Food and Nutrition
Eating a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean and plant-based proteins, and healthy fats not only promotes overall good health and weight control but also provides you with essential nutrients that can keep you energized throughout the day.
Office of Work/Life Resources
The Office of Work/Life develops and offers programs and initiatives designed to help you eat a healthful diet- one that focuses on foods and beverages that promote health and prevent chronic disease.
The Healthier Columbia Food and Beverage Initiative offers food, beverage and nutrition recommendations that foster a healthier eating pattern for the Columbia community. Resources are available to support better food and beverage choices in various food environments.
The EAT 5 Initiative is designed to help you integrate more fruits and vegetables into your diet and get you closer to reaching the goal of eating five cups per day. Eating 5 cups of fruits and vegetables daily provides nutrients vital for the health and maintenance of the body, may protect against chronic conditions like heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and can promote an overall healthy weight.
This initiative offers a series of nutrition workshops designed to help participants increase fruits and vegetable intake to get closer to reaching the goal of eating five cups per day. Each workshop offers an interactive nutrition discussion, food demonstration with tasty samples, take home recipes, and more. Sessions are available to individual departments and schools or buildings within the university.
To learn more or schedule a session in your school/department, please fill out this brief form.
As part of the EAT 5 Initiative, meal planning guides are available to support good nutrition, energy, and overall well-being.
EAT 5 Breakfast Guide
Start your day with key foods, including whole grains, to support energy, concentration, and mood.
EAT 5 Lunch Guide
Recharge midday with an EAT 5 lunch, to keep you buzzing through the afternoon.
EAT 5 Dinner Guide
End the day with a nutritious dinner, rich in essential nutrients to promote good sleep, and overall well-being.
EAT 5 Holiday Sides Cookbook
Celebrate the holidays the EAT 5 way with these recipes for delicious side dishes.
As part of the EAT 5 Initiative, recipes are available to help you get closer to the goal of eating five cups of fruits and vegetables each day.
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:
Soup, Salad, and Sides:
Snacks:
Eating more sustainably can be healthier for you and the planet, and can even help support your community. Review the Sustainable Eating Made Easy Guide for tips on how to get started.
The secret to adding flavor, color, and antioxidants to meals is simple— try spices! By using spices, you can significantly reduce your salt intake, diversify your meals, and explore flavors from around the world.
Get started with the Spice Exploration Guide!
The Nourishing Mom and Baby guide is designed to help women make informed food choices and prepare for the nutritional demands of pregnancy and lactation. This comprehensive guide shares pre- and postnatal nutrition guidance, meal planning tips, and tasty recipes to support maternal and child health.
Columbia University Resources
Besides our own programs and initiatives, you can also get involved with these other Columbia programs and resources.
Columbia Green Market and Fort Washington Green Market
GrowNYC ‘s farmers markets are available at two campus locations, offering fresh, healthy, and local food to the Columbia community.
Join a direct-to-consumer year-round, CSA-modeled, flexible subscription-based farmshare supporting small and mid-sized farms. Each week you will receive 6-7 types of seasonal produce (fruits, vegetables, herbs) and the option to add on items (dairy, hummus, and kombucha) for just $25. Each Share always comes with at least one fruit and one green. Weekly pick-up is available in Morningside Heights.
Find a number of Columbia Dining resources including a Healthy Eating Guide and tools to help you eat healthier both on and off campus.
Wellness Coaching is a healthy lifestyle program available to Columbia University medical plan participants and dependents at no additional cost. Work with a virtual wellness coach to help you eat better, move more, and lose weight.
To learn more or to enroll, call a United Healthcare Wellness Coach at 800-478-1057 or visit this website.
Discover ways to prioritize mindful eating and build some healthy habits with HR’s nutrition page. https://humanresources.columbia.edu/content/mindful-eating-and-nutrition
Columbia University employees and dependents covered under the university’s medical plan may be eligible for coverage for nutrition counseling with a Registered Dietitian.
For more information or to learn if you are eligible, call United Healthcare at 800-232-9357.
External Resources
Looking for more? Here are resources outside of Columbia.
- Learn more about the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and find many resources that can help you improve your health.
- Access the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Guide to Healthy Eating & Active Living in NYC and other healthy eating resources for you and your family.
- Try Meatless Monday recipes supporting a global movement with a simple message: once a week, cut the meat.
- Engage in a weekly opportunity to cook and eat as a family with support from Kid’s Cook Monday- try family friendly recipes, educational resources, and a family cooking toolkit.
- Review the National Institutes of Health’s fact sheets on multivitamin/mineral dietary supplements and herbs/botanicals— learn common names, what the science says, potential side effects and cautions, and resources for more information.
- Visit the American Diabetes Association for information on nutrition guidelines for those with diabetes, as well as healthy recipes and tips for healthy restaurant eating.
- Discover mindful eating and easy portion size tips with a useful serving size chart!