The omelet bar in RFoC in Umphrey Lee is a student favorite. (Katy Roden / The Daily Campus)

SMU Dining has changed significantly since last semester, but for many students, much is left to be desired.

Following a series of student surveys, the SMU dining management made several changes to the cafeteria, Real Food on Campus, this semester.

“We are always looking for more ways to incorporate lean proteins, whole grains, a variety of fruits and veggies and dairy into our menu, and the changes to RFoC this semester reflect that,” resident dietician Claire Florsheim said.

More fruits and vegetables, quinoa, toasted barley and chicken have been added in the Produce Market. Other recent additions include breakfast items, like an improved omelet bar with hummus, the pancake machine, the fresh fruit, low-fat yogurt and homemade granola bar.

“The peanut butter chocolate chips in the morning are delicious. I mix [them] with vanilla yogurt and granola and I’m happy as can be,” said first-year student Molly O’Connor.

The final recent addition is the return of the sandwich station, boasting homemade bread. This is a consistent student favorite because it is always available.

“I love the new sandwich bar. Whenever they don’t have any [other] food I like I always go there,” said first-year student John Wilson.

Most students praise the recent change.

“I think the new food and management is such an improvement from last semester,” first-year student Emily Ward said.

However, many still complain that food is sometimes sparse.
“I don’t like that at random times of the day there is absolutely nothing to eat,” said first-year student Amelia Dracup.

From about 2 to 4:30 p.m., RFoC has very limited options.

Students who have class until 2 p.m. or later miss out on the main rotating lunch entrees and are forced to choose from sandwiches or the other stations that are always open such as cereal.

“I get annoyed that they start putting food away and have no food for 40 minutes at a time when they’re switching meals,” said first-year student Tyler Coffin.

One of the biggest student complaints is these transition periods-there appears to be a lack of options unless it is a specific mealtime.

For students with special dietary needs, additional challenges must be faced. Vegetarians and vegans are able to find meals at Healthy on the Hilltop, a station that denotes the ingredients and nutritional value of their healthier options.

“We created Healthy on the Hilltop, which caters specifically to our gluten-free and vegan populations, though it is open to anyone, because we have seen such a rise in requests over the last couple of years for these types of meals in particular,” Florsheim said.

Vegetarians praise RFoC’s work in accommodating them.

“For the most part, RFoC really does a good job at giving vegetarian options. I’ve noticed that they are making more vegetarian-friendly food,” said first year student Alison Connolly.

“I’ve also noticed they are making more vegetarian food on the weekends which was a problem the first half of the year.”

While the needs of these students are being met, vegans seem to have it harder, as in addition to meat, they do not eat eggs, dairy or any other animal product.

“If I’m at Healthy on the Hilltop and I don’t like what they have, I’m kind of out of luck, or I’m eating my 28th salad of the week,” said first year student Alison Wheaton.

“It’s hard to find all the things I need in a meal, [like] protein, fruit [and] carbs. I always end up with three to five plates because I have to go back or to different stations to get enough food.”

Wheaton said her main issues are small portion size and cut calories at Healthy on the Hilltop, not enough protein like tofu, and unclear denotations of what is vegan and what is not.

Students with food allergies also face a challenge when eating at RFoC. Dakota Warde-Levie, a sophomore student who has several food allergies, did not renew her meal plan this year.

“Being allergic to so many foods, it was too expensive to get a food plan when all I was eating was the salads,” Warde-Levie said.

Students with allergies note that it would be helpful to have common allergens, such as eggs, dairy and peanuts, more clearly listed.

First-year student Moez Jamohammad noted another issue.

“[As a Muslim student] I think sometimes the food at RFoC is not culturally aware, so some groups on campus aren’t able to eat any of the food [on] days when most entrees have pork,” he said.

However, those with any special dietary needs should not hesitate to take advantage of the SMU resident dietician, who is available for a free consultation with any student.

“With some allergies, there may already be plenty of options already being served that students don’t know about, while with other allergies [or needs] we may need to go a step further and look at providing cooked-to-order meals,” Florsheim said.

The dining staff is dedicated to giving help when asked; students can simply approach them for help finding and planning meals.

“Regardless of the need, we want our students healthy and happy,” Florsheim said.

Though many students with individual needs have complaints about RFoC, most students are celebrating the recent improvements. The surveys emailed to students in which they could comment on the dining services have created much positive change.

With the development of events such as Soul Food Night and a healthy eating week, as well as more change as new survey results come in, students have much to look forward to.