Food Quality & Allergies

Food Allergies

R&DE Stanford Dining prides itself on providing high quality and nutritious cuisine. We promote fresh and nutritious meal selections and use healthy cooking methods, like steaming and grilling, whenever possible. Nutritional information is available in all our locations to help you make informed decisions about your food choices. R&DE Stanford Dining has registered dietitians on staff who are actively involved in menu planning and evaluation, and are also available for consultation. The following is a sample of our menu specifications and standards:

  • All our dairy products are certified hormone-free. We offer both 2% and fat-free milk in our milk dispensers and our non-fat cottage cheese and low-fat yogurt are available at every meal.
  • We offer soy products in all of our dining halls as a dairy alternative for those who prefer not to or cannot consume dairy.
  • We use only kosher gelatin or products made with kosher gelatin.
  • We partner with local farms to offer high quality organic fruits.
  • We use only canola shortening and vegetable or olive oils; no animal fat is used in our cooking methods.
  • Our soups are made fresh "from scratch" every day.
  • We offer fresh steamed vegetables at lunch and dinner.
  • We use only dolphin-safe tuna.
  • We serve fair trade coffee in all our dining halls.
  • We offer food products made by premium brands.
  • We label all food items for easy identification.

Peanut Allergies

Peanuts are quickly becoming one of the world's most allergenic foods, and more than three million Americans currently suffer from all levels of nut and peanut allergies. Here at Stanford, some students have such severe peanut allergies that they must avoid eating in our dining halls for fear of contact with peanut material residue on countertops, breathing in vapors from peanut shell fumes, or ingesting as little as one-five thousandth of a teaspoon of food containing peanuts.

In response to a clear need for peanut allergy awareness in university dining services nationwide, R&DE Stanford Dining has designated Ricker Dining only as a peanut-sensitive environment, making it the first on-campus dining facility of its kind in the country. R&DE Stanford Dining has paved the way for other institutions to follow in our footsteps, and we are proud to meet such a pressing health need for our students.

For more information, please contact the Meal Plan staff at diningplans@stanford.edu.

Nutrition

R&DE Stanford Dining is committed to providing you with a wide variety of healthy options at every meal. We promote fresh and nutritious meal selections and use healthy cooking methods, like steaming and grilling, wherever possible. Nutritional information is available in all our locations to help you make informed decisions about your food choices. R&DE Stanford Dining has registered dietitians on staff who are actively involved in all menu planning and evaluation; they are also available for personal consultation.