OKLAHOMA CITY — The first-known college campus raw vegan food station in the country will open for business Oct. 25 at OCU. The cafeteria is open to the public.
The OCU Cafeteria, operated by the hospitality company Sodexo, installed the station during Fall Break to offer healthier dining options to students and the campus community.
“We’ve made several recent changes in our menu options to promote students’ health, but this is certainly the biggest,” said Kelli Keegan, director of operations for OCU Dining Services. “Students, and their parents, should rest easy in knowing that they’ll be able to get tasty and nutritious meals.”
Having the daily raw vegan options also would be a good recruiting tool for the university, Keegan said. She said she hopes it becomes known as the best college in the country for vegetarian students.
The 105degrees Café and Academy in Classen Curve is helping OCU get started with its new dining offerings. Megan Massoth, academy director, will run the raw vegan station Oct. 25 with her Pad Thai recipe. The cafeteria will schedule other guest chefs from the restaurant to work shifts at OCU during the school year.
The university’s concept came as a result of an idea from Keegan and Brett Wheat-Simms, Sodexo’s regional labor specialist. After visiting 105degrees, the two became fans of the cuisine and began experimenting on their own.
“We loved the food and the fact that it retains more of its nutritional value than other cooking methods,” Keegan said.
The new station adds to other recent offerings for OCU Dining Services including the use of fair-trade coffee and tea, organic vegetables and gluten-free grains. It is also the first university in the state to exclusively use cage-free eggs. The cafeteria began using fresh ingredients like basil, thyme and peppers from OCU’s new community garden this summer.
Along with the new raw vegan station, Keegan will introduce a fresh juice station. The chefs will make a special flavor mix each day. The cafeteria also will have almond, rice and soy milk available.
The cafeteria is open to the public with an all-you-can-eat format for $6.95. Each day’s menu includes a grill station, sandwich counter, hot entree special, pizza, dessert counter and a salad bar.
Although OCU will still have its traditional food options available, Keegan said the raw vegan station enhances the menu for vegetarians.
“We had a great variety before, and now it’s even better,” she said. “There’s something in the OCU Cafeteria for everyone no matter their diet or taste preference.”
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