From Our Dietitians: All Things Natural, Organic, and GMO-Free
Nutrition
The consumer demand to know what’s in food has become a movement in Congress known as the Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act, or Just Label It. Food can be marketed and labeled in many different ways, so we’ve broken down a few increasingly popular terms: natural, organic, and GMO-free. From regulatory definitions to label requirements, do you know the facts? Natural The term “natural” has no regulatory definition and no label requirements. The FDA is currently seeking comment from food...
International Cuisine: Lebanon
Articles
Join us as we continue to explore the traditional diet and popular dishes, kitchen equipment, and eating practices of other countries! This week, we visit Lebanon, a predominately urban Muslim country in the Middle East. The Diet and Popular Dishes: The Lebanese diet is heavy on produce, like tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, potatoes, spinach, chard, olives, citrus, grapes, apples, grape leaves, and chickpeas. They pair their fruits, veggies, and legumes with wheat, freekeh (toasted green wheat), and rice, as well as...
On Our Shelves: Kitchen Literacy
Articles
In Kitchen Literacy (2008), independent scholar Ann Vileisis examines “how we lost knowledge of where food comes from and why we need to get it back.” Through overarching historical narratives and attentive close-readings of primary sources like diaries, cookbooks, and advertisements, Vileisis addresses the scientific, political, and personal impact of America’s parabolic trajectory back to the land. The narrative begins in 1998, when Vileisis wonders where the food she’s getting at the store is really coming from—what’s its story...
Leadership Lessons from the Kitchen
From Our Chefs
If you’ve been out of school for a while, you might be astonished by the fast pace and high volume of lunch service. SAGE Teams can serve up to 1,000 students, faculty, and staff in only a few hours, and many students have as little as 30 minutes to get to the dining hall, select their meal and seating, clean up, and get back to class. This makes for a stressful environment back in the kitchen—so we wondered, how...
From Our Dietitians: Grass-Fed Dairy
Nutrition
Is it just us, or does it seem like there are new options every time you go to the store? Take milk, for example. There’s organic, soy, rice, and grass-fed milk—the last of which can cost two-and-a-half times more than regular milk! Is it worth the price? We’ve done the research for you so you can make an informed decision for your household. Label Meaning There isn’t a government-regulated claim for the term “grass-fed.” However, the American Grassfed Association...
Locally Sourced: Q&A with Liberty Delight’s Shane & Lauren
Purchasing, Locally Sourced
Following up on our post from Tuesday about SAGE's partnership with Liberty Delight, we talk with livestock farmer Shane and his partner and marketing guru Lauren about their circuitous paths to the farm, their day-to-day life, and how they keep their animals happy. Shane, how did you come to the farm? I grew up on a small farm in Carroll County, MD. I was your typical kid growing up on the farm, and getting to play with the animals. I was...
Locally Sourced: Liberty Delight Farms
Purchasing, Locally Sourced
In honor of Liberty Delight’s 10th anniversary, we’re celebrating our partnership. We’re proud to offer their meats at several MD schools and the SAGE Home Office. Liberty Delight, a natural livestock farm in Reisterstown, MD, was founded by Shane Hughes in 2008, right at the start of the buy-local movement. It’s grown from one man to a 15-person staff, and from only beef to include rabbit, pork, chicken, turkey, and lamb. Surrounded by natural preserve, the 100-acre farm has six...
On Our Shelves: Bee Wilson’s Consider the Fork
Articles
Food writer Bee Wilson’s 2012 Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat is a playful, fact-packed, and unabashedly scholarly narrative about the evolution of our culinary tools. Feminist by subject and presentation, the text is unafraid to find interest in the domestic and traditionally female task of preparing food. Wilson begins by reminding us that “every age has its technology.” Stone or sous vide, every new invention enables another, creating new problems to be overcome...
About Us
At SAGE Dining Services®, our unparalleled expertise in nutrition, sustainability, and culinary trends produces exceptional dining experiences that delight the senses, inspire minds, and foster community.
