How Do We Operate During a Blizzard?

After 2+ days of unrelenting snow, winter storm Juno has finally subsided and a sense of normalcy should return to campus tomorrow. We were happy to be able to keep all the hungry students fed – more than 6,300 of you on Tuesday alone(!) – but what exactly goes in to keeping dining locations open during a major snowstorm?

First, we are always looking ahead at weather forecasts for any potential major disruptions, be it snowstorms in the winter or hurricanes in the summer. Once the predictions for 24-30 inches of snow began last weekend, we started loading up on certain items in our daily deliveries from our suppliers. This is the first key to staying open as we were able to continue operating during the storm with all the essential food items we needed, even as our typical daily deliveries were unable to reach us due to the traffic ban.

Secondly, our incredible staff members that were able to reach campus during the storm, either by walking from their homes or staying in local hotels, allowed our operations to run smoothly given all the external factors at play. We are incredibly grateful for the dedication they showed to the University this week and we definitely heard – and passed along – all of your kind words to our staff that you sent in on social media.

Finally, the staff of the University is always an integral part of this process. From working with us on Monday to determine the hours of operation deemed appropriate with this kind of storm to the incredible teams at Facilities and NUPD keeping the roads and sidewalks safe, it is a campus-wide effort that allows us to operate, especially during snowstorms, and we couldn't be prouder of the staff members we work alongside every day.

So finish up that homework you've been putting off for two days and we'll see you back in the dining halls for breakfast tomorrow morning!

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SNOW DAY! And 4 Snowy Food Facts

Hello Huskies! Hope you've been staying safe and warm while enjoying your snow day. Changes to our hours of operation are being posted to our website as well as our Twitter and Facebook pages so be sure to check those out for updates throughout this snowy Tuesday.

With the serious info out of the way, we're here to have some fun too. In between Netflix binge-watching sessions, how about some interesting snow-related food facts?

1. Hostess Sno Balls are actually upside-down Hostess CupCakes
You know them as those pink or white shredded coconut and marshmallow delicacies, but since the 1950s, the inner cakes have been manufactured exactly the same way as their chocolate icing-covered CupCake counterparts.¹

2. Canada is much more than snow
Our snowy neighbor to the north is actually the 5th largest agricultural exporter in the world. Canada also produces 85% of the world's maple syrup so whether you enjoy it on French toast at brunch or spaghetti during Christmas, there's a good chance you have Canada to thank for it.²

3. Ice cream helps drive the U.S. dairy industry
While you may or may not be eating ice cream while trying to stay warm today, this frozen treat is a favorite of dairy farmers across the country. About 9 percent of all the milk produced by dairy farmers in the United States is used to produce ice cream, generating total revenues of $10 billion in 2010.³

4. Commercial ice production is a very real thing
Despite what you saw at the beginning of Frozen, today's commercial ice industry has evolved from the days of slicing and collecting giant ice blocks from frozen lakes. According to the 2002 U.S. census, 426 commercial ice-making companies in the country generated a combined $595,487,000 in shipments that year.⁴

Stay safe everyone!

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What's New in 2015

Happy New Year Huskies!

John from the Northeastern Dining marketing team here with an update on some of the exciting things we have planned for you this year.

If this is your first time visiting our blog – welcome! – but if you are a repeat reader, you may have noticed this fancy new layout that not only looks great but is adaptive to any device size. This is just one example of our marketing team trying to stay on the cutting edge of technology. From designing unique, eye-catching advertisements for our digital screens across campus to introducing new social media channels to our portfolio, we are always looking to stay in touch with you in new ways. And speaking of new social media, you can now follow "nudining" on Snapchat! We’ll be having some fun showing you emoji-filled exclusive looks at Northeastern Dining – and maybe throwing in a contest here and there (…but you didn’t hear that from me).

When it comes to events, spring semester is always a busy one for us. We are still celebrating the Xhibition Kitchen’s 10th anniversary and have some exciting cooking demonstrations that are free and open to the public, including:

• Wednesday, February 4 (12 pm) – From Bean to Cup with Starbucks
• Wednesday, February 11 (12 pm) – The Cabot Creamery Cookbook with Margarita Martinez 
• Wednesday, February 11 (6 pm) – Valentine's Day Baking with Amie Smith 
• Wednesday, March 25 (12 pm) – Life From Scratch by Sasha Martin 
• Wednesday, April 1 (12 pm) – Cake My Day! by Karen Tack & Alan Richardson

And for those of you sticking around for the beginning of the summer semester, or who just live or work in the area, our first-ever summer Xhibition Kitchen cookbook signing is happening on Tuesday, May 12 with April Bloomfield, a James Beard Award winner for Best Chef: New York City and the recipient of a Michelin star at two New York City restaurants: The Spotted Pig and Breslin. And for all you Food Network fans, April also earned the highest score of any single challenger in Iron Chef America history.

With all this new excitement, we can’t forget about our upcoming signature events, including Mardi Gras on February 17, the return of Lobstah Night in March, and Educate Your Palate in April. Finally, be sure to connect with us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to let us know what you think about these events or just to show us what you had for lunch today – we love to see it all!

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New Year’s Resolutions Worth Keeping

While any time is a good time to start a new healthy habit, the start of the New Year seems to be one of the most popular. If one of your goals for 2015 is to become a healthier version of yourself, some well-planned resolutions can help you get there.

Top Healthy Habits

Changing our habits can seem like a big undertaking, but there are many small things that

together can add up to big results. Some of the most popular strategies to improve overall

health include getting enough sleep, starting off the day with breakfast and eating foods that

have been prepared from fresh, whole ingredients. If we look at strategies used by those who

have successfully improved their health, these trends may be headed in the right direction. Of

people who have successfully lost and kept weight off, almost all made changes in both their

eating and exercise habits, with eating breakfast, daily exercise and minimizing television

viewing being among the most popular habits adopted.

How to choose?

When it comes to resolutions, less is often more. Picking one or two changes that you can

stick with long term is a better strategy than making a long list that you give up on before

the end of January. Taking a close look at your current habits is a good place to start when

deciding on the best goals for you. Online tools like Supertracker and apps like MyFitnessPal

or Lose it can give you a quick idea of where you stand with both your food and exercise

behaviors and will give you a way to track how you do with your resolutions. If you need more

personalized advice, speaking to a Registered Dietitian can be very helpful.

How to make your resolution last

Change can be difficult, which is why so many of us give up on our resolutions as quickly

as we make them. Set yourself up for success by making your resolutions easy to keep. If one

of your goals is to eat more vegetables, make sure you have them around you whenever you

are eating. Keep them on hand at home for snacking and cooking, choose to eat at places

that you know offer a variety of delicious vegetable dishes and ask friends for their favorite

veggie recipes.

REFERENCES:

1. “Culture of Wellness 2013” report, The Hartman Group. Available at http://www.hartman-group.com.

2. The National Weight Control Registry. Available at http://www.nwcr.ws/.

Written by Jennifer M. Ignacio, MS, RD.

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