SAFE, NUTRITIOUS MEALS START WITH EDUCATION
We believe in the power of education. Our presence on campus extends from the dining hall to the classroom and beyond.
We want students to get their hands dirty in our campus gardens. We want people to ask questions: Where is it from? How was it made? Which ingredients did you use?
We provide our guests with the knowledge and resources to maintain a balanced lifestyle. We empower students to make educated decisions about their health and diets.
Food is both an art and a science. SAGE is here to give you the best of both.
SAGE SPOTLIGHT PROGRAM®
ALL FOODS FIT WHEN YOU PRACTICE: VARIETY, BALANCE, AND MODERATION
SAGE Spotlight Program® provides nutrition education on how to fuel your body and foster a positive relationship with food.
Each menu item is assigned a color that indicates its nutrient density. To assign a Spotlight color, we use a formula to calculate nutrient density based on the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
What is nutrient density?
- • Nutrient density is the proportion of nutrients that are recommended we eat more often to those that are recommended we eat less often.
- • Foods higher in nutrient density contain more of the nutrition our bodies need to function.
Look for the color-coded Spotlights on the online menu, Touch of SAGE® Mobile App, and signs in your dining hall. Choose foods you enjoy, using this as a guide to build your plate.
Check out this video to learn more!
Add a variety of these foods to at least half your plate.
PERFORMANCE SPOTLIGHT®
PERFORM. PERSIST. PERFECT.
At SAGE, we know that sports and physical activities are an important part of students’ holistic development, as well as your recruitment efforts. We understand that athletes and active students have different nutrition needs because of their high activity levels. Our Performance Spotlight® program incorporates the necessary nutrients at the appropriate times for fueling optimal performance.
The program, which is based on guidelines from the NCAA, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, and current sports nutrition research, provides educational material to guide active students’ food choices at meals, offers guidance for on-the-go fueling, and incorporates house-made sports drinks and bars with simple ingredients.
Check out this video to learn more!
Educational Seasonings
LEARNING ABOUT FOOD CAN BE FUN AND INTERESTING
Once a month, the SAGE team transforms your dining hall into an interactive dining experience. We use creative displays, informational guides, and tasting stations to bring each new topic to life. Guests have the chance to see, touch, taste, and learn about exciting new types of food.Educational Seasonings introduces students to foods that might be unfamiliar to them. Past topics have included international and historical cuisine, unusual or uncommon foods, etiquette and manners, seasonal produce, methods of preparation and preservation, and much more.
INDULGE YOUR SENSES
We encourage everyone to get up close and personal with the featured foods. Educational Seasonings are interactive events.We also offer customized lesson plans so faculty can extend each event to the classroom. Teach the history of Thanksgiving and allow students to taste the foods that would have been served at the original event.
OUR APPROACH TO ALLERGIES
EVERYONE DESERVES A SAFE MEAL
Do you have a food allergy or a restrictive diet? Do you eat gluten-free, vegetarian, or vegan?No worries! No matter what, you'll be able to enjoy a safe, delicious meal in any SAGE dining hall.
Our Chefs work with you and your community to identify common allergens and diets. Then we create unique menus to suit your needs.
Additionally, our Free Style® option offers menu items that are made without the 12 most common food allergens (peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, milk, gluten, eggs, fish, wheat, sesame, soy, mustard, and sulfites), providing a safe and hassle-free option for those navigating common food allergies.
WE BELIEVE IN CLEAR COMMUNICATION
Anyone with a food allergy or restriction can speak with the SAGE team so we can address your specific needs or concerns.Our Chefs prepare menus in advance. We encourage students with allergies and restrictions to review these ahead of time. Our Food Service Directors, along with the rest of our team, are happy to discuss each day's menu, recipes, and ingredient lists.
SERVE IT SAFELY
Our Serve It Safely initiative teaches SAGE teams to identify and control potential hazards in the kitchen. We train our Managers to avoid cross-contact and show our teams how to identify the “hidden ingredients” in packaged and processed foods.
PLAN YOUR MEALS
Managers prepare their menus in advance, our Registered Dietitians review them, and then the menus appear online. Our online menus include full ingredient lists and allow you to filter for common food allergens.
VISIT OUR KITCHEN
You are welcome to tour our kitchen. Our staff will guide you through the facility so you can review procedures and check for hidden allergens in our inventory.
WE CARE ABOUT THE STUDENTS WE SERVE
OPEN COMMUNICATION IS ESSENTIAL
Eating disorders are a growing problem among school-age children and young adults. Every year, more and more students are diagnosed with these life-threatening conditions all around the country. This is an extremely delicate matter, one that must be handled with tact and subtlety to protect the students in our care.
We understand the risks.
For more than 10 years, SAGE has partnered with the Eating Recovery Center Baltimore (formerly The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt). Together, we’ve developed training materials that all Team Members are required to complete. We teach them to recognize the early warning signs and changes in behavior that may signal an eating disorder.
We then communicate our concerns to school administrators discreetly and effectively. This program has helped numerous young people receive the medical care they need to treat and beat this serious illness each year.
We’re the only food service provider to initiate a program of this kind.
We're making a difference, one student at a time.
