At Restaurant Associates’ 181 Café, a corporate account in Cambridge, Mass., appealing meals to go are a sign of the times. Here, the fresh, zesty and on-trend Middle Eastern spice, za’atar, gives chicken salad a cool new vibe.
Tofu burrito bowl
Also at RA’s 181 Café, this bowl incorporates several big food trends of 2020: grab-and-go cuisine, meals in a bowl and plant-based eating.
Bacon double cheeseburger
Plant-based is great, but for some customers, a beefy burger is just what the doctor ordered in these trying times, as seen here on Texas Tech’s takeout menu. This illustrates another dominating food trend of this year: comfort food.
Cheesy quesadilla
Accompanied by fresh guac, this is another to-go option from Texas Tech.
Eggplant Parm
A plant-forward (and comfort classic!) menu item, this eggplant Parm at Penn State University is ready to travel.
Snacky cups
Sodexo’s Simply To Go program, seen here at Brandeis University, offers sweet and savory snacks, like these cheese and pepperoni cups.
Antipasta skewers
At Michigan State University, the dining team has created many on-the-go meals, including this sophisticated snack box of skewers with kalamata olives, marinated artichoke hearts, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, pesto and Parmesan.
Halal chicken bowl
With grains, greens and the flavors of New York-style halal chicken, this bowl at Michigan State University is super portable and healthy, too. Michigan State has found success with “take, heat and eat” meals as well.
Spring rolls and veggie lo mein
Also at Michigan State, these Asian grab-and-go entrees are just the thing to spice up the takeout routine.
Poke to go
Poke bowls have risen to the top of menu items in terms of higher-ed accounts and essential manufacturing plants where American Dining Creations (ADC) makes the food.
The return of composed salads
As salad bars became a casualty of the ongoing pandemic, operators have gotten creative and we’ve seen the return of chef-composed salads, like these, offered by Restaurant Associates at corporate accounts.
Leafy green composed salad
At Central Washington University (CWU), composed salads are a vibrant part of the Fresh Bar concept.
Couscous salad
Another example of a refreshing summer salad at CWU’s Fresh Bar.
Vegan salad
This hearty vegan salad is composed and ready to go by Sodexo at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, N.Y.
Steak with chimichurri sauce
The bright, herbal presence of chimichurri sauce brings global flavor to these steaks at the University of North Texas.
Salmon meal
Wellness-focused grab and go is ramping up at Duke University, as the dining team gets ready to welcome (some) students back to campus this fall.
