Vanier College Bans Sale of Fried Food and Soft Drink on Campus

MONTREAL, Sept. 10, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Vanier College and the Vanier College Students' Association (VCSA) are pleased to announce that Vanier has banned the sales of fried foods and soft drinks on campus. Both of these measures are designed to promote better eating habits and promote healthier lifestyle choices.

"Vanier is proud to be one of the few colleges in Quebec to ban the sale of both fried foods and soft drinks. Colleges are ideal locations to promote young adult health and with these new orientations we are committed to providing healthier meals to our community," said Mr. Normand W. Bernier, Director General of Vanier College.

"Eating well is certainly one of the best habits to acquire for being healthy throughout life," said the Mayor of Saint-Laurent, Mr. Alan DeSousa. "Congratulations to Vanier College and its partners for taking this health-oriented approach, an initiative which I am certain will be very well received by students and employees alike."  

Vanier's decision to move towards offering healthier eating choices to students, faculty and staff, coincides with the college's decision to sign a five-year agreement with Chartwells- Compass, which is now overseeing the administration of the cafeteria and food preparation at the college.

"Chartwells is proud to support Vanier College as it pursues its push towards offering healthier foods. We are pleased to offer a number of fresh choices such as a salad bar, a mouth-watering international grill, a counter offering flavourful sautéed options and a counter with Italian dishes etc.  As well, Vanier College will now have a Subway Sandwich store on campus to choose from. We are very excited and looking forward to students enjoying all of these new food options'" said Anne Lebrun, Dietician and Chartwells District Manager for universities and colleges in Québec.

"Young people spend a large part of their day at the College so it's a place that should make healthy choices easy," states Caroline Dubeau, Regional Executive Director, Quebec, East and North-East Ontario for the Dietitians of Canada. "One way of helping young adults make better eating choices is to make sure healthy choices are available in the cafeteria."

The decision to not sell fried foods and soft drinks on campus was approved by the Vanier College administration as well as the Vanier College Students' Association (VCSA).

"It's hard to deny that fried foods and soft drinks are enjoyable on occasion however today's students have become more aware of the health risks of these types of foods. That is why the VCSA fully supports the ban of fried foods and soft drinks on campus. This is only the beginning of our community's move towards an environment that promotes healthy choices and encourages sustainability as the VCSA will also be providing healthier alternatives to students this semester with the opening of a Co-op Café," said Majed Abou Alkir, VCSA President.

The ban on fried foods and soft drinks at Vanier is the latest in a series of decisions designed to promote social awareness and sustainability at the college. For example, Vanier has already adopted new guidelines for drinking water on campus that includes a policy that prevents the sale and purchase of bottled water while also promoting the use of municipal tap water. At the same time, earlier this year Vanier College launched a community garden to increase the profile of sustainability while providing a showcase for growing food. 

"There are many opportunities for learning at a college, including how to eat a healthier diet. Good nutrition is inextricably linked to choice as well as balance, and a healthy diet is a balance of different foods, so I'm proud of Vanier's decision to take these things into account in terms of the types of meals we will be offering," said Mr. Bernier.

SOURCE: Vanier College

Source: Marguerite Corriveau, Vanier Communications, [phone] ext. 7596; Information: Majed Abou Alkhir, VCSA, [phone] ext. 7065; Anne Lebrun, Chartwells, [phone] ext. 254; Geneviève Bouchard, Media relations, Ville de Montreal, Borough of St. Laurent, [phone] ext. 4058; Caroline Dubeau, Regional Executive Director, Quebec, East and North-East Ontario, Dietitians of Canada, [phone]