Key Takeaways:

• Protein served at the three UCLA dining halls usually has around five grams of protein per ounce, so reaching the daily recommended protein consumption level is dependent on the serving size. 
• UCLA creates balanced dishes at every dining hall, so reaching the daily calorie requirements is possible as long as students are mindful of their dining decisions.

While UCLA offers balanced meals across all three dining halls, students’ ability to meet daily calorie and protein needs depends on their portion sizes and personal choices. 

Now entering its seventh consecutive year of being the number one dining hall in the nation, UCLA’s dining options on the Hill for residents on meal plans consist of three all-you-can-eat style restaurants, as well as nine quick-service takeout-style options. 

Bruin Plate, more commonly known as B-Plate, is known for its healthy and sustainable selection of foods. De Neve, on the other hand, focuses more on introducing dishes from cuisines originating from North, Central and South America. Meanwhile, Epicuria at Covel consists of Mediterranean-inspired dishes, including pasta dishes, spiced protein options and buffet bars. 

The Stack analyzed the nutritional information from UCLA Dining’s diverse options to determine any notable health disparities between the three all-you-can-eat dining halls. 

Daily Consumption Needs

According to the US Food & Drug Administration, an average person should consume around 2,000 calories a day. This estimate varies based on an individual’s age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity level. 

While the nutrition information for dishes is not displayed within the restaurant itself, UCLA Dining provides information regarding each food item on their website. This includes basic nutritional information, such as calorie and macro counts, as well as specific details, such as vitamin and mineral concentrations. 

How Many Plates?

Each dining hall serves different types of chicken thighs, which are a common protein source for students. The FDA recommends 50 grams of protein a day in a 2,000-calorie diet, which could be increased among students who get more physical activity or often go to the gym. For these specific chicken thighs, the overall protein per ounce remains relatively the same at 5.0 to 5.1 grams of protein per ounce. 

Students are often handed a plate with one chicken thigh rather than serving themselves. As a result, the protein consumed is dependent on the portion size of the chicken. To reach the daily 50-gram protein recommendation, one would need to get 4.5 plates of Epicuria at Covel’s Grilled Dijon Chicken Thigh in a day, 3.4 plates of De Neve’s Pineapple Marinated Chicken Thigh in a day, and 6.4 plates of B-Plate’s Fresh Herb Marinated Grilled Chicken Thigh in a day. 

As the protein content per ounce is relatively the same, these plate amounts differ because each plate has different serving portions. This disparity is even greater if a student wants to integrate more protein into their diet. 

Justin Ngyuen, a first-year undeclared engineering student, said he finds protein consumption a major factor in determining where to eat. 

“I try to make sure I eat enough protein and to eat enough calories, because there’s a lot of walking to get to class and get back to my dorm,” Ngyuen said. 

Nguyen said B-Plate was his favorite dining hall. 

“They always have some good type of protein and healthy food,” Nguyen said.

Students, however, must also consider other nutritional factors when consuming protein. While other factors remain relatively similar, the sodium content for each chicken differs. 

For 50 grams of protein, Epicuria at Covel’s Grilled Dijon Chicken Thigh is about 810 milligrams of sodium, De Neve’s Pineapple Marinated Chicken Thigh is about 550 milligrams of sodium and B-Plate’s Fresh Herb Marinated Grilled Chicken Thigh is about 315 milligrams of sodium. 

Though the FDA recommends 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, experts from the American Heart Association suggest consuming a maximum of 1,500 milligrams of sodium daily. 

Joey Martin, UCLA’s executive chef, said UCLA Dining aims to reduce fats and sugars in their cooking – but it is not always easy to do so. 

“It’s different in every location because of the cuisine we’re serving, but we do try to balance it out,” Martin said. 

What Goes Into a Dish?

While students’ needs are different, UCLA dining conducts a careful screening of each menu item. They go into the research development process, where they examine the overall look of the dish and how it’s going to be served in each dining hall. 

In addition, they use an analytical processing software called Jamix, which evaluates the nutritional aspects of menu items. The system returns dietary factors, such as calorie counts and fats. If there are any numbers that are too high, they try to revise the dish to make it healthier. 

Some UCLA students cite the importance of individual decisions in maintaining a healthy diet. 

“I think you can eat anywhere, really, and what matters is what you’re picking up or putting on your plate,” said Anastasia Levents Fedortsova, a third-year political science student. 

While she doesn’t pay much attention to caloric intake, she emphasized the need to be attentive to the body’s natural cues.

Sample Meals

With the variety that individual dining halls offer in every setting, it can be difficult to decide what to eat – especially if a student comes in with specific nutritional goals to reach. The above shows an example plate that would fulfill each nutritional component for a 2,000-calorie diet. 

For breakfast and lunch, the United States Department of Agriculture recommends people eat around 500 calories each. For dinner, the USDA recommends people eat around 600 calories. Around 400 calories could be consumed through snacks throughout the day or through increasing consumption during lunch or dinner. 

To meet the daily nutritional requirements as specified by the FDA, an example plate for breakfast at De Neve would consist of the Bruin Scramble, oatmeal, a mini croissant, watermelon, and cantaloupe, totaling around 500 calories. It is important to note that Epicuria at Covel does not serve breakfast, so the calorie count for Epicuria at Covel does not reach 2,000. 

Regardless of which dining hall students choose to go to, it is still possible to eat healthy. 

“I think we do a good job now, but I got to analyze it more to make sure that we do have a balanced meal served every day,” Martin said. 

Conclusion

The overall nutrition of student meals is dependent on individuals themselves, since they are the ones who choose where they eat and what they consume. While UCLA Dining provides students with a wide variety of different foods, they are there as support for students’ needs and decisions. 

“It’s creating new experiences or creating those moments for the students that they really like,” Martin said.

About the Data:

Data regarding calories and nutritional information was gathered from the UCLA Dining website for each restaurant.