Food Matters®

Creative Dining Services provides thoughtful, high quality, nutritious food and exceptional service, with a focus on sustainability, because we believe FOOD MATTERS.

We create food and guest experiences that not only reflect the unique needs and values of the communities we serve, but help enrich values in partnership with our clients and customers.

We do this by encouraging our people to live our organization’s vision statement and to truly understand how food plays a role in the health of the communities we serve.

To that end, we have identified food and beverage standards that provide the nutritional and environmental integrity that we are proud to provide.

  • Serving produce that is fresh, frozen or packed in 100% juice
  • Offering whole grains at every meal
  • Providing milk that is free of added hormones
  • Offering Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance coffees and teas
  • Making lean proteins available at all meals
  • Being trans fat-free in the items that we prepare
  • Providing vegetarian and/or vegan items daily
  • Offering entrees that are prepared using healthy cooking methods
  • Practicing MSG-free cooking

 

Nutrition

 
NO MSG
Who needs it? We don't! There's no MSG added to any of the meals we prepare.
TRANS-FAT FREE
We are committed to cooking with only trans-fat free oils in our fryers and all other cooking practices.

VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN SELECTIONS
Whether you are a pescatarian, lacto-ovo vegetarian, vegan or flexitarian, we are committed to providing great menu options for you.
WELLNESS SELECTIONS
Our wellness selections meet the American Heart Association recommendations for low-fat, low-saturated fat, and low-sodium meal choices.

Nutrition Resources

Promoting good nutrition and health is a subject that Creative Dining Services fully supports. For your convenience, we have collected a variety of resources that you and your guests can use for further education about health and nutritional topics.

Sourcing

 
HORMONE FREE DAIRY
We are proud to partner with family-owned local dairies that do not use rBHG or rBST.
SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD
We utilize the Marine Stewardship Council to guide us in our selection of sustainably fished seafood.
GO LOCAL
Our definition of local is within 150 miles of you! We are proud to partner with local growers and artisans to bring you the freshest, in-season items possible while supporting the local economy.
FAIR TRADE AND RAINFOREST ALLIANCE
Whenever possible, we try to source coffees and teas that are Fair Trade or Rainforest Alliance certified.

Sustainability

 
FOOD WASTE
Composting is great, and utilized where it's available, but closely managing food production helps us limit the amount of food waste produced in our kitchens in a very meaningful way.

ENERGY AND WATER CONSERVATION
Kitchens can be one of the biggest water and energy users per square foot. We take steps to reduce water and energy usage through trayless dining, low-flow water outlets and strategic use of kitchen equipment.
GROW
Our sustainability program is based on increasing our knowledge and understanding of environmentally-friendly practices. We encourage sustainability through recycling and composting programs; earth-friendly disposable products; local purchasing; energy and water conservation.
EARTH FRIENDLY
We utilize a combination of recyclable, biodegradable, compostable, recycled content and disposable products to leave a smaller carbon footprint.
SEED
SEED (Sustainability and Ecological Engagement and Development) certification is achieved by foodservice operations that demonstrate significant commitment to sustainable operations, on a daily basis.

Grow Resources

Improving sustainability practices is an ongoing process. Creative Dining Services actively pursues sustainable initiatives on many levels, and we are continually looking to expand our knowledge and efforts. 

Here are the latest resources we’ve collected to help guide our sustainability efforts. 

       

Allergens

 
Tree Nuts
Soy
Shellfish
Peanuts
Milk & Dairy
Gluten
Fish
Eggs

Food allergies are a serious concern. Creative Dining Services is committed to identifying the presence of the eight major food allergens in the items that we serve.

  • Gluten
  • Seafood
  • Shellfish
  • Soy
  • Eggs
  • Milk/Dairy
  • Tree Nuts
  • Peanuts

Our employees are trained in working with food-allergic guests to make their dining experience not only safe, but enjoyable. Any guest who dines with us is encouraged to contact one of our managers to make sure there is a clear understanding of their needs.

For more information about our Allergen Awareness Program,
contact Jennifer Hinkle, RD,
Director of Wellness & Sustainability
nutrition@creativedining.com