Barnard Student Council (photo courtesy of Library of Congress, circa 1916)

College students have considered foods laden with unhealthy trans fat to be "old school" for quite some time. More recently they've been insisting their colleges serve sustainable food from animals treated humanely and plants grown in an eco-friendly manner.

In the competitive world of attracting quality students, campuses across the country are working hard to accommodate student tastes and calls for social responsibility. Studying with coffee is an old practice, but now universities are serving fair-trade certified coffee. Others are serving beef guaranteed to be grass-fed and hormone-free. Eggs from cruelly caged chickens are disallowed. Non-allergenic and gluten-free foods have made their way onto food service menus.

To read an article in the New York Times on campus trends in food go to: Food for Thought: Satisfying Picky Eaters Is No Picnic