There are lots of things about my new job that I’m enjoying: the work promises to be both challenging and rewarding, my colleagues (old and new) are sharp, interesting people, and the company culture is a good fit for me (fast paced, imperfect, and untraditional). However, I think that the part of my job I’m enjoying the most currently has to be the amazing cafeteria on our campus.

When I first started contracting (long ago, when I was still at the agency and my current company was then my client), I remember being in absolute and complete awe at the food options offered, the incredible prices, and the way that a central cafeteria made a workday easier and more productive. Whereas at the agency sitting down at lunch was seen as unproductive, my new company has recognized that as much work is done over a salad and a sandwich as is done in meetings, on conference calls, and sitting at a workstation. The cafeteria is so busy each day as everyone from the CFO to the guys from the mailroom comes to eat that there’s hardly a place to sit down at peak times.

Productivity and ease aside, though, the cafeteria warms this foodie’s heart. This is hardly dorm-style food (though, like college, it’s as easy to make the wrong choices as it is to eat healthfully). There are 5 hot “stations,” a huge salad bar (my favorite), a deli, soups, a refrigerator case to “grab and go,” and infinite dessert options. Sodas, coffee, and the best iced tea EVER made are free all day, every day (as are coffee drinks like lattes, cappuccinos, and chai…in fact, each building has its own coffee bar that’s open all day as well). I often go for the salad bar, as I’ve always loved to build my own meals according to that day’s picky taste. It’s by far one of the freshest salad bars I’ve seen anywhere. On any given day I can choose from things like jicama, baby corn, pea pods, an assortment of legumes, artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, two types of beets (red and yellow), cheeses, and fresh firm tofu (in addition to the regular salad vegetables). If I have some extra time, the guys at the grill will grill me up a chicken breast and chop it for the top of my salad. If I don’t have time, there’s pre-packaged chopped chicken to go. There’s always fresh fruit, some sort of yummy pasta salad, and a bunch of crunchy toppings, including cheddar cheese Goldfish (my personal favorite).

The deli is much of the same overwhelming abundance as the salad bar: infinite options of meats, cheeses, fresh veggies, roasted veggies, spreads, and breads. The soups are consistently awesome, and there’s always a vegetarian option. When I get sick of soup, salad, and sandwiches, I usually head to the grill which serves everything from burgers to grilled cheese to chicken to fish. You can be as healthy (grilled skinless chicken breast with steamed veggies) or as not healthy (tuna melt! cheeseburger! fries! onion rings!) as you wish. You can get wood-oven pizzas, calzones, burritos or the Mexican specialty of the day. You can get the pasta of the day, or whatever special concoction has been dreamt up. There’s always a vegetarian dish of chickpeas and samosas, a bento box, basic Asian fare, and then an Asian specialty (Vietnamese pho being my favorite).

Given the range of choices, I’m always surprised at how good the food is and how transparent they make the preparation. You can come down to the cafeteria for breakfast (which is a whole other deal…omelets, oatmeal, fruit, cereal…) and watch them chop veggies and meats, prepare the pizzas, and cut trays of the most delicious Rice Krispie treats. The salad bar is refilled consistently throughout lunch and you can see how the food is managed and stored. When the guys at the grill open their fridge to get more tuna salad or what have you, you see Tupperware full of real food, instead of institutional cans of unidentifiable items or preservative-laden choices. Healthy eating is promoted here, and it’s easy to navigate, for which I’m truly thankful.

But that doesn’t mean I can’t have a Rice Krispie treat every once in a while.