Lunch at many of the dining halls was a little out of the ordinary Tuesday. In the second annual Eat Local Challenge, chefs at Hill, Kings Court and 1920 Commons cooked meals using only ingredients that came from within 150 miles of Philadelphia.
We support Penn Dining’s commitment to local food growers and sustainable and healthy eating. And we think students should consider where their food comes from as well. But the Eat Local Challenge missed the mark because it took eating local so rigidly that it was a turnoff for students.
Not only were all grains, fruits, vegetables and proteins local, but so were all spices, beverages and condiments. Gone were basics such as ketchup, sugar, soda, coffee and tea.
Diners found some of these differences to be a little too jarring and noticed them more than they did any change in the main food. It’s a testament to the quality of the chefs and the versatility of local ingredients that many students were initially unaware of the food restrictions. However, the good feelings toward eating local were ruined somewhat by Penn Dining’s desire for students to eat exclusively local products.
Students often grab food without giving a second thought to its environmental impact. Any effort to promote sustainable eating, then, could make a difference and get students to stop and think. For next year’s event, it would be to Penn Dining’s benefit to be less restrictive with its definition of eating locally grown foods.
