Nutrition Services
We want our students to excel, and that means supporting them from all angles. UMaine Dining provides nutrition services through a Nutrition Support Manager. These services are offered to any student with a meal plan.
Meet your dietitian: Krista Niezelski
UMaine Dining’s dietitian, Krista Niezelski, M.S., R.D.N., L.D., 
provides free, confidential nutritional guidance and counseling for any dining meal plan holder. She is available by appointment only Monday through Friday from 8 am – 4:30 pm in person or via Zoom.
Guidance and counseling services are available for:
- Food allergies and intolerances
- Medical nutrition therapy
- Religious dietary requirements
- Sports nutrition
- General healthy eating
- Weight management
- Vegetarian/vegan lifestyles
- Additional referrals may be made to appropriate campus staff if necessary.
Our dietitian helps everyone!
She helps you navigate the dining halls, sets goals and works with you on personalized nutritional needs or issues to help you succeed.
Broadening your dining selections
Works with the staff of UMaine Dining to plan and execute a wide food selection to include several healthy and nutritious food options.
Supplies free information at the all-you-care-to-eat dining halls throughout the year.
Supporting UMaine Dining’s interactive web-based menus
Helps support our interactive web-based menus to allow UMaine Dining customers access to nutrition labels with ingredients for our menu items. You can plan your meals at umaine.edu/dining/locations by clicking on the “menus” button.
UMaine’s nutrition commitment to its guests
Special dietary needs
If you have a specific dietary need, including a special diet, consult UMaine Dining to find out how they can assist you in your nutritional goals. Make an appointment to discuss your dietary needs. Meal plan modifications or exemptions are granted only in extreme cases.
Allergies and intolerances
The UMaine Dining staff is pleased to help you figure out if a particular menu item contains an ingredient that may cause a reaction. Contact UMaine Dining if you have a severe food allergy or intolerance for accommodations.
Allergy Aware venue at Hilltop Dining
The Allergy Aware line at Hilltop has food items that are always free of the Top 8 allergens in the U.S. — Peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, eggs, milk and wheat. Many items are also gluten free.
We also know that you may be allergic to other food and not just the top 8. Make an appointment with the dietitian. We will work with you to meet your needs.
Halal menu items at York Dining
York Dining Hall Serves a Halal-friendly item for dinner daily.
Gluten-friendly items and dairy alternatives
Gluten-friendly items and milk alternatives are available at our all-you-care-to-eat dining halls.
The Bear’s Den in the Memorial Union also has a variety of gluten-friendly options. If you are unclear if an item meets your dietary needs, ask a manager.