A frequent question Event Management, Dining, and Hospitality (EMDH) gets asked is: What are the options for students on campus with dietary restrictions or food allergies? Let us assure you that there are options for all students on campus, regardless of their dietary needs. Both dining centers on campus, Watterson Dining Commons and Marketplace at Linkins, offer inclusive dining options. At Illinois State University, EMDH has two registered dietitians, Morgan Harm M.S., R.D., L.D.N. and Zak Kaesberg M.S., R.D., L.D.N., who are available to assist any meal plan holders with concerns about their dietary needs.
Harm and Kaesberg work directly with students and culinary staff to provide diverse food options on campus. They assist with menu and recipe development and create individual meal plans for students with medical needs or food allergies. Students with dietary preferences such as following a vegan or vegetarian diet and/or religious diets can also utilize the dietitians to receive a dining center tour and meeting to learn what is available to them in the dining centers. Additionally, they plan menus for Illinois State’s lab schools and help create special events in the dining centers for all meal plan holders to try new foods throughout the year.
Harm and Kaesberg are dedicated to ensuring students feel comfortable eating within the dining centers and feel empowered with the information needed to maintain their necessary diets.
“My favorite part of working as a dietitian here at ISU is being able to connect with students who have a diverse range of dietary needs and ensuring that they feel confident to dine safely on campus,” Harm said.
“What I love about dietetics is that food is the greatest unifier across all cultures,” Kaesberg said. “Through this job I get to talk about food and nutrition in all applications. It is important for students to be aware that ISU offers these services and that staff genuinely care about their health and needs.”
One resource EMDH encourages all students to utilize is NetNutrition. NetNutrition is an online menu database that provides up-to-date menus, nutrition facts, ingredient information, and food allergen information for all menu items served at both dining centers. NetNutrition can be accessed via the website or by scanning the QR codes located throughout the dining centers. Additionally, there is an iPad with access to NetNutrition in each dining center. Harm and Kaesberg update this daily to have the most accurate information.
Students can contact EMDH registered dietitians for guidance with their dietary needs by filling out the Ask a Dietitian Form. Students without special dietary needs who have an interest in learning how to live a healthier and more nutritionally balanced lifestyle are encouraged to reach out to Health Promotion and Wellness to set up a nutrition analysis.
For more information or questions, please contact Event Management, Dining, and Hospitality at EMDH@IllinoisState.edu.
