Academic success at Nebraska requires creativity, hard work and plenty of fuel — sandwiches, pasta, fruits and vegetables.

More than 500 University Dining Services employees work to provide daily sustenance to thousands of hungry Huskers. Some employees arrive to prepare breakfast at 6 a.m., and the last workers leave at about 11:30 p.m.

“Our staff members are incredibly dedicated, talented, enthusiastic and focused on providing the highest-quality dining and retail experiences for all of our students, staff, faculty and guests,” said Pam Edwards, assistant director of dining services. “They provide that special customer service so that everyone feels right at home.”

Some key numbers related to food at Nebraska:

Dining services

• 267 — nonstudent employees (full-time, part-time, on call and temporary)

• 258 — student workers

• 5 — dining halls (Abel/Sandoz, Cather, East Campus Union Café and Grill, Harper and Selleck)

• 5 — C-Stores (Abel, Cather, Knoll, Selleck and Village Market)

• 3 — Grab-N-Go shops (Husker Heroes, Husker Hoagies and Huskers On-the-Go)

• 4 — meal plans (All-Access Meal Plan, Red 440 Meal Pack, White 250 Meal Pack and Herbie 25 Meal Pack Add-On). Learn more.

• 882,340 — meal transactions during the spring 2018 semester

• 17 — Nebraska Local meals during the 2018-19 school year. The special meals at the Cather and East Campus dining halls feature food from Nebraska farmers, producers and manufacturers. The meals carry themes such as Oktoberfest, Vegan Paradise and Soup Bowl Extravaganza. Learn more.

• 1 — allergen-free meal currently served each week. The meals, lunch Wednesday at the Harper Dining Hall, are free of the big eight food allergens — dairy, eggs, fish, peanuts, shellfish, soy, tree nuts and wheat — as well as gluten. The pilot program will expand to three meals a day, seven days a week at Harper beginning in January. Learn more.

Craig Chandler | University Communication

Chef Ron White makes his seafood jambalaya steam while cooking a batch in February 2017 at the East Campus Union Café and Grill. White is one of 500-plus University Dining Services employees.

The grub behind the glory

For the spring 2018 semester, dining services purchased:

• 28,524 pounds of ground beef
• 21,179 pounds of chicken breast
• 7,050 gallons of 2 percent milk
• 6,516 gallons of chocolate milk
• 2,046 loaves of white bread
• 1,195 loaves of wheat bread
• 5,730 pounds of American cheese
• 7,691 pounds of fresh carrots
• 4,934 pounds of frozen corn
• 1,835 pounds of rotini
• 43,105 pounds of fresh bananas
• 2,363 pounds of sliced peaches
• 4,542 pounds of Greek yogurt
• 1,302 pounds of chocolate pudding
• 1,000 pounds of Frosted Flakes

Learn more about University Dining Services.