Students were given the opportunity to sample and rate new dining hall menu ideas Wednesday at the annual Fall Food Fair in the Taylor Dining Center.

Results from the surveys will help University Dining come up with what will be served in the future.

Jody Horn, the director of University Dining, said University Dining likes to add new food items to its menus.

“It is a good idea to check out those items with students before we add them,” Horn said Austin Dallas, a graduate business administration major, passed out surveys during the Fall Food Fair.

“I think everyone would definitely appreciate new items being added to the menu,” Dallas said.

He said most students commented on the tempura chicken nuggets.

“In fact, one girl said they’re like McDonalds, but better,” Dallas said.

Another popular food item at the fair was the sweet potato fries, which were not an option to rate on the survey.

Cecil Black, a biology major, said his favorite food was the sweet potato fries.

“They were different and very tasty and I would like to see the school offer it in the dining halls,” Black said.

Kristina Campbell, a junior education major, liked the sweet potato fries as well.

Campbell said she liked them best because they are different from what the dining halls currently serve.

Campbell came to the Taylor Dining Center and did not know there was a food sampling, but said the event was beneficial.

“I think it’s a really good idea because the students are the ones eating the food,” Campbell said.

Other food items offered to sample were, apple crescents, corn drop biscuits, black oak smoked sausage, linguini and meatballs, beef lo mien and shrimp with mango habanera sauce.

Horn said 813 students had lunch at Taylor Dining Center, but only 203 surveys were submitted.

“We did (the fair) at Taylor hall because it has a high lunch count,” Horn said.

Information collected from the surveys on what the students liked will be shared with all the dining halls on campus, Horn said.

Demitri Rogers can be reached at 581-7942 or ddrogers@eiu.edu.

Dining worker Erica Spencer serves junior chemistry major Karel Thaibsyah at Taylor Hall Wednesday. (Kim Foster

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