Students at Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, can soon find out exactly how many calories they are consuming in the dining halls. A new Web-based program that tracks calorie and nutritional counts by item or meal launches in September, and Kathy Manwaring, assistant director of food services, is expecting a big reaction.
“We have students that are very interested in nutrition, so we created this system to respond to that. We want to promote healthy eating, show that we do have healthy choices and help the students make responsible decisions,” she explains.
Manwaring expects the Web site to lead some students to reconsider their eating habits, noting that the caloric content and proper serving sizes often seem to be disregarded when making selections. The program is part of a larger initiative to encourage healthier eating habits on campus by promoting sensible eating and healthy portions. Manwaring says the new Web service will be linked to the existing net nutrition page.
Excerpt from FoodService Director Magazine’s August 15, 2007 article, “Calorie Counting Goes Online.” Reprinted with permission of Ideal Media, LLC.
