The farm-to-table movement — or more aptly the farm-to-cafeteria movement — is in full swing at UC San Diego Health, and with it a phytonutrient-rich rainbow of meal options for patients, visitors and employees.
“The emphasis on local produce is about offering the freshest, best-tasting foods to our patients,” said Chris McCracken, director of nutrition services at UC San Diego Health. “It is also about health and supporting the University of California’s broad sustainability efforts.”
Last year, UC San Diego Health’s two cafeterias — The Cove at Thornton Hospital and The Arbor Café at Hillcrest Medical Center — sourced 50 percent of its fruits and vegetables from local farms as per UC guidelines, up from 43 percent the year prior. About 18 percent of total food spending last year met UC’s sustainable food guidelines — only 2 percentage points shy of the UC’s goal of 20 percent by 2020 for all campuses and medical centers.