piece of whole grain bread and a side salad make delicious accompaniments to this meal. BDS makes its own soups and breads, so you have a good chance of finding something that will be appealing.
• Pasta of the day tossed with julienne grilled chicken and vegetables of the day, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and garlic powder.
• Brown or white rice mixed with vegetables (either veggies of the day or from salad bar) and topped with soy sauce and ground ginger.

Can I tell if I am eating a "good" food or a "bad" food?
IIn fact, there are no such things as “good” or “bad” foods. Really. Whether a particular food choice is supportive is contextual. It depends on an individual’s physiological needs in the moment, how they may want the food to please them, what specific results they are looking for at that meal or snack, and what other foods they’ve been eating, lately. In general, aim to include lots of nutrient-rich choices throughout the day: wholegrain breads and cereals, brightly-colored fruits and vegetables, and low-fat milk and yogurt (as well as their Lactaid or Soy alternatives). When you are eating nutrient-rich foods most of the time, you can also eat some foods that may not be particularly high in vitamins and minerals – without hurting your health. So go ahead and have those chocolate chip cookies or that ice cream cone! Healthy eating is supposed to include both nutrition AND pleasure.

How do I keep from getting overwhelmed by the unlimited food choices in the dining halls?
At first, coming to a large cafeteria for all your meals can seem pretty intimidating if you usually eat at home or in restuarants. Here are some ways to enjoy healthy meals at the Ratty and the V-Dub:

• Check the menu ahead of time and decide what you want at that meal. The Brown Daily Herald, the BDS web site and the Brown Daily Jolt list the day's menus for The Ratty and the V-Dub.
• Once you have your meal on your tray, sit down and enjoy it. Eat slowly and you'll have a better sense of whether you need to get something else to eat.
• Try both dining halls at different times of the day to increase variety and avoid boredom.
• Avoid skipping meals so that you're not overly hungry when you go to the dining hall. Eating breakfast and having healthy snacks throughout your day will keep your energy levels up and prevent cravings for sweet and salty snacks.
• If you are an international student, you may want to introduce new foods gradually to avoid gastrointestinal upset. If your digestive system is having problems, it is a good idea to eat fairly plain, unseasoned foods at first (e.g., breads, cereals, rice and pastas, cooked vegetables and fruits, and plain meats and poultry without a lot of sauces.) You may also need to avoid milk and other dairy products for a while, until your digestive system settles down. If you have any concern about your symptoms, you should check with a medical provider at Health Services by calling 401.863-3953.

What if I have food allergies or intolerances?
If you need to have specific information on ingredients in the dishes prepared by BDS, you should email Gina Guiducci, the Administrative Dietician. You can make an appointment with her to discuss your particular situation. She can work with you to accommodate your needs and help you remain on meal contract.

BDS also routinely offers foods that are helpful to students who have particular preferences or, for instance, might have difficulty digesting the lactose in dairy products. You can find out more about these products by checking with a BDS worker or contacting Gina Guiducci, the Administrative Dietician.

What is the Community Harvest Program?
The goal of this program is to establish a partnership between BDS and local farmers in order to provide the highest quality, freshest and most environmentally friendly products available while supporting the local economy. A team of students along with BDS management have created and developed the Community Harvest Program.

Currently, locally grown items are identified in the dining halls with cards featuring the program name and carrot symbol. In addition to using local products in recipes, BDS has incorporated Farmers' Markets each Wednesday in the Fall, where farmers set up tables outside the Ratty and sell their products directly to the Brown community.

Resources

Brown Dining Services Dietitian 401.863-3343
Gina Guiducci is the administrative dietitian at BDS. She plans the Ratty and V-Dub menus, writes the Stockpot (BDS newsletter), and addresses the suggestions left in the Ratty boxes and on the V-Dub board. She also works with students who have special dietary needs. She can answer questions about recipe ingredients, nutrient content of foods, and general nutrition. You can also contact her by email.

Office of Health Education Nutritionist 401.863-2794
Confidential information or care is available through individual appointments or phone consultation with a Nutritionist to discuss the many types of eating concerns you may have regarding yourself, a friend, roommate or teammate. Health Education also offers workshops, pamphlets, and reading materials covering these and related issues. There are no fees for Health Education services.

Links

This online independent publishes the daily menus from the Refectory and the Verney-Wooley dining facilities. Here you can also link to the Ratty Recipe Repository where you will see original recipes other Brown students have created from foods and ingredients that can be found at the Refectory (the Ratty). Start experimenting and send in your own inventions.

Here you'll find information about locations and hours of operation, board contracts, catering, express menus, and job opportunities at BDS.

Disclaimer: Health Education is part of Health Services at Brown University. Health Education maintains this site as a resource for Brown students. This site is not intended to replace consultation with your medical providers. No site can replace real conversation. Health Education offers no endorsement of and assumes no liability for the currency, accuracy, or availability of the information on the sites we link to or the care provided by the resources listed.  Health Services staff are available to treat and give medical advice to Brown University students only. If you are not a Brown student, but are in need of medical assistance please call your own health care provider or in case of an emergency, dial 911.  Please contact us if you have comments, questions or suggestions.

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last modified: August 14, 2008