Menu Identifiers

At UMass, all our food items are labelled. These “menu identifiers” include: name of the food item, ingredients, nutrition fact information per serving, allergens (the Top 9 plus corn and sesame), and dietary preferences. We want to be transparent with our labelling because we believe in providing healthy, nutritious, and safe meals to students. Below is an infographic explaining the menu identifier in more detail. 

UMass Dining Commons Food Quality Criteria

Food plays a critical part in health promotion. UMass created a healthfulness criteria based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020 to highlight food quality of each food item served at UMass’ dining facilities.

A green bar is added or deducted using the following factors

A healthy eating pattern INCLUDES (+1 bar):

• Low-calorie portions (l<500 calories for entrees; < 250 calories for sides)
• Limited sodium (less than 500 mg for entrees; less than 250 mg for sides)
• Whole grains or complex carbohydrates
• Adequate fiber
• Lean proteins
• Healthy fats
• Vitamins and minerals

A healthy eating pattern EXCLUDES (-1 bar):

• Processed meats
• Deep frying
• Simple sugar, butter and/or heavy cream as a main ingredient
• ≥ 10% of calories from saturated fat