Policy principles of student restaurants on campus

The overall well-being of faculty and staff, and students features prominently in the Aalto University policy concerning the student restaurants on campus. Well-being and health are promoted in the menus served while best practices are also followed. Various service providers operate as student restaurants around campus. Service-provider principles take responsibility for sustainable development while also considering social responsibility and ethical sustainability. Kela’s recommendations and provisions on subsidised meals for students play a central role in their operations.

Focus areas of Aalto's restaurant services include the following:

General principles:

1. Student restaurants support the strategy and values of Aalto University and the well-being of students and, faculty and staff.
2. The quality and the price of the meals are in balance. Feedback is collected on the restaurants and customer satisfaction is followed to ensure the quality of the food and dining experience.
3. A diverse range of student restaurants are available on campus in various buildings in the vicinity of classrooms and teaching. The facilities are pleasant, functional and fit for their purposes.

Sustainability

1. A key requirement for the restaurants is that they have a reduced environmental impact and amount of food waste, both of which must be clearly measurable. In the restaurants, customers are asked to take no more food than they eat, and a counter or similar means show the amount of bio-waste produced. Each restaurant has a clearly marked station for waste sorting and recycling. 
2. The restaurants track their consumption of energy and water, as these are the kitchens’ highest consumption items.
3. The restaurants also have responsibility programmes aimed at ensuring that their operations comply with sustainable development standards and support well-being. The restaurants actively inform the Aalto community about their responsibility programmes, targets and achieved goals. 

Well-being and variety of meals

1. The student menus offer a diverse range of foods and beverages and take in account special diets. Customers may choose fish, meat and vegetarian and/or vegan meals. The restaurants also hold special theme days and theme weeks. 
2. Restaurants prioritise the use of domestically produced ingredients and seasonal foods are shown prominently on the menus. 
3. Climate friendly foods and place of origin for meat and fish are clearly indicated, and the recommended meal options and vegetarian dishes are placed first in the service lines.

Further information:

• Campus restaurants and cafés | Aalto University
• Meal Subsidy (Kela in English) / Meal Recommendations for Higher Education Students (Kela in Finnish)
• Well-being and Ability to Study from Food - Meal Recommendations for Higher Education Students (pdf)