Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes

This nutritious autumn combo is found on West Virginia University (WVU)’s Sodexo Mindful line. WVU’s dining team has recently made a push for more plant-based menu items.

Simple and safe

Though the pandemic has changed foodservice, you can’t forget your customers who need special diets to stay healthy. Sodexo’s Simple Servings platform offers meals free from top allergens milk, eggs, wheat, soy, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts and gluten.

Quinoa skillet

Since quinoa packs a more complete protein punch than other grains, it’s really become a go-to in wellness cuisine, shown here at WVU.

Mindful barbeque-pesto salmon

A new menu item from Sodexo’s Mindful collection. This goes to show that salmon can stand up to bold flavors.

Mindful Chesapeake cakes

Offering more seafood is so appealing when it’s in the form of crab cakes.

Mindful Spiced Moroccan kebab bowl

This kebob bowl is a great example of how handy bowls are coming in for foodservice, and how versatile they can be: a complete, healthy meal that’s easy to grab and go.

Pumpkin pho

Dusty Cooper, CEC, director of culinary operations and corporate chef at Johns Hopkins Health System, worked with Kikkoman to develop this pumpkin pho with ginger-hoisin broth, which lends itself to fresh garnishes like Thai basil, red onion slivers, jalapeno pepper slices and bean sprouts. Get the recipe here.

Smoothies take wellness to go

SUNY Plattsburgh’s new Kent Café opened during the pandemic and has been making portable, healthy eats a priority, and there’s a selection of smoothies, no longer a trend, but now a reliable breakfast/snack staple.

Seniors being well

Elior North America’s BeWell program, used by many Cura culinary teams at senior living, is used to engage residents and hospital staff with fun ways to learn about nutrition and its connection to wellness. Cura Chef Dennis Rivera does a monthly BeWell live cooking show for residents in the lobby of Phoebe Ministries at the Terrace in Allentown, Pa.

Salmon plus turmeric equals wellness appetizers

Chef Rivera and Mark Gellert, director of dining services at Phoebe Ministries, prepared and presented mini salmon-turmeric-almond cakes with blackberry spinach salad for residents to enjoy. Turmeric adds a gorgeous golden color to whatever you cook, along with its healing properties, a win-win.

Spaghetti squash is a secret wellness weapon

Another wellness win at Phoebe Ministries was the spaghetti squash demo and sample session, which combined spaghetti squash’s carb-free strands with Tuscan seasonings and kale, another nutritional powerhouse.

Plant of Action

Another BeWell event by Cura, Plant of Action features veggie-forward and gluten-free options at Holy Redeemer Health System at Meadowbrook. These grilled paninis were stuffed with yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant and red peppers with guacamole and mozzarella on gluten-free flatbread. Also featured were white bean “meatballs” made with white beans, oats, garlic cloves, beans, basil, thyme, oregano, lemon juice and nutritional yeast.

Chicken larb with grapes

If larb (Southeast Asian meat-based salad) isn’t in your repertoire, it could be time to give it a try. With grab-and-go serving styles making bowls the MVP, larb can change things up, as in this bowl from California Table Grapes, which includes chicken larb with rice, cilantro, mint, red onion, fish sauce, lime juice and crunchy roasted peanuts on top.