Healthy campus dining
Farmers markets and designated plant-based dining halls are just a few of the unique options available at U.S. colleges. To improve sustainability and accommodate dietary needs and allergies, some schools, including the following 11, offer nutrition resources and locally sourced food for their students. Many also practice composting to reduce food waste. This is not a comprehensive list of colleges with healthy dining initiatives, so students should conduct their own research to learn more about available options.
Georgia Institute of Technology
To reduce food waste and address food insecurity, the Campus Kitchen Project at Georgia Institute of Technology partners with the dining services department to package meals from leftover food for the on-campus food bank, Klemis Kitchen, according to the school’s website. A community market is hosted three times a week, where students can try local bites. Campus dining chefs also host cooking demonstrations to showcase produce grown in the community garden.
James Madison University (VA)
With sustainability in mind, James Madison University in Virginia donates unused meal swipes and food to local community organizations and hosts a farmers market on campus throughout the year, according to the school’s website. Annual events such as cooking demos and cookouts are hosted at the Kelley Street Garden, which is owned partly by the university and provides local residents a place to grow their own vegetables. Produce used in dining halls is sourced within 150 miles of campus or within Virginia.
Cornell University (NY)
All Cornell University dining staff members must complete an annual food allergen training, and students with medically diagnosed dietary needs can enroll in the INDIGO Kitchen program to receive individualized meals. Vegan and vegetarian options are available at all dining locations, and there are designated halal and kosher stations. As part of Cornell’s Collaborative Health and Eating Program, students with eating disorders or eating concerns can receive support from nutritionists, medical providers, counselors and behavioral health providers.
Northwestern University (IL)
Sustainability is at the core of Northwestern University‘s dining mission, according to its website. The Chicago-area school offers complimentary nutrition counseling services with a registered dietitian. The Wild Roots on-campus garden produces food for campus eateries, and fair-trade organic coffee is used in all resident dining locations. Leftovers are donated to community members in need. Two dining spots have kosher kitchens and all dining commons offer halal options. Campuswide, about 1,000 pounds of food waste are composted each month.
Stanford University (CA)
Daily menus on campus at Stanford University in California are often about 80% vegetarian and more than 50% vegan, with ingredients such as soy, seeds, beans and lentils. Students with specific religious dietary needs should reach out ahead of time, but Stanford provides options for Kosher, halal and jain dining — plant-forward meals made without garlic, onions or root vegetables. The university’s dining services also works closely with nutritionists for allergy-friendly support and the athletics department to meet the dietary needs of student athletes.
College of the Holy Cross (MA)
Kimball Dining Hall at the College of the Holy Cross — one of seven on-campus dining halls, cafes and coffee shops — has a dedicated food station free of the top 10 allergens: wheat, dairy, soy, eggs, sesame, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts and coconut. Campus dining food at the Massachusetts college is locally sourced when possible. Holy Cross aims to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, with sustainability efforts noticeable in the dining halls. Discounts are given to those who bring their own mug, and filtered water is available to reduce plastic bottle use.
Emory University (GA)
Emory University‘s student center and residential dining facility offer dining stations to meet students’ dietary needs, including plant-based, gluten-free, kosher and halal food options. The Georgia university also allows its students to get involved in the 11-acre Oxford College Organic Farm, a living lab that provides produce for the school’s dining hall and a weekly farmers market on campus. Community members can also receive the farm’s produce through purchase of a subscription-based service.
Sterling College (VT)
Sustainability, healthy eating and “food made from love” are essential to Sterling College‘s curriculum and community. All students at the Vermont college are on the meal plan — 30% of the food is grown on campus while 50% is sourced from local farms, according to the college website. As a work college, students are required to do their part. Many cook alongside the college’s professional chefs to prepare meals or wash dishes. Since dining at Sterling is a collaborative effort, students are encouraged to add a recipe or dish to the kitchen suggestion box.
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas — the first college in the U.S. to open an all-vegan university dining hall — has pledged to make 60% of campus dining options plant-based by 2027, according to its website. With themed menus daily, food options at the Mean Greens Cafe vary but can include made-to-order paninis and flatbread pizzas. Outside the dining hall, five to 11 varieties of lettuce and herbs are grown in a hydroponic garden inside an upcycled freight trailer — producing upward of 750 heads of lettuce a week for campus eateries.
University of Pittsburgh (PA)
The University of Pittsburgh is part of the Cool Food Pledge, a global initiative led by the World Resources Institute to reduce 25% of food-related greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. As part of the school’s sustainability efforts, leftover dining hall food is donated to local organizations. Pitt also hosts weekly farmers markets in the spring and fall. Six on-campus dining locations earned a Live Well Allegheny Restaurants distinction in 2025, an initiative by the Allegheny County Health Department to “improve the health and wellness” of local residents.
University of Montana
Campus dining at the University of Montana is “committed to acting as an essential and sustainable component to the greater campus community” by sourcing food from local farms and diversified campus gardens, according to its website. The college also operates an orchard, small farms and an indoor microgreen operation and cares for French Muscovy ducks — all of which provide food to the campus community. The ducks provide eggs and help maintain garden produce by eating pests.
Other resources for campus living.
Learn more about college living by checking out the U.S. News guide to campus resources. Connect with U.S. News Education on Facebook and X/Twitter to get more advice on making the college decision.
Colleges with healthy food options
— College of the Holy Cross (MA)
— Cornell University (NY)
— Emory University (GA)
— Georgia Institute of Technology
— James Madison University (VA)
— Northwestern University (IL)
— Stanford University (CA)
— Sterling College (VT)
— University of Montana
— University of North Texas
— University of Pittsburgh (PA)
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11 Colleges With Healthy Dining Options originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 02/12/26: This slideshow has been updated with new information.