Food & Dining

Food & Dining
people eating in dining hall

 

 

2021

UNH became a Fair Trade Certified campus


2

State’s only 4 star Certified Green Restaurants® (we have 2)


 

 

2005

1st Local Harvest Dinner, celebrating local food every year since


student getting food in the dining hall

Sustainable Food & Dining

UNH is an amazing place to be if you care about sustainable food systems. Not only does Dining and Hospitality Services strive to incorporate sustainable initiatives in every aspect of daily operation, but there is a diverse range of opportunities for students, staff, and faculty to get involved with and contribute to those efforts. Whether it’s through documenting the campus “footprint” of our food choices, doing outreach about healthy eating and sustainable food production, or supporting the University’s zero waste initiatives, there's robust opportunity to engage and make an impact. 

 

Learn more about UNH Dining's SustainabilitY Practices

 

There are many ways for students to weave in sustainable food systems learning into their studies. From the EcoGastronomy dual major to the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems major, students learn first hand and help produce fresh and healthy food for UNH through Farm to You NHSAFS 679/680 Food Production Field Experience course.

STARS Platinum seal

STARS EVALUATION


 FOOD & DINING (3.42/8)

 

bar graph showing UNH's food and dining score compared to the average reporting campus

UNH earned 42.75% of total points available (3.42/8) compared to an AASHE member average of 27.63%.

STARS “seeks to recognize institutions that are supporting a sustainable food system. Institutions can use their purchasing power to require transparency from their distributors and find out where the food comes from and how it was produced. Dining services can also support sustainable food systems by preventing food waste and diverting food materials from the waste stream, by making low impact dining options available, and by educating its customers about more sustainable options and practices.

Reducing Waste

UNH has many initiatives to reduce waste on campus, including the expansion of the composting program continually over the past five years, and UNH Dining's "Take Less, Waste Less" campaign, aimed at reducing food waste. There are some other great initiatives to reduce waste, going “strawless” and "trayless" and there are great reusable containers for taking out food from the dining halls and the Dairy Bar.

 

to go box with sandwich

Green Restaurant Certification

Both of our dining halls, Holloway Commons and Philbrook Hall, earned 4 out of 4 stars from the Green Restaurant Association in 2023. Previously, they held 3 stars. This makes UNH one of only two universities in the U.S. where all dining halls have 4 stars. UNH Catering and the Dairy Bar also earned 3 stars. This means that the food we serve is healthy, local and sustainable, and the way we operate the buildings is also sustainable – not only in terms of energy, but also in our cleaning products, waste generation and disposal.

the Dairy Bar

Fighting Food Insecurity

Multiple programs are aimed at ensuring no Wildcat has to go hungry, including the Swipe It Forward program, our new campus food pantry, Cats' Cupboard, and the Student Emergency Financial Assistance Fund, which provides undergraduate and graduate students who are unable to meet essential expenses due to a temporary or unexpected hardship with short-term financial assistance.

dining hall serving food

Sustainable & Local Foods

From our status as a Fair Trade Campus and production of our own food from campus farms to our commitment to purchasing local and organic, UNH is a leader in sourcing sustainable food, contributing to supporting our state's agriculture economy and our sustainable culture at UNH. 

decorative text that reads Local UNH Dining