Diverse Diets at Davidson:
A Community-Based Project for Davidson International Students
to Increase Access to International Cuisine
Davidson College has an increasingly diverse population, particularly among international students. This population of students often experiences difficulties assimilating into American food culture due to a lack of access to native foods, being required to be on a meal plan, and having to adjust to new eating habits and social spaces. Davidson College has implemented a pre-college orientation specific to international students, but this orientation fails to include any information regarding nutrition. Our community-based intervention aimed to address this void in nutritional support offered to international students by launching delciousdavdison.weebly.com. This website provides access to resources, advice, and guidance on healthy eating habits that will benefit the community of international students who attend Davidson College. We partnered with the Dean Rusk office for this project. Our website integrates resources and information from various other sites regarding food and nutrition in Americanized food compared to staple foods found in the numerous cultures represented by Davidson international students. In addition, it includes information about nutritional facts, local American produce, how to shop at grocery stores, a list of international restaurants located nearby, recipes, and healthier food options available on campus. We also hope that our website will increase international students’ access to a more diverse array of food options.
