Bon Appétit Management Company

Paying attention to the right portions for the right foods will help you increase the quality of your overall diet, maintain a healthy weight, and stretch your food dollars to better-quality ingredients that taste fantastic and nourish you deeply.

During my college visit road trip, I visited Farm to Fork partner White Mountain Farm, which grows quinoa in the gorgeous San LuisValley of Colorado. Ernie New was my tour guide. White Mountain claims to be the only successful large-scale quinoa operation in North America, and Ernie gets more orders than he can fill. (Seriously, he was hesitant to let me visit because he didn’t want me to do any advertising!) Here some of the quinoa truths and myths we discussed.

The first thing you notice when you walk into Theory at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) in Portland, OR, is the eye-popping, 10- by-50-foot mural that wraps around the entire soffit of the café. Simple dishes — a burger with the works, a smoothie, bisque, and a pizza—are broken down into vividly photographed ingredients arranged into formulas on a black background.With fewer than 50 words, the display eloquently (and mouthwateringly) conveys the theme of the re-imagined café, which is the playful science of food.

Bon Appétit is enacting waste reduction initiatives companywide — and while the leadership role is comfortable, making the action a partnership feels even more agreeable. Bon Appétit at Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL, partnered with student government to promote going trayless.

Watch out California, there’s a new “green” college in town — one you might not have encountered! At Marymount California University in Los Angeles (formerly known as Marymount College), Bon Appétit General Manager Donna Novotney and Executive Chef Luis Jimenez have worked closely with the college’s sustainability officer, Kathleen Talbot, to tackle waste in the dining hall head on. In one semester they’ve gone trayless, phased out Styrofoam to-go containers, successfully implemented a reusable to-go container program, started a student garden, and launched a living herb wall!

Small, organic farms and bikes attract the same sort of fans, it appears — both are undeterred by inclement weather. Despite chilly rain, over a hundred students and community members came together for a bicycle-powered celebration of local farms, the second annual Farm Bike Tour, in Northfield, MN,

Apples with Homemade “Barely Salted” Caramel Sauce. This simple dessert achieves the mature flavor of salted caramel with just a pinch ofsea salt. Serves 4-6.

North African Brown Rice and Lentils with Gremolata. Sautéed onion and an eclectic blend of spices contribute plenty of flavor to this simple rice and lentil dish topped with a zesty blend of olives, lemon, and herbs. Serves 4.

Salt has been in the news lately, with the most up-to-date advice recommending that most of us scale back our sodium consumption to within the range of 1,500 to 2,300 milligrams per day (ask your healthcare provider for the best number for you to aim for). Need some perspective? A single teaspoon of table salt has 2,300 milligrams. Lowering sodium can be a difficult task, but it’s worth doing in order to protect your heart and maintain healthy blood pressure.

We’ve collected the best of the #eatlocalchallenge-tagged food photos here and here, and our judges have selected the entry (pictured above), from Alison Gay, aka @eatburnbalance on Instagram, as the winner!