This program is designed for students interested in healthy nutrition, focusing on local food, and entering the fast-paced world of food service operations. With a unique focus on health care and related settings and incorporating and accessing local food within the lens of urban agriculture, students will learn to work collaboratively with interprofessional health care teams to manage the nutritional needs of a diverse range of clients.
Students will learn in the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food’s (Weston Centre) state-of-the-art labs, classrooms and culinary facilities, the Barrett Centre of Innovation in Sustainable Urban Agriculture’s (Barrett Centre) urban farm and the full-service teaching restaurant, Bistro ’67.
Through unique hands-on learning opportunities led by expert faculty members, students will collaborate with other DC agriculture and culinary programs on several projects, such as growing produce in the Barrett Centre’s urban farm, planning healthy menus and preparing food in the Weston Centre’s culinary labs.
Developed in response to growing food insecurity needs in many communities, this program prepares students to think critically and creatively, combining nutrition and food service knowledge in order to source and incorporate locally-produced food into health care menus.
Students will develop a thorough understanding of the food service industry, including accounting, finance, management, organizational leadership, supply chain management, communication and customer service, culinary, and food and nutritional sciences to support a wide range of clients’ dietary needs.
Graduates of this program will be prepared to work in accordance with relevant industry, organizational and legal standards, and adhere to best practices for health, safety, sanitation, quality assurance and client satisfaction.
PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Plan menus to accommodate nutritional, dietary and medical needs, cultural and religious requirements and personal preferences.
- Manage handling, preparation and service of food to ensure compliance with relevant legislation, policies, procedures and industry best practices for health, safety, sanitation, quality assurance and client satisfaction.
- Manage the nutritional needs of diverse clients in health care and other food service settings in collaboration with or under the direction of health care professionals.
- Support others to work professionally and ethically in accordance with industry, organization and legal standards.
- Monitor relevant local, national and global trends, emerging technologies, changes to legislation and best practices to enhance work performance and inform the management and delivery of food and nutrition services.
- Deliver customer service that anticipates, meets and/or exceeds individual expectations and is consistent with organization standards and objectives.
- Contribute to the hiring, coaching, training, scheduling, supervision and performance management of department staff in accordance with human resources, labour relations, workplace health and safety and industry best practices.
- Apply industry best practices, financial constraints and principles of social responsibility and environmental sustainability to inventory management and procurement of goods and services.
- Contribute to the analysis of food and nutrition services and operations, and the implementation and evaluation of changes, to support continuous improvement.
- Contribute to the planning and administration of budgets consistent with organization objectives and legal requirements for nutrition and food service departments.
- Select and use information and industry-specific technologies to enhance individual work performance and the management and delivery of food and nutrition services.
- Promote food and nutrition services and healthy living to support marketing plans and the general well-being of clients.
Admission Requirements
- Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or Mature Student Status
AND - Grade 12 English (C or U)
- Grade 11 mathematics (C, M or U)
Career Options
WHAT YOU COULD BE
- Dietary manager
- Diet technician
- Food and beverage manager
- Food and nutrition service manager
- Food service supervisor or manager
- Food service industry sales representative
- Meal program co-ordinator
- Nutrition manager
- Patient service supervisor
- Support service manager
- Community nutritionist consultant
WHERE YOU COULD WORK
- Acute care and long-term care settings
- Catering and cafeteria services
- Community food service providers
- Correctional institutions
- Educational and daycare institutions
- Food and equipment suppliers and manufacturers
- Government agencies
- Health care settings
- Hospitality industry
- Retirement homes
More Info;https://durhamcollege.ca/programs/nutrition-and-food-service#tabTransfer