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Rollins Among the Nation’s Best Colleges for Food

The Daily Meal has ranked Rollins No. 43 in the country in its annual survey of best colleges for good grub.

October 25, 2018

Rollins students enjoy fresh tacos outside the Cornell Cafe.
Curtis Shaffer ’22

Rollins was recently ranked No. 1 in Florida and No. 43 in the nation on The Daily Meal’s annual list of the 75 Best Colleges for Food in America. This is the fourth time the College has been recognized with this honor.

Editors at The Daily Meal—a go-to resource for recipes, entertaining ideas, and all the latest food news—judged schools on several criteria, including health, sustainability, service and accessibility, nutrition education, and the X factor, which includes all the little extras that show how the school goes above and beyond to deliver the best food possible to its campus community.

The Daily Meal credits Rollins for making students’ health the name of the dining game, educating students about eating and living well and offering opportunities to meet a dietician, take cooking classes with the executive chef, and enter a mindful eating program. The website says a greater attention to feedback, advances in technology, an emphasis on healthy options, and environmental awareness have all taken a front-row seat when it comes to students’ and parents’ expectations of college dining.

Rollins employee serving pizza from wood-fired pizza oven
Scott Cook

Rollins was recognized for its variety of options—everything from fresh sushi and Starbucks coffee to a juice and smoothie bar—and for exclusively purchasing ingredients from certified vendors with sustainable distribution practices. Rollins was the first college in the state of Florida to earn a Fair Trade College designation.

Menu options highlighted include diver scallops, ginger tofu stir-fry, shrimp Portofino, and chipotle chicken Veracruz. From a scattering of cafes across campus to the main Skillman Dining Hall in the Campus Center to the pub-style restaurant Dave’s Boathouse, there’s something for everyone at every time of day.

Chef putting a pepperoni pizza into an oven.

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