University of Washington, Seattle
OP-7: Low Impact Dining

We work directly with our vendors, requesting purchasing information for specific periods, for analyses.

We offer some of the best plant based proteins in the country that are from local sources; Gardein Protein, Field Roast, and Island Spring Organic Tofu. Our approach to Vegan is to measure complete vegan proteins while also providing additional sources to combine and make complete essential amino acid proteins such as legumes, nuts, vegetables, grains and cereals. We have specific menu symbols we utilize for the customer to identify Vegan, Vegetarian and Gluten Free.

We opened a grocery store on campus that added a large produce section full of organic produce with adjacent bulk food bins offering nuts and grains. The store also offers a line of frozen and packaged vegan and vegetarian entrees and the accompaniments to support a healthy lifestyle for our students and staff. Offering healthy alternatives to animal based proteins is the best approach to reducing the need for and use of meats. We procur our dairy and egg products locally from smaller farms that have solid sustainable practices. Our organic and cage free eggs come from Wilcox Farms. They are striving for a closed loop system where they create their own compost and grow their own feed is grown on the farm. The farm is humane certified and salmon safe certified. I took a tour of the farm with CARE Campus Animal Rights Educators and the students were impressed with the farm and how the laying hens lived and were treated.

All of our eggs on campus are organic and cage free and are humane certified and salmon safe certified and come from a local farm just south of the University near Roy, Washington, at the foot of Mt. Rainier. We incorporate soy based proteins and utilize a combination of legumes, grains and nuts to provide all of the essential amino acids for a complete protein and a healthy diet. The majority of our dairy products come from Medosweet, which sources from local family owned dairies that are antibiotic and steroid free. The milk is very fresh using a three day process from the time the cows are milked till we recieve the product and put it in our cooler and recipes for our customers to enjoy. All of our espresso bars on campus use Medosweet milk. The milk foams up nicely and makes an excellent latte.