Eating with Purpose

Eat with Purpose is a campus dining guide designed to help you build balanced meals that support your health, energy, and daily life on campus. Whether you’re heading to class, working long shifts, training, or simply trying to feel your best, how you fuel your body matters. This tool offers practical examples and strategies to support balance and nourishment, helping you fuel both your body and mind in a way that fits your lifestyle and goals.

Eating with purpose means choosing foods that nourish your body while supporting a healthier planet. A balanced pate highlights a variety of foods including whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and a mix of proteins. By replacing some or all of your animal-based proteins with plant-based proteins, you can enjoy meals that support the health and wellbeing of both you and the planet. Plant forward eating is not about restriction but flexibility and balance, and even the smallest shifts can add up to meaningful change for our food system.

On lighter activity days, your body doesn’t use as much quick fuel. Build your plate around fruits and vegetables, with balanced portions of carbohydrates and protein to support steady energy and overall well-being.

Examples of Low Level Activity:

Going for a Walk
Studying in the Library
Yoga group fitness class

How do I eat with purpose?

Building A Balanced Plate

Performance With Food

Joyful Eating

Meet Our Dietitian

Andrea Carlisle MS, RD, LDN

Andrea is a proud North Carolina native. She earned her undergraduate degree from East Carolina University and completed her graduate studies at Meredith College.

Andrea collaborates closely with our culinary team and management staff to ensure that all students have access to nutritious, balanced meals. She supports healthy eating as an integral part of campus life by providing guidance on managing food allergies and dietary preferences, leading individual and group dining tours, and hosting interactive presentations and events that highlight the connection between nutrition and overall wellbeing.

Andrea is the leading force behind Eating With Purpose. She developed this program during her first year here at Wake Forest as a way to ensure that students have vital access to nutrition information, and are able to create a healthy relationship with building a balanced plate.

Want to learn more about fueling your body? You can reach Andrea via email at carlisle-andrea@harvesttableculinary.com

Click below for downloadable versions of the Eating With Purpose flyers:

Main Eating With Purpose Flyer

Low Activity Level

Moderate Activity Level

High Activity Level

Eating With Purpose (Vertical)

What Should I eat today?

This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. It supports principles of intuitive eating—honoring your body’s signals and fostering a healthy relationship with food. Always consult a healthcare provider for personalized guidance.

If you are interested in learning how ‘Eating With Purpose’ may fit your specific diet and lifestyle, reach out to our Dietitian Andrea at carlisle-andrea@harvesttableculinary.com to learn more.

This information is based off of the current Harvard Healthy Eating Plate.