Healthy Eating
The college experience can be an incredibly difficult one for many new students and parents alike. Unfortunately, one of the hardest-hit groups are students with dietary restrictions. In many cases, these students have never really had to think about what ingredients are in the food they are eating due to it being predominantly handled by a parent or caretaker. As the number of students enrolled at DU with these dietary restrictions continues to grow, it has become more important than ever to create a dining experience that accounts for these student's needs.
Denver Dining Services has taken the challenge head-on, seeking not only to accommodate but to go above and beyond. Our expectations are for you to enjoy meals on campus with food you can eat without compromising nutrition, flavor, or variety.
Meet our dietitian
Gina Vega is our District Registered Dietitian providing nutrition education and support throughout Colorado. As an avid nutrition enthusiast, Gina is excited to meet with students with dietary restrictions and allergies and meet with students hoping to create lifelong healthy habits. Gina has a passion for creating a positive health culture. Food choices and eating habits increase mental and physical health, personal and academic growth, community, and a joyful college experience. Her food philosophy is a non-diet, “all foods fit” approach to nutrition and health, and she enjoys teaching students about Intuitive Eating and debunking nutrition myths and fads.
Her Services Include:
Food Allergy Management
Dining Hall Tours
Nutrition and Wellness Presentations and Programming
Education and Nutritional Guidance for College Students
Do you have a nutrition or wellness related question?
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with Gina at gina.vega@sodexo.com
Some of the classes provided by Gina are:
Navigating Campus Food with an Allergy or Intolerance
30 min
Training will be held remotely
Denver Dining makes a concerted effort to help students navigate the campus food that have a food allergy or intolerance. This meeting will be with both the Registered Dietitian and Operation’s Manager.
Navigating Campus Food with a Health Condition
30 min
Training will be held remotely
For those that need help navigating food on campus for a medical condition including celiac disease, diabetes, crohn's disease, IBS, etc.
Navigating Campus Food with an Alternative Diet
30 min
Training will be held remotely
This appointment is for those that need help navigating food on campus with an alternative diet, including vegan, vegetarian, plant based, etc.
Eating Well on Campus
30 min
Training will be held remotely
Meet with the dietitian to discuss how to eat well on the meal plan
Pure and Simple
Located inside the Rebecca Chopp Grand Central Market, Pure and Simple is DU’s award-winning wellness concept. The dining concept offers delectable food offerings that are made without 3 of the FDA's most common allergens which are; Dairy (Milk), Gluten (Wheat), and Nuts. Our Pure and Simple staff members are carefully trained to avoid cross-contact with food allergens.
All chefs who work in Pure and Simple are trained in Allertrain and take care with every recipe created. Separate equipment, storage areas, utensils and preparation areas minimize, but do not totally eliminate, the changes of gluten and allergens in our Pure and Simple foods.
Pure and Simple operates on the belief that you should not have to sacrifice taste because of dietary restrictions. That means that you will still be able to find favorites such as roast pork, rotisserie chicken, baked sweet potatoes, and green beans there amongst other popular dishes.
Food Allergies
We take pride in serving you wholesome ingredients, preparing recipes accurately and providing nutritional analysis and ingredient statements through our online menus and nutrition calculator. From our general manager to our front line servers, we work carefully to address food allergies, celiac diets, or other medical dietary needs. Pure and Simple offers meal options for our guests that require allergen-free options.
Mindful 
Mindful is Sodexo's health & wellness approach that helps you make healthy choices second nature! We are committed to creating healthy environments for our customers. Central to this effort is providing healthy, nutritious foods. The result of this initiative is an approach that focuses on transparency of ingredients, delicious food, satisfying portions, and clarity in message so that you can make Mindful choices!
Mindful offerings meet stringent nutritional criteria based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Each meal part is limited in calories, has fewer than 30% of calories as fat, fewer than 10 % of calories as saturated fat, and is restricted in sodium, and cholesterol. Look for the Mindful icon to indulge in the healthy and delicious items offered at each meal.