UCLA Dining Services should do more to provide kosher and halal options on the Hill, a change Jewish and Muslim students on campus are pushing for.
Students from the Jewish and Muslim student unions met with dining representatives on the Hill in January to advocate for more kosher and halal foods, which are prepared to meet certain requirements of these religions’ laws, for on-campus residents.
The groups said there are hundreds of students, if not more, who would benefit from more kosher and halal options on the Hill, and suggested solutions to help students identify and increase the food they can eat, like incorporating halal and kosher foods into new dining halls on the Hill.
This board encourages UCLA Dining to seriously consider both long-term and short-term plans that address the needs of these students.
Dining Services is currently researching some options for meeting these students’ needs, said UCLA spokeswoman Alison Hewitt.
One easy fix would be to identify the food in the dining halls that is already kosher. Some of the food in the dining halls is kosher but unlabeled, said Raquel Saxe, a fourth-year political science student and co-president of the Jewish Student Union. Labeling these items would make it easier for students to identify kosher options, and would come at a low cost to UCLA.
The larger issue, though, is the limited number of kosher and halal options available to students.
For some students on the Hill, their meal plans go to waste because they are unable to eat the food served because of their dietary restrictions.
Students can purchase a kosher sandwich in Bruin Café, but there are a limited number available and are expensive compared to other options, Saxe said.
There are Muslim students, meanwhile, who only eat vegetarian dishes on the Hill and can only eat meat when they are at home or by spending more money in certain Westwood eateries, said Kashif Iqbal, a second-year biology student and member of the Muslim Students Association. One option the students presented to increase protein-rich halal options is to have a seafood option in the dining halls every day.
We acknowledge that adding kosher and halal options would probably require UCLA to partner with outside food providers, which could increase the university’s costs but would also provide more options for students with dietary restrictions.
This board also encourages students with dietary restrictions to take steps to increase their dining options on the Hill if they feel that the lack of options is preventing them from achieving a balanced diet. There are dining hall tours available for Jewish students who want to see what food is prepared kosher, and students can also meet with a UCLA nutritionist.
Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the editorial board.